TITLE: Metal-Based Architectures for DNA Recognition and Reactivity: From Lanthanide Macrocycles to Polyoxometalate Hybrids
AUTHOR: Marta Fik-Jaskółka - Departament of Functional Nanostructures Synthesis, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
INVITED BY: Berta Gómez Lor
WHEN: May, 19 - 10.30
WHERE: Salón de Actos, ICMM
Abstract: Metal-based systems offer unique opportunities for the design of DNA-targeting molecules because their geometry, charge, redox properties, and ligand environment can be rationally tuned. This seminar will present two complementary research directions focused on DNA recognition and reactivity. The first concerns 18-membered lanthanide(III) macrocyclic complexes developed as selective stabilizers of G-quadruplex DNA. Their interactions with telomeric and promoter G4 structures were studied using UV-Vis thermal melting, circular dichroism, fluorescence indicator displacement, competitive FRET-melting, NMR titrations, and molecular docking, revealing the key role of the macrocyclic scaffold, diamine unit, and lanthanide ion in controlling G4 stabilization and selectivity over duplex DNA. The second part will introduce polyoxometalates (POMs) and their hybrids as emerging DNA-reactive platforms. Starting from Anderson POM with manganese functionalized as building blocks for covalent conjugation, the concept is being extended toward various (covalent and ionic) hybrid systems with POMs with vanadium inspired by the reported anticancer activity of Anderson TRIZMA-OH POM derivative with vanadium. Together, these studies show how coordination and POM chemistry can be combined to develop structurally defined systems for G-quadruplex stabilization, DNA recognition, and light- or redox-triggered DNA reactivity.
