7-Deaza-2'-deoxyisoguanosine, a Noncanonical Nucleoside for Nucleic Acid Code Expansion and New DNA Constructs: Nucleobase Functionalization of Inverse Watson-Crick and Purine-Purine Base Pairs.

ABSTRACT

7-Deaza-2'-deoxyisoguanosine forms stable inverse Watson-Crick base pairs with 5-methyl-2'-deoxyisocytidine and purine-purine base pairs with 2'-deoxyguanosine or 5-aza-7-deaza-2'-deoxyguanosine. Both base pairs expand the genetic coding system. The manuscript reports on the functionalization of these base pairs with halogen atoms and clickable side chains introduced at 7-position of the 7-deazapurine base. Oligonucleotides containing the functionalized base pairs were prepared by solid-phase synthesis. To this end, a series of phosphoramidites were synthesized and clickable side chains with short and long linkers were incorporated in oligonucleotides. Fluorescent pyrene conjugates were obtained by postmodification. Functionalization of DNA with a single inverse Watson-Crick base pair by halogens or clickable residues has only a minor impact on duplex stability. Pyrene click adducts increase (long linker) or decrease (short linker) the double helix stability. Stable hybrid duplexes were constructed containing three consecutive purine-purine pairs of 7-functionalized 7-deaza-2'-deoxyisoguanine with guanine or 5-aza-7-deazaguanine in the center and Watson-Crick pairs at both ends. The incorporation of a hybrid base pair tract of 7-deaza-2'-deoxyisoguanosine/5-aza-7-deaza-2'-deoxyguanosine pairs stabilizes the double helix strongly. Fluorescence intensity of pyrene short linker adducts increased when the 7-deazapurine base was positioned opposite to 5-methylisocytosine (inverse base pair) compared to purine-purine base pairs with guanine or 5-aza-7-deazaguanine in opposite positions. For long liker adducts, the situation is more complex. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra of purine DNA differ to those of Watson-Crick double helices and are indicative for the new DNA constructs. The impact of 7-deaza-2'-deoxyisoguanine base pair functionalization is studied for the first time and all experimental details are reported to prepare DNA functionalized at the 7-deazaisoguanine site. The influence of single and multiple incorporations on DNA structure and stability is shown. Clickable residues introduced at the 7-position of the 7-deazaisoguanine base provide handles for Huisgen-Sharpless-Meldal click cycloadditions without harming the stability of purine-pyrimidine and purine-purine base pairs. Other chemistries might be used for bioconjugation. Our investigation paves the way for the functionalization of a new DNA related recognition system expanding the common Watson-Crick regime.