Skip to main content
PMC home page
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1992 Sep 15;89(18):8631–8635. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.18.8631

Triple-helix formation by oligonucleotides containing the three bases thymine, cytosine, and guanine.

C Giovannangéli 1, M Rougée 1, T Garestier 1, N T Thuong 1, C Hélène 1
PMCID: PMC49974  PMID: 1528873

Abstract

A homopurine-homopyrimidine sequence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) proviral DNA was chosen as a target for triple-helix-forming oligonucleotides. An oligonucleotide containing three bases (thymine, cytosine, and guanine) was shown to bind to its target sequence under physiological conditions. This oligonucleotide is bound in a parallel orientation with respect to the homopurine sequence. Thymines recognize A.T base pairs to form T.A.T base triplets and guanines recognize a run of G.C base pairs to form G.G.C base triplets. A single 5-methylcytosine was shown to stabilize the triple helix when incorporated in a stretch of thymines; it recognizes a single G.C base pair in a run of A.T base pairs. These results provide some of the rules required for choosing the more appropriate oligonucleotide sequence to form a triple helix at a homopurine-homopyrimidine sequence of duplex DNA. A psoralen derivative attached to the oligonucleotide containing thymine, 5-methylcytosine, and guanine was shown to photoinduce cross-linking of the two DNA strands at the target sequence in a plasmid containing part of the HIV proviral DNA sequence. Triplex formation and cross-linking were monitored by inhibition of Dra I restriction enzyme cleavage. The present results provide a rational basis for the development of triplex-forming oligonucleotides targeted to specific sequences of the HIV provirus integrated in its host genome.

Full text

PDF

Images in this article

8633Image
on p.8633
8634Image
on p.8634

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Beal P. A., Dervan P. B. Second structural motif for recognition of DNA by oligonucleotide-directed triple-helix formation. Science. 1991 Mar 15;251(4999):1360–1363. doi: 10.1126/science.2003222. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cooney M., Czernuszewicz G., Postel E. H., Flint S. J., Hogan M. E. Site-specific oligonucleotide binding represses transcription of the human c-myc gene in vitro. Science. 1988 Jul 22;241(4864):456–459. doi: 10.1126/science.3293213. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Durland R. H., Kessler D. J., Gunnell S., Duvic M., Pettitt B. M., Hogan M. E. Binding of triple helix forming oligonucleotides to sites in gene promoters. Biochemistry. 1991 Sep 24;30(38):9246–9255. doi: 10.1021/bi00102a017. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. François J. C., Saison-Behmoaras T., Chassignol M., Thuong N. T., Helene C. Sequence-targeted cleavage of single- and double-stranded DNA by oligothymidylates covalently linked to 1,10-phenanthroline. J Biol Chem. 1989 Apr 5;264(10):5891–5898. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. François J. C., Saison-Behmoaras T., Hélène C. Sequence-specific recognition of the major groove of DNA by oligodeoxynucleotides via triple helix formation. Footprinting studies. Nucleic Acids Res. 1988 Dec 23;16(24):11431–11440. doi: 10.1093/nar/16.24.11431. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. François J. C., Saison-Behmoaras T., Thuong N. T., Hélène C. Inhibition of restriction endonuclease cleavage via triple helix formation by homopyrimidine oligonucleotides. Biochemistry. 1989 Dec 12;28(25):9617–9619. doi: 10.1021/bi00451a011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Le Doan T., Perrouault L., Praseuth D., Habhoub N., Decout J. L., Thuong N. T., Lhomme J., Hélène C. Sequence-specific recognition, photocrosslinking and cleavage of the DNA double helix by an oligo-[alpha]-thymidylate covalently linked to an azidoproflavine derivative. Nucleic Acids Res. 1987 Oct 12;15(19):7749–7760. doi: 10.1093/nar/15.19.7749. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lee J. S., Woodsworth M. L., Latimer L. J., Morgan A. R. Poly(pyrimidine) . poly(purine) synthetic DNAs containing 5-methylcytosine form stable triplexes at neutral pH. Nucleic Acids Res. 1984 Aug 24;12(16):6603–6614. doi: 10.1093/nar/12.16.6603. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Lyamichev V. I., Mirkin S. M., Frank-Kamenetskii M. D., Cantor C. R. A stable complex between homopyrimidine oligomers and the homologous regions of duplex DNAs. Nucleic Acids Res. 1988 Mar 25;16(5):2165–2178. doi: 10.1093/nar/16.5.2165. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Mergny J. L., Sun J. S., Rougée M., Montenay-Garestier T., Barcelo F., Chomilier J., Hélène C. Sequence specificity in triple-helix formation: experimental and theoretical studies of the effect of mismatches on triplex stability. Biochemistry. 1991 Oct 8;30(40):9791–9798. doi: 10.1021/bi00104a031. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Moser H. E., Dervan P. B. Sequence-specific cleavage of double helical DNA by triple helix formation. Science. 1987 Oct 30;238(4827):645–650. doi: 10.1126/science.3118463. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Praseuth D., Perrouault L., Le Doan T., Chassignol M., Thuong N., Hélène C. Sequence-specific binding and photocrosslinking of alpha and beta oligodeoxynucleotides to the major groove of DNA via triple-helix formation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Mar;85(5):1349–1353. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.5.1349. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Rajagopal P., Feigon J. Triple-strand formation in the homopurine:homopyrimidine DNA oligonucleotides d(G-A)4 and d(T-C)4. Nature. 1989 Jun 22;339(6226):637–640. doi: 10.1038/339637a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Sun J. S., De Bizemont T., Duval-Valentin G., Montenay-Garestier T., Hélène C. Extension of the range of recognition sequences for triple helix formation by oligonucleotides containing guanines and thymines. C R Acad Sci III. 1991;313(13):585–590. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Sun J. S., François J. C., Montenay-Garestier T., Saison-Behmoaras T., Roig V., Thuong N. T., Hélène C. Sequence-specific intercalating agents: intercalation at specific sequences on duplex DNA via major groove recognition by oligonucleotide-intercalator conjugates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Dec;86(23):9198–9202. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.23.9198. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Sun J. S., Giovannangeli C., François J. C., Kurfurst R., Montenay-Garestier T., Asseline U., Saison-Behmoaras T., Thuong N. T., Hélène C. Triple-helix formation by alpha oligodeoxynucleotides and alpha oligodeoxynucleotide-intercalator conjugates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Jul 15;88(14):6023–6027. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.14.6023. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Takasugi M., Guendouz A., Chassignol M., Decout J. L., Lhomme J., Thuong N. T., Hélène C. Sequence-specific photo-induced cross-linking of the two strands of double-helical DNA by a psoralen covalently linked to a triple helix-forming oligonucleotide. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Jul 1;88(13):5602–5606. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.13.5602. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Wain-Hobson S., Sonigo P., Danos O., Cole S., Alizon M. Nucleotide sequence of the AIDS virus, LAV. Cell. 1985 Jan;40(1):9–17. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(85)90303-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. de los Santos C., Rosen M., Patel D. NMR studies of DNA (R+)n.(Y-)n.(Y+)n triple helices in solution: imino and amino proton markers of T.A.T and C.G.C+ base-triple formation. Biochemistry. 1989 Sep 5;28(18):7282–7289. doi: 10.1021/bi00444a021. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

RESOURCES