Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Taoran Tian, Tao Zhang, Sirong Shi, Yang Gao, Xiaoxiao Cai, Yunfeng Lin
Summary: An active targeting strategy-enabled DNA tetrahedron delivery vehicle has been developed for stable drug encapsulation and stimuli-responsive on-demand release, providing a universal platform for various drug delivery requirements.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wentao Xu, Wanchong He, Zaihui Du, Liye Zhu, Kunlun Huang, Yi Lu, Yunbo Luo
Summary: Functional nucleic acid (FNA) nanotechnology focuses on studying the interactions between FNAs and nanomaterials, aiming to create advanced biomaterials with unique properties for various applications in bioimaging, biosensing, biomedicine, and other important fields.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sitao Xie, Zhimin Wang, Ting Fu, Liyan Zheng, Hui Wu, Lei He, Huidong Huang, Cai Yang, Ruowen Wang, Xu Qian, Liping Qiu, Weihong Tan
Summary: Aptamers are a promising tool in cancer-targeted theranostics, but their in vivo stability has been a critical issue. To address this, researchers developed an environment-responsive stabilization strategy for enhancing the stability of aptamers in the tumor microenvironment.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Narjiss Seddaoui, Noemi Colozza, Ludovica Gullo, Fabiana Arduini
Summary: In recent years, the use of paper as a smart support in electrochemical sensors has significantly improved. The foldability and porosity of paper enable the design of reagent and equipment-free multi-analysis devices. Paper surface engineering has been utilized to immobilize different bioreceptors, boosting the customization of paper-based electrochemical biosensors. Additionally, the integration of different analytical processes in an eco-designed analytical tool using paper has been highlighted.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rongping Hu, Jun Shi, Cheng Tian, Xiaojuan Chen, Hua Zuo
Summary: This review summarizes the recent progress of nucleic acid aptamers in the agricultural field, including their selective binding ability to pesticides, toxins, specific biomarkers of crops, and plant growth regulators. The basic process of aptamer selection, the identified DNA/RNA aptamers, aptasensors, future perspectives, and challenges for aptamer development in agriculture are discussed.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Jiuxing Li, Zijie Zhang, Rudi Liu, Ryan Amini, Bruno J. Salena, Yingfu Li
Summary: Functional nucleic acids (FNAs) are short, single-stranded nucleic acids derived from synthetic libraries that have the potential to overcome limitations in pathogen diagnostics. This review summarizes the development of FNA-based biosensors for viral and bacterial detection in clinical samples, discussing the selection of FNAs for biomarker recognition and their integration into various biosensors. The challenges of using FNA-based biosensors for infectious diseases are also addressed.
TRAC-TRENDS IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Carme Fabrega, Anna Avino, Ramon Eritja
Summary: The article discusses the advancements in the therapeutic and diagnostic applications of nucleic acids over the past decade, including studies on siRNA modifications, novel conjugate designs, and the use of nanostructures for drug delivery. These interdisciplinary research efforts have expanded the applications of nucleic acids in various fields.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhichu Xiang, Jian Zhao, Deyu Yi, Zhenghan Di, Lele Li
Summary: The study introduces a protease-activatable aptamer system for molecular sensing and imaging in a tumor-specific manner. By utilizing a PNA-peptide-PNA triblock copolymer to lock the structure-switching activity of the aptamer, protease-mediated cleavage of the peptide substrate can reduce binding affinity and recover the biosensing function. This work demonstrates the potential of bridging the gap between functional DNA and peptides for precise biomedical applications.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Cailing Ji, Hao Li, Lei Zhang, Ping Wang, Yawei Lv, Zhijun Sun, Jie Tan, Quan Yuan, Weihong Tan
Summary: In this study, a novel nanoagent was designed to achieve continuous photo-regulation of cellular oxidative stress in the dark, by converting photoenergy into a Fenton-like reaction. This strategy increases cellular oxidative stress and silences oxidative damage repair genes, providing a new direction for studying the molecular mechanisms of biological activities and modulating the tumor microenvironment.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sankha Pattanayak, Bhagyesh R. Sarode, Alexander Deiters, James K. Chen
Summary: Caged morpholino oligonucleotides (cMOs) are synthetic tools that allow light-inducible gene silencing in live organisms. A new caging strategy has been developed to enhance the efficacy of cMOs in zebrafish embryos.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Sven Schnichels, Jose Hurst, Jan Willem de Vries, Sami Ullah, Katharina Froessl, Agnieszka Gruszka, Marina Loescher, Karl-Ulrich Bartz-Schmidt, Martin S. Spitzer, Andreas Herrmann
Summary: A drug-delivery system based on DNA nanoparticles loaded with brimonidine showed improved affinity towards the cornea, reduced intraocular pressure, and enhanced drug release compared to controls. The system demonstrated no toxicity and improved efficacy, potentially increasing patient compliance.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Shuwen Qian, Dingran Chang, Sisi He, Yingfu Li
Summary: This review analyzes SELEX experiments to compare synthetic and natural aptamers, and proposes ideas for improving aptamer performance to address real-world challenges.
ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Geng Qin, Chuanqi Zhao, Jie Yang, Zhao Wang, Jinsong Ren, Xiaogang Qu
Summary: The applicability of G-quadruplexes (G4s) as antiviral targets, therapeutic agents, and diagnostic tools for COVID-19 is being evaluated and has gained significant attention from the scientific community. There is a rapid accumulation of research in this field during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review summarizes the latest achievements and breakthroughs in using G4s, particularly G4 ligands, for the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of COVID-19. The strengths and weaknesses of G4s in the field of anti-SARS-CoV-2 are highlighted for future projects.
CHINESE JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Cailen M. McCloskey, Qingfeng Li, Eric J. Yik, Nicholas Chim, Arlene K. Ngor, Esau Medina, Ivan Grubisic, Lance Co Ting Keh, Ryan Poplin, John C. Chaput
Summary: Synthetic genetic polymers (XNAs) have the potential to transform aptamers from laboratory tools to therapeutic agents. The evolution of a biologically stable artificial genetic system composed of alpha-L-threofuranosyl nucleic acid (TNA) enables the production of high quality protein capture reagents known as threomers. Using uracil nucleotides with aromatic side chains, this system generates threomers with slow off-rate binding kinetics against protein targets implicated in human diseases.
ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jingfang Zhang, Peng Zhao, Wenzhe Li, Ling Ye, Lele Li, Zhengping Li, Mengyuan Li
Summary: This study reports the development of aptamer-based spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) that can noninvasively and programmably regulate the activity of target proteins using near-infrared (NIR) light. The photoresponsive SNAs can capture target proteins and function as enzyme inhibitors when reverted by NIR light, and their inhibition functions can be further reversed by antidote DNA.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Christoph Kaiser, Thomas Halbritter, Alexander Heckel, Josef Wachtveitl
Summary: Photoacids are important tools for controlling proton-release reactions and solution pH values. Research on merocyanine representatives has revealed different proton-release mechanisms, some acting as photoacid generators in the ground state while others function as excited state photoacids. The drop in pK(a) value upon excitation of the latter phenolic site makes it a super-photoacid.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anja Bluemler, Harald Schwalbe, Alexander Heckel
Summary: In this study, a multi-cycle chemoenzymatic synthesis of modified RNA with simplified solid-phase handling was developed to overcome the size limitations of RNA synthesis. The successful introduction of light-controllable RNA nucleotides was confirmed, and the method allows for modifications in the RNA backbone and introductions of photocaged and photoswitchable nucleotides, as well as photocleavable strand breaks and fluorophores.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Marvin Asido, Carsten Hamerla, Rebekka Weber, Maximiliane Horz, Madhava Shyam Niraghatam, Alexander Heckel, Irene Burghardt, Josef Wachtveitl
Summary: This study developed a bichromophoric system based on rhodamine and BODIPY for photoactivatable probes that can operate in the visible to near infrared region, demonstrating excellent two-photon properties and efficient energy transfer dynamics. The research also provided a design principle for a class of photocages that can be broadly activated between 500 and 900 nm.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chahinez Abdellaoui, Volker Hermanns, Matiss Reinfelds, Maximilian Scheurer, Andreas Dreuw, Alexander Heckel, Josef Wachtveitl
Summary: This article investigates the photochemical reaction mechanism of fluorenols and finds that long-lived fluorenyl cations can affect the release of different leaving groups. It is discovered through various experimental methods that the stability of the cation is positively correlated with the release quantum yield. The research results of this article have important theoretical and practical significance for photochemical reactions.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Janik Kaufmann, Patricia Mueller, Eleni Andreadou, Alexander Heckel
Summary: In this study, we synthesized two green-light activatable caps for oligonucleotides based on the BODIPY and coumarin scaffold. Both caps bear an alkyne functionality and can be incorporated in oligonucleotides via solid-phase synthesis. The caps showed high stability against exonucleases and could be relinearized by activation with green light. Chemical ligation resulted in oligonucleotides with an internal strand break site, and both caps could be completely photolyzed under specific wavelengths.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Robin Klimek, Marvin Asido, Volker Hermanns, Stephan Junek, Josef Wachtveitl, Alexander Heckel
