A novel lanthanide complex with remarkable phosphodiester transesterification activity and DNA-conjugatable functionality

Encapsulated lanthanide complexes like the TCMC complexes are highly stable under physiological conditions. With the ultimate goal being an in vivo ap plication of these complexes as a sequence-selective RNA/DNA cleaving agent (artificial RNAse/DNAse), kinetic stability of the complex would be a dist inct advantage. We have synthesized a novel lanthanide complex with such st ability and which displays high transesterification activity. The most impo rtant attribute of this compound is the nitrophenyl group which would allow further derivatization and conjugation to a DNA oligomer, thus creating a potential for the sequence selective hydrolysis of its target.