51
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Watanabe K, Kawamata I, Murata S, Suzuki Y. Multi-Reconfigurable DNA Origami Nanolattice Driven by the Combination of Orthogonal Signals. JACS AU 2023; 3:1435-1442. [PMID: 37234113 PMCID: PMC10206592 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The progress of the scaffolded DNA origami technology has enabled the construction of various dynamic nanodevices imitating the shapes and motions of mechanical elements. To further expand the achievable configurational changes, the incorporation of multiple movable joints into a single DNA origami structure and their precise control are desired. Here, we propose a multi-reconfigurable 3 × 3 lattice structure consisting of nine frames with rigid four-helix struts connected with flexible 10-nucleotide joints. The configuration of each frame is determined by the arbitrarily selected orthogonal pair of signal DNAs, resulting in the transformation of the lattice into various shapes. We also demonstrated sequential reconfiguration of the nanolattice and its assemblies from one into another via an isothermal strand displacement reaction at physiological temperatures. Our modular and scalable design approach could serve as a versatile platform for a variety of applications that require reversible and continuous shape control with nanoscale precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kotaro Watanabe
- Department
of Robotics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-01 Aramaki-Aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
| | - Ibuki Kawamata
- Department
of Robotics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-01 Aramaki-Aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
| | - Satoshi Murata
- Department
of Robotics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-01 Aramaki-Aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
| | - Yuki Suzuki
- Frontier
Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
- Department
of Chemistry for Materials, Graduate School of Engineering, Mie University, 1577 Kurimamachiya-Cho, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan
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52
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Nakamura T, Omagari S, Liang X, Tan Q, Nakajima K, Vacha M. Simultaneous Force and Fluorescence Spectroscopy on Single Chains of Polyfluorene: Effect of Intra-Chain Aggregate Coupling. ACS NANO 2023; 17:8074-8082. [PMID: 37122036 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c09773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Conjugated polymer chains in compact conformations or in films exhibit spectral features that can be attributed to interactions between individual conjugated segments of the chain, including formation of aggregates or excimers. Here, we use atomic force microscopy (AFM) on single chains of the conjugated polymer polyfluorene (PFO) to control the intersegment interactions by mechanically unfolding the chain. Simultaneously with the force spectroscopy we monitor fluorescence from the single PFO chains using a fluorescence microscope. We found that mechanical stretching of the chain causes disappearance of the green emission band. This observation provides evidence that the green emission originates from an intrachain aggregated state on the self-folded chain, which is decoupled by the stretching. In addition, the stretching upon laser irradiation leads to the appearance of additional features in the force spectra, small force peaks in the initial stages of the unfolding. These features are attributed to a combination of excitonic and van der Waals coupling of a ground-state intrachain aggregate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomonori Nakamura
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama 2-12-1-S8-44, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
| | - Shun Omagari
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama 2-12-1-S8-44, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
| | - Xiaobin Liang
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama 2-12-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
| | - Qiwen Tan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama 2-12-1-S8-44, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
| | - Ken Nakajima
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama 2-12-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
| | - Martin Vacha
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama 2-12-1-S8-44, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
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53
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Rudra S, Chauhan K, Singh AR, Kumar S. Force-induced melting of DNA hairpin: Unfolding pathways and phase diagrams. Phys Rev E 2023; 107:054501. [PMID: 37328992 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.107.054501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Using the exact enumeration technique, we have studied the force-induced melting of a DNA hairpin on the face centered cubic lattice for two different sequences which differ in terms of loop closing base pairs. The melting profiles obtained from the exact enumeration technique is consistent with the Gaussian network model and Langevin dynamics simulations. Probability distribution analysis based on the exact density of states revealed the microscopic details of the opening of the hairpin. We showed the existence of intermediate states near the melting temperature. We further showed that different ensembles used to model single-molecule force spectroscopy setups may give different force-temperature diagrams. We delineate the possible reasons for the observed discrepancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumitra Rudra
- Department of Physics, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Keerti Chauhan
- Department of Physics, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Amit Raj Singh
- Department of Physics, Graphic Era Hill University, Dehradun 248002, India
| | - Sanjay Kumar
- Department of Physics, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
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54
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Hu Z, Deng ZY, Feng HJ. Stretching effects on non-adiabatic electron dynamic behavior in poly(dG)-poly(dC) DNA upon the proton irradiation. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2023; 35:285101. [PMID: 37040786 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/accbfa] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The electronic excitations caused by DNA when exposed to ion radiation is essential to DNA damage. In this paper, we investigated the energy deposition and electron excitation process of DNA with reasonable stretching range upon proton irradiation based on time-dependent density functional theory. Stretching changes the strength of hydrogen bonding between the DNA base pairs, which in turn affects the Coulomb interaction between the projectile and DNA. As a semi-flexible molecule, the way of energy deposition is weakly sensitive to the stretching rate of DNA. However, the increase of stretching rate causes the increase of charge density along the trajectory channel, sequentially resulting in an increase in proton resistance along the intruding channel. The Mulliken charge analysis indicates that the guanine base and guanine ribose are ionized, meanwhile the cytosine base and cytosine ribose are reduced at all stretching rates. In a few femtoseconds, there exists an electron flow passing through the guanine ribose, guanine, cytosine base and the cytosine ribose in turn. This electron flow increases electron transfer and DNA ionization, promoting the side chain damage of the DNA upon ion irradiation. Our results provide a theoretical insight for deciphering the physical mechanism of the early stage of the irradiation process, and are also of great significance for the study of particle beam cancer therapy in different biological tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihua Hu
- School of Physics, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, People's Republic of China
| | - Zun-Yi Deng
- School of Physics, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong-Jian Feng
- School of Physics, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, People's Republic of China
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55
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Geyer VF, Diez S. Horizontal Magnetic Tweezers to Directly Measure the Force-Velocity Relationship for Multiple Kinesin Motors. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023:e2300558. [PMID: 37035988 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202300558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Transport of intracellular cargo along cytoskeletal filaments is often achieved by the concerted action of multiple motor molecules. While single-molecule studies have provided profound insight into the mechano-chemical principles and force generation of individual motors, studies on multi-motor systems are less advanced. Here, a horizontal magnetic-tweezers setup is applied, capable of producing up to 150 pN of horizontal force onto 2.8 µm superparamagnetic beads, to motor-propelled cytoskeletal filaments. It is found that kinesin-1 driven microtubules decorated with individual beads display frequent transitions in their gliding velocities which we attribute to dynamic changes in the number of engaged motors. Applying defined temporal force-ramps the force-velocity relationship is directly measured for multi-motor transport. It is found that the stall forces of individual motors are approximately additive and collective backward motion of the transport system under super-stall forces is observed. The magnetic-tweezers apparatus is expected to be readily applicable to a wide range of molecular and cellular motility assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veikko F Geyer
- B CUBE - Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 41, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefan Diez
- B CUBE - Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 41, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Arnoldstraße 18, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, 01307, Dresden, Germany
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56