Summary: In this work, new coumarin-based photocages were designed using knowledge of fluorophore optimization. The photolysis efficiency was selectively modulated by inactivating competitive decay channels, and the underlying solvent-dependent photophysical dynamics were studied. These photocages exhibit superior photochemical properties and have great potential in applications due to their simple synthesis.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Volker Hermanns, Maximilian Scheurer, Andreas Dreuw, Josef Wachtveitl, Markus Braun, Alexander Heckel
Summary: In this study, we synthesized and investigated six atropisomers of cyclobutane ethers with different chiroptical properties, which were derived from a single, robust, broadly-absorbing fulgide photoswitch. The isomerization processes at room temperature and the energy barriers of the different species were studied in detail using spectroscopic and theoretical methods.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Robin Klimek, Christoph Kaiser, Nina S. Murmann, Nina Kaltenschnee, Teresa Spano, Josef Wachtveitl, Erin M. Schuman, Alexander Heckel
Summary: Protein synthesis through ribosomes is a vital process in all living organisms. However, this process can be disrupted by the removal of a single nucleobase (depurination) at the sarcin/ricin loop of the ribosomal RNA. In this study, a fluorescent probe was developed to visualize depurination. Various RNA probes were designed and characterized, which fluoresce specifically in the presence of a depurinated sarcin/ricin-loop RNA. The main challenge was to achieve a high fluorescence signal when hybridized with an abasic RNA strand, while keeping the background fluorescence low. The new RNA probes enable efficient monitoring of depurinated RNA through fluorescence intensity and lifetime measurements.
CHEMISTRY-AN ASIAN JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Janik Kaufmann, Fabian Sinsel, Alexander Heckel
Summary: A system of two coumarin-based caging groups, one absorbing in the blue and the other in the green part of the visible spectrum, is described. They form a pair that allows selective photoactivation of either one in oligonucleotides. The article proposes a numerical characterization of chromatic selectivity and demonstrates how chromatically selective uncaging can be titrated in a kinetic reaction scheme.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Khushboo Yadav, Hariom Birla, Showkat H. Mir, Thomas Halbritter, Alexander Heckel, Jayant K. Singh, Thiruvancheril G. Gopakumar
Summary: In this article, we study the trans isomer of azobenzene (AB) and its derivatives and their switchability on surfaces. We find that the switching probability is very low due to the large activation barrier for switching from trans to cis. However, when switching is performed from a meta-stable initial condition, the switching probability is enhanced by several folds. The enhanced switching probability is a result of switching between two associated cis states with relatively low energy barriers.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rebekka Weber, Kerby Chok, Stephan Junek, Clemens Glaubitz, Alexander Heckel
Summary: This study presents the synthesis and photophysical characterization of a two-photon sensitive uncaging dyad based on rhodamine 101 as donor fluorophore and a redshifted BODIPY as acceptor photocage. The liberation of p-nitroaniline (PNA) upon one-photon photolysis was confirmed by HPLC analysis. The considerable change of the fluorescence properties of the chromophores indicated the occurrence of the photoreaction. The possibility of fluorescent read-out enabled the detection of two-photon induced uncaging by confocal fluorescence microscopy.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Janik Kaufmann, Jonas Wolf, Alexander Heckel
Summary: The possibilities of dicyanocoumarin (DCCM)-modified oligonucleotides have expanded to include not only release and activation with green light (OFF?ON), but also fragmentation after exposure to green light (ON?OFF). The use of rigidified DCCM 5'-caps, such as those with ATTO 390 motif or julolidine core, has shown improved performance and compatibility with copper(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloadditions (CuAACs). These modifications allow for efficient caging through cyclization or other bioconjugation reactions, and their planarization even results in an additional red-shift, making them suitable for biological applications.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rebekka Weber, Stephan Junek, Alexander Heckel
