---
DOAJ_listed: '1'
OA_place: publisher
OA_type: gold
_id: '22289'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Single-stranded, helically folded aromatic oligoamides bearing anionic phosphonate
    side chains have been shown to bind to some DNA-binding proteins better than DNA
    itself. However, these DNA mimic foldamers have until now mainly consisted of
    a single repeat motif, like a poly(dA:dT) DNA duplex, and contained limited sequence
    information. Here, we introduce new monomers designed to display different chemical
    functionalities in the major groove of the DNA mimics. Four new Fmoc-protected
    amino acid monomers have been synthesized and incorporated into oligomers. Sixteen
    foldamer sequences were prepared on solid phase. Their conformations in solution
    and in the solid state and their conformational dynamics were investigated using
    nuclear magnetic resonance, circular dichroism, molecular modeling, and X-ray
    crystallography. The results show that three of the four new monomers behaved
    as designed and that their introduction enhances the conformational dynamics of
    the DNA mimic foldamers. In a fourth case, conformational behavior proved to be
    more complex than expected. The modified sequences retained the ability to bind
    to the bacterial histone-like protein HU. These results showcase design strategies
    to manipulate large molecular biomimetics in which not only side chains but also
    main chain components are varied. The new monomers pave the way to complex DNA
    mimic foldamer sequences targeting proteins that recognize sequence-selective
    DNA-binding proteins such as transcription factors or restriction enzymes.
acknowledgement: We acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council
  (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon Europe Framework Programme (grant agreement
  no. ERC-2021-ADG-320892) and from the China Scholarship Council (CSC, predoctoral
  fellowship to J. W.). We thank L. Allmendinger for assistance with NMR measurements,
  P. Mayer for his assistance in solving the crystal structures of 1 and 1d, L. Bodero
  for assistance with automated solid-phase synthesis, M. Rogovoi for providing monomer
  precursors, and M. Loos for the purification and analysis of compounds 15a–19a.
  We thank M. Soler-Lopez (ID23-1, ESRF, Grenoble) and I. Bento (EMBL P13, Petra III,
  DESY, Hamburg) for assistance during data collection at the synchrotron beamlines.
article_processing_charge: Yes
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Jiaojiao
  full_name: Wu, Jiaojiao
  last_name: Wu
- first_name: Valentina
  full_name: Corvaglia, Valentina
  last_name: Corvaglia
- first_name: Tulika
  full_name: Chakrabortty, Tulika
  last_name: Chakrabortty
- first_name: Pradeep K
  full_name: Mandal, Pradeep K
  id: 6a3def15-d4b4-11ef-9fa9-a24c1f545ec3
  last_name: Mandal
  orcid: 0000-0001-5996-956X
- first_name: Ivan
  full_name: Huc, Ivan
  last_name: Huc
citation:
  ama: Wu J, Corvaglia V, Chakrabortty T, Mandal PK, Huc I. Tailoring the major groove
    of DNA mimic foldamers. <i>Chemical Science</i>. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1039/d6sc00798h">10.1039/d6sc00798h</a>
  apa: Wu, J., Corvaglia, V., Chakrabortty, T., Mandal, P. K., &#38; Huc, I. (n.d.).
    Tailoring the major groove of DNA mimic foldamers. <i>Chemical Science</i>. Royal
    Society of Chemistry. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1039/d6sc00798h">https://doi.org/10.1039/d6sc00798h</a>
  chicago: Wu, Jiaojiao, Valentina Corvaglia, Tulika Chakrabortty, Pradeep K Mandal,
    and Ivan Huc. “Tailoring the Major Groove of DNA Mimic Foldamers.” <i>Chemical
    Science</i>. Royal Society of Chemistry, n.d. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1039/d6sc00798h">https://doi.org/10.1039/d6sc00798h</a>.
  ieee: J. Wu, V. Corvaglia, T. Chakrabortty, P. K. Mandal, and I. Huc, “Tailoring
    the major groove of DNA mimic foldamers,” <i>Chemical Science</i>. Royal Society
    of Chemistry.
  ista: Wu J, Corvaglia V, Chakrabortty T, Mandal PK, Huc I. Tailoring the major groove
    of DNA mimic foldamers. Chemical Science.
  mla: Wu, Jiaojiao, et al. “Tailoring the Major Groove of DNA Mimic Foldamers.” <i>Chemical
    Science</i>, Royal Society of Chemistry, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1039/d6sc00798h">10.1039/d6sc00798h</a>.
  short: J. Wu, V. Corvaglia, T. Chakrabortty, P.K. Mandal, I. Huc, Chemical Science
    (n.d.).
das_tickbox: '1'
dataavailabilitystatement: "CCDC 2514117, 2514118, 2286782 and 2478322 (compound 1,
  compound 1d, oligomer 5, and oligomer 6, respectively) contain the supplementary
  crystallographic data for this paper.54a–d \r\n\r\nThe supporting data have been
  provided as part of the supplementary information (SI). Supplementary information:
  SI figures, detailed experimental protocols, crystallographic studies, and characterisation
  of new compounds. See DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/d6sc00798h."
date_created: 2026-07-13T09:41:36Z
date_published: 2026-06-09T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-07-13T11:24:29Z
day: '09'
ddc:
- '540'
department:
- _id: LifeSc
doi: 10.1039/d6sc00798h
has_accepted_license: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '06'
oa_version: Published Version
publication: Chemical Science
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 2041-6539
  issn:
  - 2041-6520
publication_status: inpress
publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
quality_controlled: '1'
researchdata_availability: yes
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
supplementarymaterial: yes
title: Tailoring the major groove of DNA mimic foldamers
tmp:
  image: /images/cc_by.png
  legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
  name: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0)
  short: CC BY (4.0)
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
year: '2026'
...