Trifunctional dinuclear platinum complexes as DNA-protein cross-linking agents.

The trifunctional dinuclear platinum compounds 1,2/c,c [[cis-PtCl(NH(3))(2)]mu-H(2)N(CH(2))(6)NH(2)[cis-PtCl(2)(NH(3))]](+) and 1,2/t,c [[trans-PtCl(NH(3))(2)]mu-H(2)N(CH(2))(6)NH(2)[cis-PtCl(2)(NH(3))]](+) contain a monofunctional platinum coordination sphere linked to a cis-[PtCl(2)(amine)(2)] moiety. The compounds have been examined for their DNA binding and ability to induce covalent ternary DNA-protein cross-links. Comparison was made with representative bifunctional dinuclear platinum compounds [[PtCl(NH(3))(2)](2)mu-H(2)N(CH(2))(n)NH(2)](2+). DNA modified by the trifunctional compounds is able to bind and cross-link BamHI, a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein that recognizes the palindromic sequence GGATCC and also very efficiently binds and cross-links SP1, a sequence-specific Zn finger protein that induces a bend in the DNA upon binding. Two representative nonsequence-specific DNA-binding proteins, the Klenow fragment from DNA polymerase I and Klenow exonuclease minus (which has been mutated to remove the 3'-5' proofreading domain), both bind modified DNA and effectively cross-link to the DNA. Data from circular dichroism, inhibition of ethidium bromide fluorescence, interstrand cross-linking and unwinding assays are all consistent with (Pt,Pt) interstrand cross-links as the dominant lesion of trifunctional compounds and the most likely structure to form the ternary DNA-protein cross-links. In vitro transcription of RNA is inhibited by the platinum compounds and indicate G residues as primary binding sites. Binding to calf thymus DNA as assessed by differential pulse polarography is rapid and essentially quantitative. An increase in melting temperature of CT DNA adducted by the platinum compounds is observed at low salt concentrations but at high salt, modification results in a decrease of t(m). In summary, the trifunctional agents may find use as protein-targeting drugs and as probes for conformational effects on DNA-protein interactions.