Patent ID: 8440810

Claim:
A method of inhibiting gene expression, the method comprising bringing into contact a compound and a cell, wherein the compound has the structure wherein, when the compound is bound to a guanine-responsive riboswitch, R 7 serves as a hydrogen bond acceptor, R 10 serves as a hydrogen bond donor, R 11 serves as a hydrogen bond acceptor, R 12 serves as a hydrogen bond donor, wherein R 13 is H, H 2 or is not present, wherein R 1 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 8 , and R 9 are each independently C, N, O, or S, wherein R 2 , is C, N, O, S, C—NH 2 , C—NH—CH 3 , N—NH 2 , N—NH—CH 3 , or C, N, O, or S substituted with a group that serves as a hydrogen bond donor, wherein each independently represent a single or double bond, wherein the compound is not guanine, hypoxanthine, or xanthine, wherein the cell comprises a gene encoding an RNA comprising a guanine-responsive riboswitch, wherein the compound inhibits expression of the gene by binding to the guanine-responsive riboswitch.