PUBLICATION HIGHLIGHT · 2025 · Nanobiophotonics Group
A study co-authored by Marta Dudek and Marco Deiana examines how visible light can control the interaction of a small molecule with DNA G-quadruplexes, four-stranded structures involved in the regulation of cellular processes.
The researchers designed Q-Azo4F-C, a fluorinated azobenzene ligand whose two photoisomeric forms interact differently with G-quadruplex DNA. Spectroscopic measurements, molecular dynamics simulations and cell experiments connected these binding differences with reversible changes in cytotoxic activity. Light-dependent regulation of G-quadruplex structures was demonstrated in lung cancer cells.
Published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, the work provides a molecular approach to investigating G-quadruplex function under optical control. The results concern experimental cell systems; they do not establish a clinical treatment.
This highlight refers to the 2025 journal volume (64, e202413000); the article first appeared online in 2024.
Publication
Marta Dudek, Lucía López‐Pacios, Nasim Sabouri, Juan J. Nogueira, Lara Martinez‐Fernandez, Marco Deiana. A Rationally Designed Azobenzene Photoswitch for DNA G‐Quadruplex Regulation in Live Cells. Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2025).