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Luengo-Márquez J, Zalvide-Pombo J, Pérez R, Assenza S. Force-dependent elasticity of nucleic acids. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:6738-6744. [PMID: 36942727 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr06324g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The functioning of double-stranded (ds) nucleic acids (NAs) in cellular processes is strongly mediated by their elastic response. These processes involve proteins that interact with dsDNA or dsRNA and distort their structures. The perturbation of the elasticity of NAs arising from these deformations is not properly considered by most theoretical frameworks. In this work, we introduce a novel method to assess the impact of mechanical stress on the elastic response of dsDNA and dsRNA through the analysis of the fluctuations of the double helix. Application of this approach to atomistic simulations reveals qualitative differences in the force dependence of the mechanical properties of dsDNA with respect to those of dsRNA, which we relate to structural features of these molecules by means of physically-sound minimalistic models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Luengo-Márquez
- Departamento de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto Nicolás Cabrera, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Zalvide-Pombo
- Departamento de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Rubén Pérez
- Departamento de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
- Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Salvatore Assenza
- Departamento de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
- Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto Nicolás Cabrera, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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57
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Liu G, Larson RG, Li L, Luo H, He X, Niu Y, Li G. Influence of Chain Entanglement on Rheological and Mechanical Behaviors of Polymerized Ionic Liquids. Macromolecules 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
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58
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Wang J, Kouznetsova TB, Xia J, Ángeles FJ, de la Cruz MO, Craig SL. A polyelectrolyte handle for single‐molecule force spectroscopy. JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/pol.20230051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Junpeng Wang
- Department of Chemistry Duke University Durham North Carolina USA
| | | | - Jianshe Xia
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering Northwestern University Evanston Illinois USA
| | - Felipe Jiménez Ángeles
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering Northwestern University Evanston Illinois USA
| | | | - Stephen L. Craig
- Department of Chemistry Duke University Durham North Carolina USA
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59
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Wang S, Panyukov S, Craig SL, Rubinstein M. Contribution of Unbroken Strands to the Fracture of Polymer Networks. Macromolecules 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shu Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708-0346, United States
| | - Sergey Panyukov
- P. N. Lebedev Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117924, Russia
- Department of Theoretical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny 141700, Russia
| | - Stephen L. Craig
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708-0346, United States
| | - Michael Rubinstein
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708-0346, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, and Physics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708-0300, United States
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
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60
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Mills A, Aissaoui N, Finkel J, Elezgaray J, Bellot G. Mechanical DNA Origami to Investigate Biological Systems. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023; 7:e2200224. [PMID: 36509679 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202200224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The ability to self-assemble DNA nanodevices with programmed structural dynamics that can sense and respond to the local environment can enable transformative applications in fields including mechanobiology and nanomedicine. The responsive function of biomolecules is often driven by alterations in conformational distributions mediated by highly sensitive interactions with the local environment. In this review, the current state-of-the-art in constructing complex DNA geometries with dynamic and mechanical properties to enable a molecular scale force measurement is first summarized. Next, an overview of engineering modular DNA devices that interact with cell surfaces is highlighted detailing examples of mechanosensitive proteins and the force-induced dynamic molecular interaction on the downstream biochemical signaling. Finally, the challenges and an outlook on this promising class of DNA devices acting as nanomachines to operate at a low piconewton range suitable for a majority of biological effects or as hybrid materials to achieve higher tension exertion required for other biological investigations, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan Mills
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, INSERM, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Nesrine Aissaoui
- Laboratoire CiTCoM, Faculté de Santé, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris, 75006, France
| | - Julie Finkel
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, INSERM, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Juan Elezgaray
- CRPP, CNRS, UMR 5031, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, 33600, France
| | - Gaëtan Bellot
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, INSERM, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, 34090, France
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61
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Li T, Dufresne ER, Kröger M, Heyden S. Siloxane Molecules: Nonlinear Elastic Behavior and Fracture Characteristics. Macromolecules 2023; 56:1303-1310. [PMID: 36874533 PMCID: PMC9979691 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Fracture phenomena in soft materials span multiple length and time scales. This poses a major challenge in computational modeling and predictive materials design. To pass quantitatively from molecular to continuum scales, a precise representation of the material response at the molecular level is vital. Here, we derive the nonlinear elastic response and fracture characteristics of individual siloxane molecules using molecular dynamics (MD) studies. For short chains, we find deviations from classical scalings for both the effective stiffness and mean chain rupture times. A simple model of a nonuniform chain of Kuhn segments captures the observed effect and agrees well with MD data. We find that the dominating fracture mechanism depends on the applied force scale in a nonmonotonic fashion. This analysis suggests that common polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) networks fail at cross-linking points. Our results can be readily lumped into coarse-grained models. Although focusing on PDMS as a model system, our study presents a general procedure to pass beyond the window of accessible rupture times in MD studies employing mean first passage time theory, which can be exploited for arbitrary molecular systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianchi Li
- Soft and Living Materials, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Eric R Dufresne
- Soft and Living Materials, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Kröger
- Polymer Physics, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland.,Magnetism and Interface Physics, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie Heyden
- Soft and Living Materials, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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62
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González L, Kolbin D, Trahan C, Jeronimo C, Robert F, Oeffinger M, Bloom K, Michnick SW. Adaptive partitioning of a gene locus to the nuclear envelope in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is driven by polymer-polymer phase separation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1135. [PMID: 36854718 PMCID: PMC9975218 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36391-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Partitioning of active gene loci to the nuclear envelope (NE) is a mechanism by which organisms increase the speed of adaptation and metabolic robustness to fluctuating resources in the environment. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, adaptation to nutrient depletion or other stresses, manifests as relocalization of active gene loci from nucleoplasm to the NE, resulting in more efficient transport and translation of mRNA. The mechanism by which this partitioning occurs remains a mystery. Here, we demonstrate that the yeast inositol depletion-responsive gene locus INO1 partitions to the nuclear envelope, driven by local histone acetylation-induced polymer-polymer phase separation from the nucleoplasmic phase. This demixing is consistent with recent evidence for chromatin phase separation by acetylation-mediated dissolution of multivalent histone association and fits a physical model where increased bending stiffness of acetylated chromatin polymer causes its phase separation from de-acetylated chromatin. Increased chromatin spring stiffness could explain nucleation of transcriptional machinery at active gene loci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidice González
- Département de Biochimie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale centre-ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Daniel Kolbin
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Christian Trahan
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, 110 Avenue des Pins Ouest, Montréal, QC, H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Célia Jeronimo
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, 110 Avenue des Pins Ouest, Montréal, QC, H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - François Robert
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, 110 Avenue des Pins Ouest, Montréal, QC, H2W 1R7, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 1A3, Canada
- Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, 2900 Boul. Édouard-Montpetit, Montréal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Marlene Oeffinger
- Département de Biochimie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale centre-ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, 110 Avenue des Pins Ouest, Montréal, QC, H2W 1R7, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 1A3, Canada
| | - Kerry Bloom
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Stephen W Michnick
- Département de Biochimie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale centre-ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada.
