COMPOUNDS HAVING A FUSED, BICYCLIC MOIETY FOR BINDING TO THE MINOR GROOVE OF DSDNA

摘要

The present invention is directed to the means by which to alter the binding affinity and/or specificity of a compound with a sequence of DNA in the minor groove of a double-strand thereof. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a synthetic and/or non-naturally occurring compound (e.g., an analog of a polyamide oligomer or polymer) which contains at least one hydrogen bond donor moiety and at least one hydrogen bond acceptor moiety, wherein the latter moiety or "building block" has a fused, bicyclic structure which is heteroaromatic, said structure having a heteroatom therein which acts as a hydrogen bond acceptor to bind guanine in the minor groove of the dsDNA sequence, and which is incapable of forming a tautomer. In one particular embodiment of the synthetic and/or non-naturally occurring compound, the fused, bicyclic structure occupies an initial or first terminal position within the compound.