Hydrolytical cleavage of TAR-RNA, the trans-activation responsive region of HIV-1, by a bis(guanidinium) catalyst attached to arginine

Guanidinium compounds imitating the bis(arginine) structural motif of staphylococcal nuclease (e.g. 3) are known to be powerful catalysts for phosphoryl transfer reactions in dipolar aprotic solvents. Compound 3 also accelerates the hydrolysis of RNA (H2O, pH 7). However, due to diminished substrate affinity in H2O, the rate effects are less pronounced in aqueous than in aprotic solution. To test if a synthetic ribonuclease may be derived from the bis(guanidinium) moiety of 3 by the addition of RNA-binding substructures, the TAR sequence of HIV-I was chosen as a target. The arginine residue of compound 4 serves as an extremely simplified mimic of tat, a protein responsible for boosting the viral transcription by complex formation with TAR. Here, we present the synthesis of 4 and its ability to bind and to cleave efficiently the truncated TAR sequence 1. Ln addition, the synthesis of an acridine arginine conjugate, 19, is reported in preliminary form. Compound 19 associates with 1 and completely blocks the cleavage induced by 4.