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63
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Plaza-G A I, Lemishko KM, Crespo R, Truong TQ, Kaguni LS, Cao-García FJ, Ciesielski GL, Ibarra B. Mechanism of strand displacement DNA synthesis by the coordinated activities of human mitochondrial DNA polymerase and SSB. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:1750-1765. [PMID: 36744436 PMCID: PMC9976888 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Many replicative DNA polymerases couple DNA replication and unwinding activities to perform strand displacement DNA synthesis, a critical ability for DNA metabolism. Strand displacement is tightly regulated by partner proteins, such as single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding proteins (SSBs) by a poorly understood mechanism. Here, we use single-molecule optical tweezers and biochemical assays to elucidate the molecular mechanism of strand displacement DNA synthesis by the human mitochondrial DNA polymerase, Polγ, and its modulation by cognate and noncognate SSBs. We show that Polγ exhibits a robust DNA unwinding mechanism, which entails lowering the energy barrier for unwinding of the first base pair of the DNA fork junction, by ∼55%. However, the polymerase cannot prevent the reannealing of the parental strands efficiently, which limits by ∼30-fold its strand displacement activity. We demonstrate that SSBs stimulate the Polγ strand displacement activity through several mechanisms. SSB binding energy to ssDNA additionally increases the destabilization energy at the DNA junction, by ∼25%. Furthermore, SSB interactions with the displaced ssDNA reduce the DNA fork reannealing pressure on Polγ, in turn promoting the productive polymerization state by ∼3-fold. These stimulatory effects are enhanced by species-specific functional interactions and have significant implications in the replication of the human mitochondrial DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Plaza-G A
- Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados en Nanociencia, IMDEA Nanociencia, Faraday 9, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Kateryna M Lemishko
- Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados en Nanociencia, IMDEA Nanociencia, Faraday 9, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rodrigo Crespo
- Departamento de Estructura de la Materia, Física Térmica y Electrónica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Pza. de Ciencias, 1, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Thinh Q Truong
- Department of Chemistry, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL 36117, USA
| | - Laurie S Kaguni
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Center for Mitochondrial Science and Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA
| | - Francisco J Cao-García
- Departamento de Estructura de la Materia, Física Térmica y Electrónica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Pza. de Ciencias, 1, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Grzegorz L Ciesielski
- Department of Chemistry, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL 36117, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Center for Mitochondrial Science and Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA
| | - Borja Ibarra
- Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados en Nanociencia, IMDEA Nanociencia, Faraday 9, 28049 Madrid, Spain.,Nanobiotecnología (IMDEA-Nanociencia), Unidad Asociada al Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain
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64
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Florio G, Puglisi G. A predictive model for the thermomechanical melting transition of double stranded DNA. Acta Biomater 2023; 157:225-235. [PMID: 36450304 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.11.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
By extending the classical Peyrard-Bishop model, we are able to obtain a fully analytical description for the mechanical response of DNA under stretching at variable values of temperature, number of base pairs and intrachains and interchains bonds stiffness. In order to compare elasticity and temperature effects, we first analyze the system in the zero temperature mechanical limit, important to describe several experimental effects including possible hysteresis. We then analyze temperature effects in the framework of equilibrium Statistical Mechanics. In particular, we obtain an analytical expression for the temperature-dependent melting force and unzipping assigned displacement in the thermodynamical limit, also depending on the relative stability of intra vs. inter molecular bonds. Such results coincide with the purely mechanical model in the limit of zero temperature and with the denaturation temperature that we obtain with the classical transfer integral method. Based on our analytical results, we obtain explicitly phase diagrams and cooperativity parameters, where also discreteness effect can be accounted for. The obtained results are successfully applied in reproducing the thermomechanical experimental melting of DNA and the response of DNA hairpins. Due to the generality of the model, exemplified in the proposed analysis of both overstretching and unzipping experiments, we argue that the proposed approach can be extended to other thermomechanically induced molecular melting phenomena. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: We obtain a fully analytical description of the complex wiggly energy landscape of two stranded macromolecules under unzipping loading. Based on Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics, we describe the combined thermomechanical effects and the melting transition of double stranded molecules such as nucleic acids. This is proved by quantitatively predicting the experimental behavior of both melting of DNA and DNA hairpins opening. While analytical results have been previously attained under special conditions on the relative stiffness of the covalent vs. non-covalent bonds of the base pairs, our model is completely general in this respect, thus representing a tool in the perspective of the design at the molecular scale. We show that the obtained model can be fully inscribed in the theory of phase transitions giving a new interpretation of the thermomechanical behavior of double stranded molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Florio
- Politecnico di Bari, Dipartimento di Ing. Civile, Ambientale, del Territorio, Edile e di Chimica, Via Re David 200, Bari 70126, Italy; INFN, Sezione di Bari, I-70126, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Puglisi
- Politecnico di Bari, Dipartimento di Ing. Civile, Ambientale, del Territorio, Edile e di Chimica, Via Re David 200, Bari 70126, Italy.
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65
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Fiasconaro A, Falo F. Elastic traits of the extensible discrete wormlike chain model. Phys Rev E 2023; 107:024501. [PMID: 36932488 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.107.024501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Polymer models play the special role of elucidating the elementary features describing the physics of long molecules and become essential to interpret the measurements of their magnitudes. In this work the end-to-end distance of an extensible discrete wormlike chain polymer as a function of the applied force has been calculated both numerically and analytically, the latter as an effective approximation. The numerical evaluation uses the transfer matrix formalism to obtain an exact calculation of the partition function, while the analytic derivations generalize the simple phenomenological formulas largely used up to now. The obtained formulas are simple enough to be implemented in the fit analysis of experimental data of semiflexible extensible polymers, with the result that the elastic parameters obtained are compatible with previous measurements, and more, their accuracy strongly improves in a large range of chain extensibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Fiasconaro
- Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain and Instituto de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Fernando Falo
- Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain and Instituto de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
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66
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Haghizadeh A, Iftikhar M, Dandpat SS, Simpson T. Looking at Biomolecular Interactions through the Lens of Correlated Fluorescence Microscopy and Optical Tweezers. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:2668. [PMID: 36768987 PMCID: PMC9916863 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding complex biological events at the molecular level paves the path to determine mechanistic processes across the timescale necessary for breakthrough discoveries. While various conventional biophysical methods provide some information for understanding biological systems, they often lack a complete picture of the molecular-level details of such dynamic processes. Studies at the single-molecule level have emerged to provide crucial missing links to understanding complex and dynamic pathways in biological systems, which are often superseded by bulk biophysical and biochemical studies. Latest developments in techniques combining single-molecule manipulation tools such as optical tweezers and visualization tools such as fluorescence or label-free microscopy have enabled the investigation of complex and dynamic biomolecular interactions at the single-molecule level. In this review, we present recent advances using correlated single-molecule manipulation and visualization-based approaches to obtain a more advanced understanding of the pathways for fundamental biological processes, and how this combination technique is facilitating research in the dynamic single-molecule (DSM), cell biology, and nanomaterials fields.
