[Artificial ribonucleases I. Targeted RNA cleavage by 5'-peptidyloligodeoxyribonucleotides containing arginine and...

The interaction of DNA and RNA with oligodeoxyribonucleotides and their 3'-terminal N-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenazinium derivatives carrying peptide residues with alternating basic and hydrophobic amino acids at the 5'-terminal phosphate was studied. It was found that the introduction of peptide residues (LeuArg)n-Gly-NH2 (n = 2-4) into an oligodeoxyribonucleotide enhances the latter's hybridization ability: each additional LeuArg pair increases the Tm value of the (5')pd(CACACACAAAAAAC).(3')d(TGTGTGTG)p(-LeuArg)n-Gly- NH2 complex by 1.3 degrees C. The reagents did not destort the DNA structure and were capable of site-specific hydrolysis of the phosphodiester bonds of RNA. It was shown that the location of the cleavage sites and the efficacy of the RNA hydrolysis at n = 2 and 4 and at n = 3 strongly differ. The maximum hydrolysis (80%) of tetradecaribonucleotide (5')p(GAUUGAAAAUCCCC) was achieved using peptidyloligodeoxyribonucleotide (3')d(CTAACT)p(LeuArg)4GlyNH2. The possibility of directed cleavage of phosphodiester bonds in tRNAPhe by peptidyloligodeoxyribonucleotides (3')d(CTAACT)p(LeuArg)nGlyNH2 (n = 3 and 4) was shown.