Interactions of selected gold(iii) complexes with DNA G quadruplexes

The interactions of three representative gold(iii) complexes with human telomeric DNA sequences were analysed using a variety of biophysical methods, including DNA melting, circular dichroism, SPR and ESI MS; remarkable interactions were highlighted for all tested complexes, although they were associated to significantly different binding profiles. The most interesting compound was Auoxo6, a dinuclear gold(iii) complex, which beyond manifesting a conspicuous binding affinity for the G-quadruplex conformation, turned out to be very effective in inducing a non-canonical secondary structure. These findings may clear the way for novel biological and pharmacological applications of this class of metal compounds.