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67
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Roh S, Lee T, Cheong DY, Kim Y, Oh S, Lee G. Direct observation of surface charge and stiffness of human metaphase chromosomes. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2023; 5:368-377. [PMID: 36756276 PMCID: PMC9846444 DOI: 10.1039/d2na00620k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Metaphase chromosomes in which both polynucleotides and proteins are condensed with hierarchies are closely related to life phenomena such as cell division, cancer development, and cellular senescence. Nevertheless, their nature is rarely revealed, owing to their structural complexity and technical limitations in analytical methods. In this study, we used surface potential and nanomechanics mapping technology based on atomic force microscopy to measure the surface charge and intrinsic stiffness of metaphase chromosomes. We found that extra materials covering the chromosomes after the extraction process were positively charged. With the covering materials, the chromosomes were positively charged (ca. 44.9 ± 16.48 mV) and showed uniform stiffness (ca. 6.23 ± 1.98 MPa). In contrast, after getting rid of the extra materials through treatment with RNase and protease, the chromosomes were strongly negatively charged (ca. -197.4 ± 77.87 mV) and showed relatively non-uniform and augmented stiffness (ca. 36.87 ± 17.56 MPa). The results suggested undulating but compact coordination of condensed chromosomes. Additionally, excessive treatment with RNase and protease could destroy the chromosomal structure, providing an exceptional opportunity for multiscale stiffness mapping of polynucleotides, nucleosomes, chromatin fibers, and chromosomes in a single image. Our approach offers a new horizon in terms of an analytical technique for studying chromosome-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seokbeom Roh
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University Sejong 30019 Korea
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program for Artificial Intelligence Smart Convergence Technology, Korea University Sejong 30019 Korea
| | - Taeha Lee
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University Sejong 30019 Korea
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program for Artificial Intelligence Smart Convergence Technology, Korea University Sejong 30019 Korea
| | - Da Yeon Cheong
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University Sejong 30019 Korea
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program for Artificial Intelligence Smart Convergence Technology, Korea University Sejong 30019 Korea
| | - Yeonjin Kim
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University Sejong 30019 Korea
| | - Soohwan Oh
- College of Pharmacy, Korea University Sejong 30019 Korea
| | - Gyudo Lee
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University Sejong 30019 Korea
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program for Artificial Intelligence Smart Convergence Technology, Korea University Sejong 30019 Korea
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68
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Zhang R, Zhang Z, Han J, Yang L, Li J, Song Z, Wang T, Zhu J. Advanced liquid crystal-based switchable optical devices for light protection applications: principles and strategies. LIGHT, SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS 2023; 12:11. [PMID: 36593244 PMCID: PMC9807646 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-022-01032-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
With the development of optical technologies, transparent materials that provide protection from light have received considerable attention from scholars. As important channels for external light, windows play a vital role in the regulation of light in buildings, vehicles, and aircrafts. There is a need for windows with switchable optical properties to prevent or attenuate damage or interference to the human eye and light-sensitive instruments by inappropriate optical radiation. In this context, liquid crystals (LCs), owing to their rich responsiveness and unique optical properties, have been considered among the best candidates for advanced light protection materials. In this review, we provide an overview of advances in research on LC-based methods for protection against light. First, we introduce the characteristics of different light sources and their protection requirements. Second, we introduce several classes of light modulation principles based on liquid crystal materials and demonstrate the feasibility of using them for light protection. In addition, we discuss current light protection strategies based on liquid crystal materials for different applications. Finally, we discuss the problems and shortcomings of current strategies. We propose several suggestions for the development of liquid crystal materials in the field of light protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruicong Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150080, China
| | - Zhibo Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150080, China
| | - Jiecai Han
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150080, China
| | - Lei Yang
- Research Center of Analysis and Measurement, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150080, China
| | - Jiajun Li
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150080, China
| | - Zicheng Song
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150080, China
| | - Tianyu Wang
- School of Energy Science & Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China.
| | - Jiaqi Zhu
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150080, China.
- Key Laboratory of Micro-systems and Micro-structures Manufacturing, Ministry of Education, Harbin, 150080, China.
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69
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Beedle AEM, Garcia-Manyes S. The role of single protein elasticity in mechanobiology. NATURE REVIEWS. MATERIALS 2023; 8:10-24. [PMID: 37469679 PMCID: PMC7614781 DOI: 10.1038/s41578-022-00488-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
In addition to biochemical signals and genetic considerations, mechanical forces are rapidly emerging as a master regulator of human physiology. Yet the molecular mechanisms that regulate force-induced functionalities across a wide range of scales, encompassing the cell, tissue or organ levels, are comparatively not so well understood. With the advent, development and refining of single molecule nanomechanical techniques, enabling to exquisitely probe the conformational dynamics of individual proteins under the effect of a calibrated force, we have begun to acquire a comprehensive knowledge on the rich plethora of physicochemical principles that regulate the elasticity of single proteins. Here we review the major advances underpinning our current understanding of how the elasticity of single proteins regulates mechanosensing and mechanotransduction. We discuss the present limitations and future challenges of such a prolific and burgeoning field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy EM Beedle
- Department of Physics, Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, Centre for the Physical Science of Life and London Centre for Nanotechnology, King’s College London, Strand, WC2R 2LS London, United Kingdom
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), the Barcelona Institute of Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergi Garcia-Manyes
- Department of Physics, Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, Centre for the Physical Science of Life and London Centre for Nanotechnology, King’s College London, Strand, WC2R 2LS London, United Kingdom
- Single Molecule Mechanobiology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, London, UK
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70
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McCauley MJ, Morse M, Becker N, Hu Q, Botuyan MV, Navarrete E, Huo R, Muthurajan UM, Rouzina I, Luger K, Mer G, Maher LJ, Williams MC. Human FACT subunits coordinate to catalyze both disassembly and reassembly of nucleosomes. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111858. [PMID: 36577379 PMCID: PMC9807050 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The histone chaperone FACT (facilitates chromatin transcription) enhances transcription in eukaryotic cells, targeting DNA-protein interactions. FACT, a heterodimer in humans, comprises SPT16 and SSRP1 subunits. We measure nucleosome stability and dynamics in the presence of FACT and critical component domains. Optical tweezers quantify FACT/subdomain binding to nucleosomes, displacing the outer wrap of DNA, disrupting direct DNA-histone (core site) interactions, altering the energy landscape of unwrapping, and increasing the kinetics of DNA-histone disruption. Atomic force microscopy reveals nucleosome remodeling, while single-molecule fluorescence quantifies kinetics of histone loss for disrupted nucleosomes, a process accelerated by FACT. Furthermore, two isolated domains exhibit contradictory functions; while the SSRP1 HMGB domain displaces DNA, SPT16 MD/CTD stabilizes DNA-H2A/H2B dimer interactions. However, only intact FACT tethers disrupted DNA to the histones and supports rapid nucleosome reformation over several cycles of force disruption/release. These results demonstrate that key FACT domains combine to catalyze both nucleosome disassembly and reassembly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Morse
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicole Becker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Qi Hu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Maria Victoria Botuyan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Emily Navarrete
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ran Huo
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Uma M. Muthurajan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Ioulia Rouzina
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Karolin Luger
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Georges Mer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - L. James Maher
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Mark C. Williams
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA,Lead contact,Correspondence:
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71
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Snider DM, Pandit S, Coffin ML, Ebrahimi SB, Samanta D. DNA-Mediated Control of Protein Function in Semi-Synthetic Systems. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200464. [PMID: 36058885 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The development of strategies for controlling protein function in a precise and predictable manner has the potential to revolutionize catalysis, diagnostics, and medicine. In this regard, the use of DNA has emerged as a powerful approach for modulating protein activity. The programmable nature of DNA allows for constructing sophisticated architectures wherein proteins can be placed with control over position, orientation, and stoichiometry. This ability is especially useful considering that the properties of proteins can be influenced by their local environment or their proximity to other functional molecules. Here, we chronicle the different strategies that have been developed to interface DNA with proteins in semi-synthetic systems. We further delineate the unique applications unlocked by the unprecedented level of structural control that DNA affords. We end by outlining outstanding challenges in the area and discuss future research directions towards potential solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan M Snider
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E 24th St, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Subrata Pandit
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E 24th St, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Mackenzie L Coffin
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E 24th St, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Sasha B Ebrahimi
- Drug Product Development - Steriles, GlaxoSmithKline 1250 S Collegeville Rd, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Devleena Samanta
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E 24th St, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
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72
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Optical Tweezers to Force Information out of Biological and Synthetic Systems One Molecule at a Time. BIOPHYSICA 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/biophysica2040047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Over the last few decades, in vitro single-molecule manipulation techniques have enabled the use of force and displacement as controlled variables in biochemistry. Measuring the effect of mechanical force on the real-time kinetics of a biological process gives us access to the rates, equilibrium constants and free-energy landscapes of the mechanical steps of the reaction; this information is not accessible by ensemble assays. Optical tweezers are the current method of choice in single-molecule manipulation due to their versatility, high force and spatial and temporal resolutions. The aim of this review is to describe the contributions of our lab in the single-molecule manipulation field. We present here several optical tweezers assays refined in our laboratory to probe the dynamics and mechano-chemical properties of biological molecular motors and synthetic molecular devices at the single-molecule level.
