PubReading [182] - Three's a crowd – stabilisation, structure, and applications of DNA triplexes - M. Dalla Pozza, A. Abdullrahman, C. Cardin, G. Gasser and J. Hall

<p>DNA is a strikingly flexible molecule and can form a variety of secondary structures, including the triple helix, which is the subject of this review. The <strong>DNA triplex</strong> may be formed naturally, during homologous recombination, or can be formed by the introduction of a synthetic <strong>triplex forming oligonucleotide</strong> (TFO) to a DNA duplex. As the TFO will bind to the duplex with sequence specificity, there is significant interest in developing TFOs with potential therapeutic applications, including using TFOs as a delivery mechanism for compounds able to modify or damage DNA. However, to combine triplexes with functionalised compounds, a full understanding of triplex structure and chemical modification strategies, which may increase triplex <strong>stability</strong> or in vivo degradation, is essential – these areas will be discussed in this review. <strong>Ruthenium polypyridyl complexes</strong>, which are able to photooxidise DNA and act as luminescent DNA probes, may serve as a suitable photophysical payload for a TFO system and the developments in this area in the context of DNA triplexes will also be reviewed.</p><p>DOI: 10.1039/d2sc01793h - 2022</p>