^a Department
of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in
Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego Str. 8, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
Centre for Advanced Technologies, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań,
mso-ansi-language:IT">Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini IBB - CNR; Via
Mezzocannone 16; I-80134 Naples, Italy
and Production Center “Armbiotechnology” of NAS RA, 14 Gyurjyan Str., 0056
Yerevan, Armenia
of Pharmacy, Yerevan State University {Carotenuto,
2014 #3} Herein, we present a spectroscopic (CD and UV) and SEM study of a phenylalanine derivative carrying a terminal alkyne moiety and indicated by us CF3IIIPhe, with particular attention to its interaction with Cu(II) cation and some biological macromolecules, as well as a preliminary evaluation of its effect on cancerous cells. CD spectroscopy evidenced the ability of CF3IIIPhe to interact with tel ₂₆ and c-myc, two quadruplex DNA (G4 DNA) models explored in this study. Other CD and UV studies revealed the ability of the unnatural amino acid to form aggregates in aqueous solution, bind Cu(II) cation, and interact with a serum albumin (BSA). Cellular studies demonstrated CF3IIIPhe antiproliferative activity on PC3 cells. Its ability to bind telomeric DNA was verified with tel ₂₆ by CD investigation and SEM analysis, that revealed a noteworthy change in DNA morphology (mainly based on nanosphere structures) by CF3IIIPhe, confirming its G4-DNA binding ability already evidenced by spectroscopy.