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73
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Mondal A, Bhattacherjee A. Understanding protein diffusion on force-induced stretched DNA conformation. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:953689. [PMID: 36545509 PMCID: PMC9760818 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.953689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA morphology is subjected to environmental conditions and is closely coupled with its function. For example, DNA experiences stretching forces during several biological processes, including transcription and genome transactions, that significantly alter its conformation from that of B-DNA. Indeed, a well-defined 1.5 times extended conformation of dsDNA, known as Σ-DNA, has been reported in DNA complexes with proteins such as Rad51 and RecA. A striking feature in Σ-DNA is that the nucleobases are partitioned into triplets of three locally stacked bases separated by an empty rise gap of ∼ 5 Å. The functional role of such a DNA base triplet was hypothesized to be coupled with the ease of recognition of DNA bases by DNA-binding proteins (DBPs) and the physical origin of three letters (codon/anti-codon) in the genetic code. However, the underlying mechanism of base-triplet formation and the ease of DNA base-pair recognition by DBPs remain elusive. To investigate, here, we study the diffusion of a protein on a force-induced stretched DNA using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. Upon pulling at the 3' end of DNA by constant forces, DNA exhibits a conformational transition from B-DNA to a ladder-like S-DNA conformation via Σ-DNA intermediate. The resulting stretched DNA conformations exhibit non-uniform base-pair clusters such as doublets, triplets, and quadruplets, of which triplets are energetically more stable than others. We find that protein favors the triplet formation compared to its unbound form while interacting non-specifically along DNA, and the relative population of it governs the ruggedness of the protein-DNA binding energy landscape and enhances the efficiency of DNA base recognition. Furthermore, we analyze the translocation mechanism of a DBP under different force regimes and underscore the significance of triplet formation in regulating the facilitated diffusion of protein on DNA. Our study, thus, provides a plausible framework for understanding the structure-function relationship between triplet formation and base recognition by a DBP and helps to understand gene regulation in complex regulatory processes.
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74
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Wang X, Blumenfeld R, Feng XQ, Weitz DA. 'Phase transitions' in bacteria - From structural transitions in free living bacteria to phenotypic transitions in bacteria within biofilms. Phys Life Rev 2022; 43:98-138. [PMID: 36252408 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2022.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Phase transitions are common in inanimate systems and have been studied extensively in natural sciences. Less explored are the rich transitions that take place at the micro- and nano-scales in biological systems. In conventional phase transitions, large-scale properties of the media change discontinuously in response to continuous changes in external conditions. Such changes play a significant role in the dynamic behaviours of organisms. In this review, we focus on some transitions in both free-living and biofilms of bacteria. Particular attention is paid to the transitions in the flagellar motors and filaments of free-living bacteria, in cellular gene expression during the biofilm growth, in the biofilm morphology transitions during biofilm expansion, and in the cell motion pattern transitions during the biofilm formation. We analyse the dynamic characteristics and biophysical mechanisms of these phase transition phenomena and point out the parallels between these transitions and conventional phase transitions. We also discuss the applications of some theoretical and numerical methods, established for conventional phase transitions in inanimate systems, in bacterial biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoling Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Raphael Blumenfeld
- Gonville & Caius College, University of Cambridge, Trinity St., Cambridge CB2 1TA, UK
| | - Xi-Qiao Feng
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - David A Weitz
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA; Department of Physics, Harvard University, 9 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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75
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Chang JTH, Li S, Beckwitt EC, Than T, Haluska C, Chandanani J, O’Donnell ME, Zhao X, Liu S. Smc5/6's multifaceted DNA binding capacities stabilize branched DNA structures. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7179. [PMID: 36418314 PMCID: PMC9684126 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34928-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Smc5/6 is an evolutionarily conserved SMC complex with roles in DNA replication and repair, as well as in viral DNA restriction. Understanding its multiple functions has been hampered by a lack of mechanistic studies on how the Smc5/6 complex associates with different types of DNA. Here we address this question by simultaneously visualizing the behavior of Smc5/6 on three types of DNA, namely double-stranded (ds) DNA, single-stranded (ss) DNA, and junction DNA formed by juxtaposed ss- and dsDNA, using correlative single-molecule fluorescence and force microscopy. We find that Smc5/6 displays distinct behaviors toward different types of DNA, dynamically associating with dsDNA while stably binding to junction DNA. Mechanistically, both the Nse1-3-4 subcomplex and ATP binding enhance the complex's dsDNA association. In contrast, Smc5/6's assembly onto ssDNA emanating from junction DNA, which occurs even in the presence high-affinity ssDNA binders, is aided by Nse1-3-4, but not by ATP. Moreover, we show that Smc5/6 protects junction DNA stability by preventing ssDNA annealing. The multifaceted DNA association behaviors of Smc5/6 provide a framework for understanding its diverse functions in genome maintenance and viral DNA restriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy T-H. Chang
- grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519Laboratory of Nanoscale Biophysics and Biochemistry, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065 USA ,grid.51462.340000 0001 2171 9952Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, The Rockefeller University, Weill Cornell Medical College, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Shibai Li
- grid.51462.340000 0001 2171 9952Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Emily C. Beckwitt
- grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519Laboratory of DNA Replication, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Thane Than
- grid.51462.340000 0001 2171 9952Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Cory Haluska
- grid.51462.340000 0001 2171 9952Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Joshua Chandanani
- grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519Laboratory of Nanoscale Biophysics and Biochemistry, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Michael E. O’Donnell
- grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519Laboratory of DNA Replication, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Xiaolan Zhao
- grid.51462.340000 0001 2171 9952Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, The Rockefeller University, Weill Cornell Medical College, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065 USA ,grid.51462.340000 0001 2171 9952Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Shixin Liu
- grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519Laboratory of Nanoscale Biophysics and Biochemistry, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065 USA ,grid.51462.340000 0001 2171 9952Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, The Rockefeller University, Weill Cornell Medical College, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065 USA
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76
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Li R, Zheng M, Madhvacharyula AS, Du Y, Mao C, Choi JH. Mechanical deformation behaviors and structural properties of ligated DNA crystals. Biophys J 2022; 121:4078-4090. [PMID: 36181269 PMCID: PMC9675025 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.09.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA self-assembly has emerged as a powerful strategy for constructing complex nanostructures. While the mechanics of individual DNA strands have been studied extensively, the deformation behaviors and structural properties of self-assembled architectures are not well understood. This is partly due to the small dimensions and limited experimental methods available. DNA crystals are macroscopic crystalline structures assembled from nanoscale motifs via sticky-end association. The large DNA constructs may thus be an ideal platform to study structural mechanics. Here, we investigate the fundamental mechanical properties and behaviors of ligated DNA crystals made of tensegrity triangular motifs. We perform coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations and confirm the results with nanoindentation experiments using atomic force microscopy. We observe various deformation modes, including untension, linear elasticity, duplex dissociation, and single-stranded component stretch. We find that the mechanical properties of a DNA architecture are correlated with those of its components. However, the structure shows complex behaviors which may not be predicted by components alone and the architectural design must be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixin Li
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Mengxi Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | | | - Yancheng Du
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Chengde Mao
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Jong Hyun Choi
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.
