Da. Liberles et Pb. Dervan, DESIGN OF ARTIFICIAL SEQUENCE-SPECIFIC DNA BENDING LIGANDS, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United Statesof America, 93(18), 1996, pp. 9510-9514
Proteins that bend DNA are important regulators of biological processe
s. Sequence-specific DNA bending ligands have been designed that bind
two noncontiguous sites in the major groove and induce a bend in the D
NA, An oligonucleotide containing pyrimidine segments separated by a c
entral variable linker domain simultaneously binds by triple helix for
mation two 15-bp purine tracts separated by 10 hp. Bend angles of 61 d
egrees, 50 degrees, and 38 degrees directed towards the minor groove w
ere quantitated by phasing analysis for linkers of four, five, and six
T residues, respectively. The design and synthesis of nonnatural arch
itectural factors may provide a new class of reagents for use in biolo
gy and human medicine.