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New way to deal with those unsightly bulges
A new class of compounds with the ability to bind to DNA "bulges" has been synthesized. DNA bulges--loops of extra bases (shown) that protrude from the DNA double helix--have been implicated in genetic diseases and are considered potential targets for antiviral agents. But few compounds that bind to them selectively have been found. prepared a series of spirocyclic compounds with selective DNA bulge-binding activity and have identified structural features that help account for their degree of affinity for bulged sequences. The compounds mimic a derivative of the enediyne natural product neocarzinostatin chromophore, the most promising DNA bulge-specific agent discovered previously
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