Two novel zinc complexes of disubstituted 2,2′-bipyridine with ammonium groups as artificial nucleases

Two novel zinc complexes of disubstituted 2,2 '-bipyridine with ammonium groups, [Zn(L-1)(3)](ClO4)(8)center dot 3H(2)O (1) and [Zn(L-2)(3)](ClO4)(8) (2) (L-1 = [4,4 '-(Me2NHCH2)(2)-bpy](2+), L-2 = [5,5 '-(Me2NHCH2)(2)-bpy](2+), bpy = 2,2 '-bipyridiyl) were synthesized as artificial nucleases. The outside electrostatic binding interaction between these complexes and calf thymus DNA was confirmed by UV and CD spectroscopies. Even at low concentration (2.0 x 10(-4) M), both complexes can effectively cleave super-coiled plasmid DNA to nicked form, giving hydrolysis rate constants of 1.84 x 10(-5) and 2.16 x 10(-5) s(-1), respectively. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.