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77
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Zagorski K, Stormberg T, Hashemi M, Kolomeisky AB, Lyubchenko YL. Nanorings to Probe Mechanical Stress of Single-Stranded DNA Mediated by the DNA Duplex. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:12916. [PMID: 36361704 PMCID: PMC9655958 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232112916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The interplay between the mechanical properties of double-stranded and single-stranded DNA is a phenomenon that contributes to various genetic processes in which both types of DNA structures coexist. Highly stiff DNA duplexes can stretch single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) segments between the duplexes in a topologically constrained domain. To evaluate such an effect, we designed short DNA nanorings in which a DNA duplex with 160 bp is connected by a 30 nt single-stranded DNA segment. The stretching effect of the duplex in such a DNA construct can lead to the elongation of ssDNA, and this effect can be measured directly using atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging. In AFM images of the nanorings, the ssDNA regions were identified, and the end-to-end distance of ssDNA was measured. The data revealed a stretching of the ssDNA segment with a median end-to-end distance which was 16% higher compared with the control. These data are in line with theoretical estimates of the stretching of ssDNA by the rigid DNA duplex holding the ssDNA segment within the nanoring construct. Time-lapse AFM data revealed substantial dynamics of the DNA rings, allowing for the formation of transient crossed nanoring formations with end-to-end distances as much as 30% larger than those of the longer-lived morphologies. The generated nanorings are an attractive model system for investigation of the effects of mechanical stretching of ssDNA on its biochemical properties, including interaction with proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Zagorski
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Tommy Stormberg
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Mohtadin Hashemi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | | | - Yuri L. Lyubchenko
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
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78
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Korolev N, Zinchenko A, Soman A, Chen Q, Wong SY, Berezhnoy NV, Basak R, van der Maarel JRC, van Noort J, Nordenskiöld L. Reconstituted TAD-size chromatin fibers feature heterogeneous nucleosome clusters. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15558. [PMID: 36114220 PMCID: PMC9481575 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19471-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Large topologically associated domains (TADs) contain irregularly spaced nucleosome clutches, and interactions between such clutches are thought to aid the compaction of these domains. Here, we reconstituted TAD-sized chromatin fibers containing hundreds of nucleosomes on native source human and lambda-phage DNA and compared their mechanical properties at the single-molecule level with shorter ‘601’ arrays with various nucleosome repeat lengths. Fluorescent imaging showed increased compaction upon saturation of the DNA with histones and increasing magnesium concentration. Nucleosome clusters and their structural fluctuations were visualized in confined nanochannels. Force spectroscopy revealed not only similar mechanical properties of the TAD-sized fibers as shorter fibers but also large rupture events, consistent with breaking the interactions between distant clutches of nucleosomes. Though the arrays of native human DNA, lambda-phage and ‘601’ DNA featured minor differences in reconstitution yield and nucleosome stability, the fibers’ global structural and mechanical properties were similar, including the interactions between nucleosome clutches. These single-molecule experiments quantify the mechanical forces that stabilize large TAD-sized chromatin domains consisting of disordered, dynamically interacting nucleosome clutches and their effect on the condensation of large chromatin domains.
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79
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Lawrimore J, de Larminat SC, Cook D, Friedman B, Doshi A, Yeh E, Bloom K. Polymer models reveal how chromatin modification can modulate force at the kinetochore. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 33:ar97. [PMID: 35704466 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-02-0041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A key feature of chromosome segregation is the ability to sense tension between sister kinetochores. DNA between sister kinetochores must be packaged in a way that sustains tension propagation from one kinetochore to its sister, approximately 1 micron away. A molecular bottlebrush consisting of a primary axis populated with a crowded array of side chains provides a means to build tension over length scales considerably larger than the stiffness of the individual elements, that is, DNA polymer. Evidence for the bottlebrush organization of chromatin between sister kinetochores comes from genetic, cell biological, and polymer modeling of the budding yeast centromere. In this study, we have used polymer dynamic simulations of the bottlebrush to recapitulate experimental observations of kinetochore structure. Several aspects of the spatial distribution of kinetochore proteins and their response to perturbation lack a mechanistic understanding. Changes in physical parameters of bottlebrush, DNA stiffness, and DNA loops directly impact the architecture of the inner kinetochore. This study reveals that the bottlebrush is an active participant in building tension between sister kinetochores and proposes a mechanism for chromatin feedback to the kinetochore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh Lawrimore
- Biology Department, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Solenn C de Larminat
- Biology Department, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Diana Cook
- Biology Department, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Brandon Friedman
- Biology Department, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Ayush Doshi
- Biology Department, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Elaine Yeh
- Biology Department, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Kerry Bloom
- Biology Department, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
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80
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Rico-Pasto M, Ritort F. Temperature-dependent elastic properties of DNA. BIOPHYSICAL REPORTS 2022; 2:100067. [PMID: 36425333 PMCID: PMC9680767 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpr.2022.100067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge of the elastic properties, e.g., the persistence length or interphosphate distance, of single-stranded (ss) and double-stranded (ds) DNA under different experimental conditions is critical to characterizing molecular reactions studied with single-molecule techniques. While previous experiments have addressed the dependence of the elastic parameters upon varying ionic strength and contour length, temperature-dependent effects are less studied. Here, we examine the temperature-dependent elasticity of ssDNA and dsDNA in the range 5°C-50°C using a temperature-jump optical trap. We find a temperature softening for dsDNA and a temperature stiffening for ssDNA. Our results highlight the need for a general theory explaining the phenomenology observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Rico-Pasto
- Small Biosystems Lab, Condensed Matter Physics Department, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Felix Ritort
- Small Biosystems Lab, Condensed Matter Physics Department, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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81
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Yao RX, Shi JJ, Li KH, Liu X, Zhang HY, Wang M, Zhang WK. Exploring the Nanomechanical Properties of a Coordination-bond Based Supramolecular Polymer. CHINESE JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10118-022-2797-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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82
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Setoura K, Ito S. Optical manipulation in conjunction with photochemical/photothermal responses of materials. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY C: PHOTOCHEMISTRY REVIEWS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2022.100536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
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83
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Soranno A, Incicco JJ, De Bona P, Tomko EJ, Galburt EA, Holehouse AS, Galletto R. Shelterin Components Modulate Nucleic Acids Condensation and Phase Separation in the Context of Telomeric DNA. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167685. [PMID: 35724929 PMCID: PMC9378516 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres are nucleoprotein complexes that protect the ends of chromosomes and are essential for chromosome stability in Eukaryotes. In cells, individual telomeres form distinct globules of finite size that appear to be smaller than expected for bare DNA. Moreover, telomeres can cluster together, form telomere-induced-foci or co-localize with promyelocytic leukemia (PML) nuclear bodies. The physical basis for collapse of individual telomeres and coalescence of multiple ones remains unclear, as does the relationship between these two phenomena. By combining single-molecule force spectroscopy measurements, optical microscopy, turbidity assays, and simulations, we show that the telomere scaffolding protein TRF2 can condense individual DNA chains and drives coalescence of multiple DNA molecules, leading to phase separation and the formation of liquid-like droplets. Addition of the TRF2 binding protein hRap1 modulates phase boundaries and tunes the specificity of solution demixing while simultaneously altering the degree of DNA compaction. Our results suggest that the condensation of single telomeres and formation of biomolecular condensates containing multiple telomeres are two different outcomes driven by the same set of molecular interactions. Moreover, binding partners, such as other telomere components, can alter those interactions to promote single-chain DNA compaction over multiple-chain phase separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Soranno
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States; Center for Science & Engineering of Living Systems, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States.
| | - J Jeremías Incicco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Paolo De Bona
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Eric J Tomko
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Eric A Galburt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Alex S Holehouse
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States; Center for Science & Engineering of Living Systems, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
| | - Roberto Galletto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States.
