Regulation of Gene Expression by Synthetic DNA-Binding Ligands

Abstract

During the past 20 years, polyamides have evolved from the natural product distamycin to a new class of programmable heterocyclic oligomers that bind a broad repertoire of DNA sequences with high affinity and specificity. This chapter details recent advances in this field of research, focusing on molecular recognition of DNA, and biological applications such as modulating gene expression by small molecules. Work presented here represents efforts towards the modulation of specific cellular function by small molecules in an addressable fashion within the context of live cells.