Peptide nucleic acids

Details Peptide nucleic acids Peptide nucleic acids

1993-11-22

2002-05-28

Marschel, Ardin H. (Department: 1631)

Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology

Measuring or testing process involving enzymes or...

Involving nucleic acid

C435S069100, C436S501000, C436S063000, C530S300000, C530S350000, C536S022100, C536S023100, C536S024100, C536S024300, C536S024310, C536S024320, C536S024330, C536S025400

Reexamination Certificate

active

06395474

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to compounds that are not polynucleotides yet which bind to complementary DNA and RNA strands more strongly the corresponding DNA. In particular, the invention concerns compounds wherein naturally-occurring nucleobases or other nucleobase-binding moieties are covalently bound to a polyamide backbone.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Oligodeoxyribonucleotides as long as 100 base pairs (bp) are routinely synthesized by solid phase methods using commercially available, fully automatic synthesis machines. The chemical synthesis of oligoribonucleotides, however, is far less routine. Oligoribonucleotides also are much less stable than oligodeoxyribonucleotides, a fact which has contributed to the more prevalent use of oligodeoxyribonucleotides in medical and biological research directed to, for example, gene therapy or the regulation of transcription or translation.
The function of a gene starts by transcription of its information to a messenger RNA (mRNA) which, by interaction with the ribosomal complex, directs the synthesis of a protein coded for by its sequence. The synthetic process is known as translation. Translation requires the presence of various co-factors and building blocks, the amino acids, and their transfer RNAs (tRNA), all of which are present in normal cells.
Transcription initiation requires specific recognition of a promoter DNA sequence by the RNA-synthesizing enzyme, RNA polymerase. In many cases in prokaryotic cells, and probably in all cases in eukaryotic cells, this recognition is preceded by sequence-specific binding of a protein transcription factor to the promoter. Other proteins which bind to the promoter, but whose binding prohibits action of RNA polymerase, are known as repressors. Thus, gene activation typically is regulated positively by transcription factors and negatively by repressors.
Most conventional drugs function by interaction with and modulation of one or more targeted endogenous proteins, e.g., enzymes. Such drugs, however, typically are not specific for targeted proteins but interact with other proteins as well. Thus, a relatively large dose of drug must be used to effectively modulate a targeted protein. Typical daily doses of drugs are from 10
−5
-10
−1
millimoles per kilogram of body weight or 10
−3
-10 millimoles for a 100 kilogram person. If this modulation instead could be effected by interaction with and inactivation of mRNA, a dramatic reduction in the necessary amount of drug necessary could likely be achieved, along with a corresponding reduction in side effects. Further reductions could be effected if such interaction could be rendered site-specific. Given that a functioning gene continually produces mRNA, it would thus be even more advantageous if gene transcription could be arrested in its entirety.
Oligodeoxynucleotides offer such opportunities. For example, synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides could be used as antisense probes to block and eventually lead to the breakdown of mRNA. Thus, synthetic DNA could suppress translation in vivo. It also may be possible to modulate the genome of an animal by, for example, triple helix formation using oligonucleotides or other DNA recognizing agents. However, there are a number of drawbacks associated with triple helix formation. For example, it can only be used for homopurine sequences and it requires unphysiologically high ionic strength and low pH.
Furthermore, unmodified oligonucleotides are unpractical both in the antisense approach and in the triple helix approach because they have short in vivo half-lives, they are difficult to prepare in more than milligram quantities and, thus, are prohibitively costly, and they are poor cell membrane penetrators.
These problems have resulted in an extensive search for improvements and alternatives. For example, the problems arising in connection with double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) recognition through triple helix formation have been diminished by a clever “switch back” chemical linking whereby a sequence of polypurine on one strand is recognized, and by “switching back”, a homopurine sequence on the other strand can be recognized. See, e.g., McCurdy, Moulds, and Froehler,
Nucleosides
, in press. Also, good helix formation has been obtained by using artificial bases, thereby improving binding conditions with regard to ionic strength and pH.
In order to improve half life as well as membrane penetration, a large number of variations in polynucleotide backbones has been undertaken, although so far not with desired results. These variations include the use of methylphosphonates, monothiophosphates, dithiophosphates, phosphoramidates, phosphate esters, bridged phosphoroamidates, bridged phosphorothioates, bridged methylenephosphonates, dephospho internucleotide analogs with siloxane bridges, carbonate bridges, carboxymethyl ester bridges, acetamide bridges, carbamate bridges, thioether, sulfoxy, sulfono bridges, various “plastic” DNAS, &agr;-anomeric bridges, and borane derivatives.
International patent application WO 86/05518 broadly claims a polymeric composition effective to bind to a single-stranded polynucleotide containing a target sequence of bases. The composition is said to comprise non-homopolymeric, substantially stereoregular polymer molecules of the form:
R
1
 R
2
 R
3
  R
n
B ~ B ~ B ~ . . . B,
where:
(a) R
1
-R
n
are recognition moieties selected from purine, purine-like, pyrimidine, and pyrimidine like heterocycles effective to bind by Watson/Crick pairing to corresponding, in-sequence bases in the target sequence;
(b) n is such that the total number of Watson/Crick hydrogen bonds formed between a polymer molecule and target sequence is at least about 15;
(c) B~B are backbone moieties joined predominantly by chemically stable, substantially uncharged, predominantly achiral linkages;
(d) the backbone moiety length ranges from 5 to 7 atoms if the backbone moieties have a cyclic structure, and ranges from 4 to 6 atoms if the backbone moieties have an acyclic structure; and
(e) the backbone moieties support the recognition moieties at position which allow Watson/Crick base pairing between the recognition moieties and the corresponding, in-sequence bases of the target sequence.
According to WO 86/05518, the recognition moieties are various natural nucleobases and nucleobase-analogs and the backbone moieties are either cyclic backbone moieties comprising furan or morpholine rings or acyclic backbone moieties of the following forms:
where E is —CO— or —SO
2
—. The specification of the application provides general descriptions for the synthesis of subunits, for backbone coupling reactions, and for polymer assembly strategies. However, the specification provides no example wherein a claimed compound or structure is actually prepared. Although WO 86/05518 indicates that the claimed polymer compositions can bind target sequences and, as a result, have possible diagnostic and therapeutic applications, the application contains no data relating to the binding affinity of a claimed polymer.
International patent application WO 66/05519 claims diagnostic reagents and systems that comprise polymers described in WO 86/05518, but attached to a solid support. WO 86/05519 also provides no examples concerning actually preparation of a claimed diagnostic reagent, much less data showing the diagnostic efficiency of such a reagent.
International patent application WO 89/12060 claims various building blocks for synthesizing oligonucleotide analogs, as well as oligonucleotide analogs formed by joining such building blocks in a defined sequence. The building blocks may be either “rigid” (containing a ring) or “flexible” (lacking a ring). In both cases the building blocks contain a hydroxy group and a mercapto group, through which the building blocks are said to join to form oligonucleotide analogs. The linking moiety in the oligonucleotide analogs is selected from the group consisting of sulfide (—S—), sulfoxide (—SO—), and sulfone (—SO
2
—). WO 89/12060 provides a general descri

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