Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42500820›Full record

ArticleNucleic acids research2026

Differential targeting of the nucleosome surface and superhelical crevice sites with Ru and Os organometallic agents.

Andrea Levy, Zenita Adhireksan, Thibaud von Erlach, Giulia Palermo, Alexey A Nazarov, Christian G Hartinger, Paul J Dyson, Ursula Rothlisberger, Curtis A Davey

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nucleic acids research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Andrea LevyLaboratory of Computational Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-1255-859X
Zenita AdhireksanSchool of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore.
Thibaud von ErlachLaboratory of Computational Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland.
Giulia PalermoLaboratory of Computational Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland.
Alexey A NazarovInstitute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.
Christian G HartingerSchool of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
Paul J DysonInstitute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.
Ursula RothlisbergerLaboratory of Computational Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland.
Curtis A DaveySchool of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore.ORCID 0000-0003-2632-775X

Funding

European Union #730872Jagiellonian UniversityPolish National Science Center DEC-2024/53/B/NZ7/03477Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund MOE2012-T3-1-001Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund MOE-T2EP30121-0005Swiss National Science Foundation 200020-185092Swiss National Science Foundation 200020-219440
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Platinum anticancer drugs tend to target DNA whereas certain ruthenium and osmium organometallic compounds, including those with known anticancer activity, preferentially bind histone proteins in chromatin. We earlier found that Ru/Os arene 2-pyridinecarbothioamide antitumor agents display unique or partially overlapping profiles of histone protein binding in the nucleosome compared to Ru arene phosphaadamantane antimetastasis drugs, but the basis for this difference is unclear. Here, we structurally characterized the nucleosome binding effects of arene ligand substitutions and carried out a multiscale simulation analysis, which reveals that the interplay between metal cation and non-leaving ligand identity dictates adduct stability and whether complexes target electronegative surface patches, internal crevices, or both. We show that the nucleosome superhelical crevice acts as a small molecule selectivity filter and that multi-site binding profiles can be expanded or reduced through defined ligand substitutions, which modulate dynamic and steric attributes. Our findings suggest new avenues for rationally developing Ru/Os organometallics that could help expand the scope of chromatin-targeting therapeutics.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic AgentsNucleosomesOrganometallic CompoundsOsmiumRutheniumBinding SitesDNAHistonesLigandsModels, MolecularAntineoplastic AgentsDNAHistonesLigandsNucleosomesOrganometallic CompoundsOsmiumRuthenium

Identifiers

PMID42500820
PMCPMC13401049

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.