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84
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Cashen BA, Naufer M, Morse M, Jones CE, Williams M, Furano A. The L1-ORF1p coiled coil enables formation of a tightly compacted nucleic acid-bound complex that is associated with retrotransposition. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:8690-8699. [PMID: 35871298 PMCID: PMC9410894 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Long interspersed nuclear element 1 (L1) parasitized most vertebrates and constitutes ∼20% of the human genome. It encodes ORF1p and ORF2p which form an L1-ribonucleoprotein (RNP) with their encoding transcript that is copied into genomic DNA (retrotransposition). ORF1p binds single-stranded nucleic acid (ssNA) and exhibits NA chaperone activity. All vertebrate ORF1ps contain a coiled coil (CC) domain and we previously showed that a CC-retrotransposition null mutant prevented formation of stably bound ORF1p complexes on ssNA. Here, we compared CC variants using our recently improved method that measures ORF1p binding to ssDNA at different forces. Bound proteins decrease ssDNA contour length and at low force, retrotransposition-competent ORF1ps (111p and m14p) exhibit two shortening phases: the first is rapid, coincident with ORF1p binding; the second is slower, consistent with formation of tightly compacted complexes by NA-bound ORF1p. In contrast, two retrotransposition-null CC variants (151p and m15p) did not attain the second tightly compacted state. The C-terminal half of the ORF1p trimer (not the CC) contains the residues that mediate NA-binding. Our demonstrating that the CC governs the ability of NA-bound retrotransposition-competent trimers to form tightly compacted complexes reveals the biochemical phenotype of these coiled coil mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben A Cashen
- Northeastern University, Department of Physics, Boston, MA02115, USA
| | - M Nabuan Naufer
- Northeastern University, Department of Physics, Boston, MA02115, USA
| | - Michael Morse
- Northeastern University, Department of Physics, Boston, MA02115, USA
| | - Charles E Jones
- The Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mark C Williams
- Northeastern University, Department of Physics, Boston, MA02115, USA
| | - Anthony V Furano
- The Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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85
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The Development of Single Molecule Force Spectroscopy: From Polymer Biophysics to Molecular Machines. Q Rev Biophys 2022; 55:e9. [PMID: 35916314 DOI: 10.1017/s0033583522000087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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86
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Buche MR, Silberstein MN, Grutzik SJ. Freely jointed chain models with extensible links. Phys Rev E 2022; 106:024502. [PMID: 36109919 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.106.024502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Analytical relations for the mechanical response of single polymer chains are valuable for modeling purposes, on both the molecular and the continuum scale. These relations can be obtained using statistical thermodynamics and an idealized single-chain model, such as the freely jointed chain model. To include bond stretching, the rigid links in the freely jointed chain model can be made extensible, but this almost always renders the model analytically intractable. Here, an asymptotically correct statistical thermodynamic theory is used to develop analytic approximations for the single-chain mechanical response of this model. The accuracy of these approximations is demonstrated using several link potential energy functions. This approach can be applied to other single-chain models, and to molecular stretching in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Buche
- Materials and Failure Modeling, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, USA
| | - Meredith N Silberstein
- Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Scott J Grutzik
- Materials and Failure Modeling, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, USA
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87
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Zhang Y, Ma L, Bao H. Energetics, kinetics, and pathways of SNARE assembly in membrane fusion. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2022; 57:443-460. [PMID: 36151854 PMCID: PMC9588726 DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2022.2121804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Fusion of transmitter-containing vesicles with plasma membranes at the synaptic and neuromuscular junctions mediates neurotransmission and muscle contractions, respectively, thereby underlying all thoughts and actions. The fusion process is driven by the coupled folding and assembly of three synaptic SNARE proteins--syntaxin-1 and SNAP-25 on the target plasma membrane (t-SNAREs) and VAMP2 on the vesicular membrane (v-SNARE) into a four-helix bundle. Their assembly is chaperoned by Munc18-1 and many other proteins to achieve the speed and accuracy required for neurotransmission. However, the physiological pathway of SNARE assembly and its coupling to membrane fusion remains unclear. Here, we review recent progress in understanding SNARE assembly and membrane fusion, with a focus on results obtained by single-molecule manipulation approaches and electric recordings of single fusion pores. We describe two pathways of synaptic SNARE assembly, their associated intermediates, energetics, and kinetics. Assembly of the three SNAREs in vitro begins with the formation of a t-SNARE binary complex, on which VAMP2 folds in a stepwise zipper-like fashion. Munc18-1 significantly alters the SNARE assembly pathway: syntaxin-1 and VAMP2 first bind on the surface of Munc18-1 to form a template complex, with which SNAP-25 associates to conclude SNARE assembly and displace Munc18-1. During membrane fusion, multiple trans-SNARE complexes cooperate to open a dynamic fusion pore in a manner dependent upon their copy number and zippering states. Together, these results demonstrate that stepwise and cooperative SNARE assembly drive stagewise membrane fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongli Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA;,Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA;,Conatct: and
| | - Lu Ma
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA;,Present address: Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Huan Bao
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida, 33458,Conatct: and
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88
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Guo L, Zhao Y, Zhang Q, Feng Y, Bi L, Zhang X, Wang T, Liu C, Ma H, Sun B. Stochastically multimerized ParB orchestrates DNA assembly as unveiled by single-molecule analysis. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:9294-9305. [PMID: 35904809 PMCID: PMC9458438 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The tripartite ParABS system mediates chromosome segregation in a wide range of bacteria. Dimeric ParB was proposed to nucleate on parS sites and spread to neighboring DNA. However, how properly distributed ParB dimers further compact chromosomal DNA into a higher-order nucleoprotein complex for partitioning remains poorly understood. Here, using a single-molecule approach, we show that tens of Bacillus subtilis ParB (Spo0J) proteins can stochastically multimerize on and stably bind to nonspecific DNA. The introduction of CTP promotes the formation and diffusion of the multimeric ParB along DNA, offering an opportunity for ParB proteins to further forgather and cluster. Intriguingly, ParB multimers can recognize parS motifs and are more inclined to remain immobile on them. Importantly, the ParB multimer features distinct capabilities of not only bridging two independent DNA molecules but also mediating their transportation, both of which are enhanced by the presence of either CTP or parS in the DNA. These findings shed new light on ParB dynamics in self-multimerization and DNA organization and help to better comprehend the assembly of the ParB-DNA partition complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Guo
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yilin Zhao
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules and National Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Ying Feng
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China.,School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Lulu Bi
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xia Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Teng Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Hanhui Ma
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Bo Sun
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
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89
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A modular spring-loaded actuator for mechanical activation of membrane proteins. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3182. [PMID: 35902570 PMCID: PMC9334261 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30745-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
How cells respond to mechanical forces by converting them into biological signals underlie crucial cellular processes. Our understanding of mechanotransduction has been hindered by technical barriers, including limitations in our ability to effectively apply low range piconewton forces to specific mechanoreceptors on cell membranes without laborious and repetitive trials. To overcome these challenges we introduce the Nano-winch, a robust, easily assembled, programmable DNA origami-based molecular actuator. The Nano-winch is designed to manipulate multiple mechanoreceptors in parallel by exerting fine-tuned, low- piconewton forces in autonomous and remotely activated modes via adjustable single- and double-stranded DNA linkages, respectively. Nano-winches in autonomous mode can land and operate on the cell surface. Targeting the device to integrin stimulated detectable downstream phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase, an indication that Nano-winches can be applied to study cellular mechanical processes. Remote activation mode allowed finer extension control and greater force exertion. We united remotely activated Nano-winches with single-channel bilayer experiments to directly observe the opening of a channel by mechanical force in the force responsive gated channel protein, BtuB. This customizable origami provides an instrument-free approach that can be applied to control and explore a diversity of mechanotransduction circuits on living cells. Studies on mechanotransduction are limited by our ability to apply low range forces to specific mechanoreceptors on cell membranes. Here the authors report the Nano-winch, a programmable DNA origami-based molecular actuator, to manipulate multiple mechanoreceptors in parallel by exerting piconewton forces.
