H2020Individual fellowship2016–2018

RAMSES · Aryl amide metallofoldamersas selective saccharide sensors

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2016-03-01 → 2018-05-22
EU contribution
€185,076
Participants
1
Scheme
MSCA-IF-EF-ST

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Results in brief

Aryl amide metallofoldamersas selective saccharide sensors

Carbohydrate recognition is fundamental in varied biological processes. It is well established that carbohydrate-binding molecules may have a strong impact on the development of medicinal agents for the inhibition of pathological events such as metastasis and viral/bacterial infections that are mediated by carbohydrate binding, of diagnostic agents for the detection of disease-related glycoproducts, of vectors for targeted delivery and of imaging and therapeutic agents. However, the design of synthetic receptors for monosaccharides still remains an elusive objective, in particular if recognition is to take place in highly competitive polar media. The main objectives of this project consisted in the rational design and synthesis of helically folded aromatic oligoamide capsules containing metal ions, in order to achieve high affinity and selectivity for monosaccharides in polar media and to further develop them into sensors. The devised strategy consisted in an iterative design process that exploits the modular structure of folded synthetic oligomer sequences in conjunction with structural characterization to inform subsequent refinements. The methodology involved achieving the following objectives: a) synthesize a 1st-generation sequence containing the metal-binding monomer and a cavity large enough to encapsulate a guest; b) assess the metal coordination ability of the capsule; c) assess substrate binding ability for a series of relevant guests; d) proposal of a 2nd-generation capsule; e) iterative repetition of c) and d); f) endow the receptor with fluorescent properties.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Carbohydrate recognition is fundamental in varied biological processes such as cellular differentiation, cell–cell interactions, immune defence and inflammatory response; consequently it plays key roles in tumour growth and metastasis, adhesion of viruses and bacteria to host cells and in immune and inflammatory disorders.It is well established that carbohydrate-binding molecules will have a strong impact on the development of new diagnostic and imaging methods and give rise to new opportunities for drug discovery. However the ab initio design of synthetic receptors for monosaccharides still remains an elusive objective, in particular if recognition is to take place in highly competitive polar media. This project aims to rationally design and synthesize single helically folded aromatic oligoamide capsules containing metal ions in order to achieve high affinity and selectivity for monosaccharides in polar media and to further develop them into functional fluorescent sensors. By introducing metal ions into foldamer frameworks a highly innovative class of receptors will be created which are expected to have exceptional binding abilities in polar media. The devised strategy consists in an iterative design process that exploits the modular structure of folded synthetic oligomer sequences in conjunction with structural characterization to inform subsequent refinements. Starting with a slightly larger than needed cavity possessing first-principles design that takes into account features such as size, shape and hydrogen bonding ability, the cavity size can iteratively be reduced while increasing shape complementarity with the substrate. With this evolutionary process the sequence will quickly converge towards a highly selective receptor for the target, which after replacement of key building blocks by fluorescent analogues, will be converted into a highly selective sensor.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS · ParisCoordinatorFrance

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union