Porphyrins as Chiroptical Conformational Probes for Biomolecules.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Biophysical Chemistry
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Porphyrins are highly conjugated macrocyclic compounds with unique photophysical and chemical properties.
• They are increasingly utilized for structural investigations of biomolecules, particularly nucleic acids.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the application of porphyrins as chiroptical conformational probes for DNA and RNA.
• To highlight their role in elucidating nucleic acid structures and binding mechanisms.

Main Methods:

• Focus on porphyrins' interactions with various DNA forms (B-, Z-, A-DNA, ssDNA, G-quadruplex, I-motif, E-motif).
• Examine porphyrin interactions with RNA structures, including RNA G-quadruplexes.
• Emphasis on induced circular dichroism (ICD) signals in the Soret region.

Main Results:

• Porphyrins' planar structure, π-π interactions, functionalization, and metal coordination facilitate sensitive nucleic acid probing.
• ICD signals provide precise diagnostic insights into binding and molecular interactions.
• Porphyrins effectively probe diverse DNA structures and RNA G-quadruplexes.

Conclusions:

• Porphyrins are powerful tools for structural analysis of nucleic acids.
• Their chiroptical properties offer valuable information on DNA and RNA conformations and interactions.
• Challenges remain in interpreting ICD signals for complex RNA motifs.