Modeling the Interaction of Janus-Face Cyclohexanes with dsDNA and ssDNA

Abstract

Due to its unique physical-chemical properties, the fluorine atom has received a significant level of attention from pharmaceutical, agrochemical and materials industries over the years. The so-called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous in the manufacture of modern electronics, textile, paints and coatings. Despite their wide applicability, the majority of these compounds are non-biodegradable due to the high stability and low reactivity of C-F bonds, resulting in high persistency in the environment. In this context, selectively fluorinated cyclohexanes with all of the fluorine atoms on one face of the cyclohexane ring (Janus face rings) have emerged as a new fluorine motif alternative to the existing PFAS. The polarised faces from the Janus rings induce highly ordered supramolecular packing and have already proven promising motifs in the development of new drugs and material engineering. In recent unpublished work, Prof. David O'Hagan's group have observed a remarkable phenomenon in that the Janus face all-cis pentafluorocyclohexane motif appears to selectively interact with double stranded DNA (dsDNA) and has almost no affinity for single stranded DNA (ssDNA). In this framework, the present work aims to model the interaction between Janus cyclohexanes and DNA through computational and experimental methods paving the way for new tools in chemical biology. The success of this proposal would provide bio- and medicinal chemists new tools to specifically target dsDNA over ssDNA and, therefore, offer a new methodology for drug delivery to nucleic acids for the treatment of cancers and viral infections, for example.