From groove binding to intercalation: unravelling the weak interactions and other factors modulating the modes of interaction between methylated phenanthroline-based drugs and duplex DNA

Abstract

groove binding thus making the transition to the intercalation cytotoxic mode difficult. Looking at the NCI results, these interactions come not only from the CH/π and CH/n interactions of the methyl group in position 4 but also from the ethylenediamine (en) ligand, whose orientation in the Pt complex was found in such a way that it produces a high number of weak interactions with DNA, especially with the sugar and phosphate backbone.

Topics & Concepts