Bcl-2 Promoter Sequence G-Quadruplex Interactions with Three Planar and Non-Planar Cationic Porphyrins: TMPyP4, TMPyP3, and TMPyP2

The interactions of three related cationic porphyrins, TMPyP4, TMPyP3 and TMPyP2, with a WT 39-mer Bcl-2 promoter sequence G-quadruplex were studied using Circular Dichroism, ESI mass spectrometry, Isothermal Titration Calorimetry, and Fluorescence spectroscopy. The planar cationic porphyrin TMPyP4 (5, 10, 15, 20-meso-tetra (N-methyl-4-pyridyl) porphine) is shown to bind to a WT Bcl-2 G-quadruplex via two different binding modes, an end binding mode and a weaker mode attributed to intercalation. The related non-planar ligands, TMPyP3 and TMPyP2, are shown to bind to the Bcl-2 G-quadruplex by a single mode. ESI mass spectrometry experiments confirmed that the saturation stoichiometry is 4:1 for the TMPyP4 complex and 2:1 for the TMPyP2 and TMPyP3 complexes. ITC experiments determined that the equilibrium constant for formation of the (TMPyP4)(1)/DNA complex (K(1) = 3.7 × 10(6)) is approximately two orders of magnitude greater than the equilibrium constant for the formation of the (TMPyP2)(1)/DNA complex, (K(1) = 7.0 × 10(4)). Porphyrin fluorescence is consistent with intercalation in the case of the (TMPyP4)(3)/DNA and (TMPyP4)(4)/DNA complexes. The non-planar shape of the TMPyP2 and TMPyP3 molecules results in both a reduced affinity for the end binding interaction and the elimination of the intercalation binding mode.