Summary: In this study, a blue light and NIR light activatable rhodamine fluorophore was developed for biological imaging. By immobilizing the fluorophore in a hydrogel, spatially resolved illumination patterns with excellent contrast could be written and read after both one-photon and two-photon excitation.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hariom Birla, Showkat H. Mir, Khushboo Yadav, Thomas Halbritter, Alexander Heckel, Jayant K. Singh, Thiruvancheril G. Gopakumar
Summary: This study investigates the electronic structure, switching barrier, and electron/hole-induced switching of three different azobenzene derivatives on a graphite surface. It is found that molecules with strong inter-molecular interactions in the adlayer have a lower switching probability, and the molecule-surface interaction also affects the switching.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Luuk J. G. W. van Wilderen, Daniela Kern-Michler, Carsten Neumann, Matiss Reinfelds, Jan von Cosel, Maximiliane Horz, Irene Burghardt, Alexander Heckel, Jens Bredenbeck
Summary: This work presents an experimental strategy that allows for the selective release of different leaving groups (LGs) using isotopologue photocage-LG mixtures combined with ultrafast VIbrationally Promoted Electronic Resonance (VIPER) excitation. This strategy enables the formation of multiple LGs on a short time scale and in any sequence, opening up possibilities for new complex uncaging applications.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Shibin Zhao, Julian Maceren, Mia Chung, Samantha Stone, Raphael Geiben, Melissa L. Boby, Bradley S. Sherborne, Derek S. Tan
Summary: Antibiotic resistance is a major threat to public health, with Gram-negative bacteria presenting unique challenges due to their low permeability and efflux pumps. Limited understanding of the chemical rules for overcoming these barriers hinders antibacterial drug discovery. Efforts to address this issue, such as screening compound libraries and using cheminformatic analysis, have led to the design of sulfamidoadenosines with diverse substituents, showing potential utility in accumulation in Escherichia coli.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Jichun Li, Qing Li, Shuai Xia, Jiahuang Tu, Longbo Zheng, Qian Wang, Shibo Jiang, Chao Wang
Summary: This study successfully developed a short peptide mimetic as a MERS-CoV fusion inhibitor by reproducing the key recognition features of the HR2 helix. The resulting 23-mer lipopeptide showed comparable inhibitory effect to the 36-mer HR2 peptide HR2P-M2. This has important implications for developing short peptide-based antiviral agents to treat MERS-CoV infection.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Krista Jaunsleine, Linda Supe, Jana Spura, Sten van Beek, Anna Sandstrom, Jessica Olsen, Carina Halleskog, Tore Bengtsson, Ilga Mutule, Benjamin Pelcman
Summary: Beta(2)-adrenergic receptor agonists can stimulate glucose uptake by skeletal muscle cells and are therefore potential treatments for type 2 diabetes. The chirality of compounds has a significant impact on the activity of these agonists. This study found that certain synthesized compounds showed higher glucose uptake activity. These findings provide important information for the design of novel beta(2)AR agonists for T2D treatment.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Xin Xu, Jia Chen, Guan Wang, Xiaojuan Zhang, Qiang Li, Xiaobo Zhou, Fengying Guo, Min Li
Summary: The study focuses on EZH2, a promising therapeutic target for various types of cancers. Researchers designed and synthesized a series of novel derivatives aiming to enhance the EZH2 inhibition activity. Among them, compound 28 displayed potent EZH2 inhibition activity and showed high anti-proliferative effects in lymphoma cell lines and xenograft mouse models. The study suggests that compound 28 has potential as a therapeutic candidate for EZH2-associated cancers.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Wei Zhang, Wei Liu, Ya-Dong Zhao, Li-Zi Xing, Ji Xu, Rui-Jun Li, Yun-Xiao Zhang
Summary: This study developed a series of aromatic amide derivatives based on Rhein and investigated their inhibitory activity against alpha-Syn aggregation. Two of these compounds showed promising potential in treating Parkinson's disease by stabilizing alpha-Syn's conformation and disassembling alpha-Syn oligomers and fibrils.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Mani Sharma, S. S. S. S. Sudha Ambadipudi, Neeraj Kumar Chouhan, V. Lakshma Nayak, Srihari Pabbaraja, Sai Balaji Andugulapati, Ramakrishna Sistla
Summary: Therapeutically active lipids in drug delivery systems can enhance the safety and efficacy of treatment. The liposome formulation created using synthesized biologically active lipids showed additive anti-cancer effects and reduced tumorigenic potential.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2024)
