Charged compounds comprising a nucleic acid binding moiety and uses therefor

A charged compound represented by the formula (I)

• W—Y-[Het]-L-[NABM] (I)
• and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein
• [NABM] is a double-stranded nucleic acid binding moiety;
• L is selected from the group consisting of a covalent bond and a linking group;
• [Het] is a heteroaromatic moiety other than N-methyl or N-hydrogen pyrrole, selected from the group consisting of
• 138
• wherein one of X1, X2, and X3 is a ring vertex selected from the group consisting of —O—, —S—, and —NR3—, and the other two of X1, X2, and X3 are ring vertices selected from the group consisting of ═N— and ═CR4—;
• Y is O, S, S(O), SO2, C(R1)2, N(R3)SO2, SO2N(R3), and NR3;
• W is halogen or a group having the formula:
• 139
• wherein each R1 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, F, and substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C6)alkyl;
• R2 is a moiety bearing a polar group if Y is other than NR3 and is a moiety bearing a polar group, a substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C12)alkyl group or a substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C12)heteroalkyl group if Y is NR3;
• each R3 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, a substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C12)alkyl group, and a substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C12)heteroalkyl group, provided that neither of R2(R1)2C and R3 contains a 2-chloroethyl or 2-hydroxyethyl group when Y equals NR3;
• and
• each R4 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a halogen, an amino group, a (C1-C8)alkylamino group, a di(C1-C8)alkylamino group, a tri(C1-C8)alkyl ammonium group, a hydroxyl group, a (C1-C8)alkoxy group, a thiol group, a (C1-C8)thioether group, a (C1-C8)sulfone group, a (C1-C8)sulfoxide group, a (C1-C8)sulfonamide group, a substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C12)heteroalkyl group and a substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C12)alkyl group;
• provided that at least one of R2, [Het], or [NABM] is positively charged under assay or physiological conditions.