SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYAMINE-BASED BIOMIMETIC CATALYSTS AS ARTIFICIAL RIBONUCLEASE

Abstract

Several polyamine derivatives (I–V) conjugated with or without an intercalative moiety were prepared as ribonuclease mimics. Although no DNA-cleaving activity was observed for all compounds tested, mimics I,III, and V bearing an intercalative moiety along with the primary amine and/or imidazole moieties exhibited potent RNA-cleaving activity at near physiological pH. The RNA-cleaving reactions of the compounds show characteristic bell-shaped pH dependency, and the optimal pH values for III and V were well correlated to the pK a values of their active sites, primary amine, and imidazole moieties.