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90
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Mossa A, Cecconi C. A fit-less approach to the elasticity of the handles in optical tweezers experiments. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL : EBJ 2022; 51:413-418. [PMID: 35599262 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-022-01603-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The elastic properties of the double-stranded DNA handles used in optical tweezers experiments on biomolecules are customarily modeled by an extensible worm-like chain model. Fitting such a model to experimental data, however, is no trivial task, as the function depends on four parameters in a highly non-linear fashion. We hereby propose a method to bypass the fitting procedure and obtain an empirical force vs. extension curve that accurately reproduces the elasticity of the handles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Mossa
- INFN Firenze, via Sansone 1, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
- ISIS "Leonardo da Vinci", via del Terzolle 91, 50127, Florence, Italy.
| | - Ciro Cecconi
- Department of Physics, Informatics and Mathematics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Giuseppe Campi 213/a, 41125, Modena, Italy.
- Center S3, CNR Institute Nanoscience, via Giuseppe Campi 213/a, 41125, Modena, Italy.
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91
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Buck S, Pekarek L, Caliskan N. POTATO: Automated pipeline for batch analysis of optical tweezers data. Biophys J 2022; 121:2830-2839. [PMID: 35778838 PMCID: PMC9388390 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Optical tweezers are a single-molecule technique that allows probing of intra- and intermolecular interactions that govern complex biological processes involving molecular motors, protein-nucleic acid interactions, and protein/RNA folding. Recent developments in instrumentation eased and accelerated optical tweezers data acquisition, but analysis of the data remains challenging. Here, to enable high-throughput data analysis, we developed an automated python-based analysis pipeline called POTATO (practical optical tweezers analysis tool). POTATO automatically processes the high-frequency raw data generated by force-ramp experiments and identifies (un)folding events using predefined parameters. After segmentation of the force-distance trajectories at the identified (un)folding events, sections of the curve can be fitted independently to a worm-like chain and freely jointed chain models, and the work applied on the molecule can be calculated by numerical integration. Furthermore, the tool allows plotting of constant force data and fitting of the Gaussian distance distribution over time. All these features are wrapped in a user-friendly graphical interface, which allows researchers without programming knowledge to perform sophisticated data analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Buck
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lukas Pekarek
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Neva Caliskan
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Würzburg, Germany; Medical Faculty, Julius-Maximilians University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
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92
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Yeou S, Hwang J, Yi J, Kim C, Kim SK, Lee NK. Cytosine methylation regulates DNA bendability depending on the curvature. Chem Sci 2022; 13:7516-7525. [PMID: 35872822 PMCID: PMC9242020 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc07115g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytosine methylation plays an essential role in many biological processes, such as nucleosome inactivation and regulation of gene expression. The modulation of DNA mechanics may be one of the regulatory mechanisms influenced by cytosine methylation. However, it remains unclear how methylation influences DNA mechanics. Here, we show that methylation has contrasting effects on the bending property of dsDNA depending on DNA curvature. We directly applied bending force on 30 base pairs of dsDNA using a D-shaped DNA nanostructure and measured the degree of bending using single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer without surface immobilization. When dsDNA is weakly bent, methylation increases the stiffness of dsDNA. The stiffness of dsDNA increased by approximately 8% with a single methylation site for 30 bp dsDNA. When dsDNA is highly bent by a strong force, it forms a kink, i.e., a sharp bending of dsDNA. Under strong bending, methylation destabilizes the non-kink form compared with the kink form, which makes dsDNA near the kink region apparently more bendable. However, if the kink region is methylated, the kink form is destabilized, and dsDNA becomes stiffer. As a result, methylation increases the stiffness of weakly bent dsDNA and concurrently can promote kink formation, which may stabilize the nucleosome structure. Our results provide new insight into the effect of methylation, showing that cytosine methylation has opposite effects on DNA mechanics depending on its curvature and methylation location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanghun Yeou
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University 08832 Seoul Republic of Korea
| | - Jihee Hwang
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University 08832 Seoul Republic of Korea
| | - Jaehun Yi
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University 08832 Seoul Republic of Korea
| | - Cheolhee Kim
- National Science Museum Daejeon 34143 Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Keun Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University 08832 Seoul Republic of Korea
| | - Nam Ki Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University 08832 Seoul Republic of Korea
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93
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Li J, Ma J, Kumar V, Fu H, Xu C, Wang S, Jia Q, Fan Q, Xi X, Li M, Liu H, Lu Y. Identification of flexible Pif1-DNA interactions and their impacts on enzymatic activities. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:7002-7012. [PMID: 35748877 PMCID: PMC9262596 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Flexible regions in biomolecular complexes, although crucial to understanding structure-function relationships, are often unclear in high-resolution crystal structures. In this study, we showed that single-molecule techniques, in combination with computational modeling, can characterize dynamic conformations not resolved by high-resolution structure determination methods. Taking two Pif1 helicases (ScPif1 and BsPif1) as model systems, we found that, besides a few tightly bound nucleotides, adjacent solvent-exposed nucleotides interact dynamically with the helicase surfaces. The whole nucleotide segment possessed curved conformations and covered the two RecA-like domains of the helicases, which are essential for the inch-worm mechanism. The synergetic approach reveals that the interactions between the exposed nucleotides and the helicases could be reduced by large stretching forces or electrostatically shielded with high-concentration salt, subsequently resulting in reduced translocation rates of the helicases. The dynamic interactions between the exposed nucleotides and the helicases underlay the force- and salt-dependences of their enzymatic activities. The present single-molecule based approach complements high-resolution structural methods in deciphering the molecular mechanisms of the helicases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Hang Fu
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325011, China,School of Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chunhua Xu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Shuang Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Qi Jia
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China,Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan, Guangdong 523808, China
| | - Qinkai Fan
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China,School of Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xuguang Xi
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée (LBPA), UMR8113 CNRS, ENS Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette F-91190, France
| | - Ming Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China,Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan, Guangdong 523808, China,School of Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Haiguang Liu
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Haiguang Liu. Tel: +86 10 56981816;
| | - Ying Lu
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +86 10 82648122;
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94
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Lightsheet optical tweezer (LOT) for optical manipulation of microscopic particles and live cells. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10229. [PMID: 35715431 PMCID: PMC9205896 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13095-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Optical trapping and patterning cells or microscopic particles is fascinating. We developed a light sheet-based optical tweezer to trap dielectric particles and live HeLa cells. The technique requires the generation of a tightly focussed diffraction-limited light-sheet realized by a combination of cylindrical lens and high NA objective lens. The resultant field is a focussed line (along x-axis) perpendicular to the beam propagation direction (z-axis). This is unlike traditional optical tweezers that are fundamentally point-traps and can trap one particle at a time. Several spherical beads undergoing Brownian motion in the solution are trapped by the lightsheet gradient potential, and the time (to reach trap-centre) is estimated from the video captured at 230 frames/s. High-speed imaging of beads with increasing laser power shows a steady increase in trap stiffness with a maximum of 0.00118 pN/nm at 52.5 mW. This is order less than the traditional point-traps, and hence may be suitable for applications requiring delicate optical forces. On the brighter side, light sheet tweezer (LOT) can simultaneously trap multiple objects with the distinct ability to manipulate them in the transverse (xy) plane via translation and rotation. However, the trapped beads displayed free movement along the light-sheet axis (x-axis), exhibiting a single degree of freedom. Furthermore, the tweezer is used to trap and pattern live HeLa cells in various shapes and structures. Subsequently, the cells were cultured for a prolonged period of time (> 18 h), and cell viability was ascertained. We anticipate that LOT can be used to study constrained dynamics of microscopic particles and help understand the patterned cell growth that has implications in optical imaging, microscopy, and cell biology.
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95
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The convergence of head-on DNA unwinding forks induces helicase oligomerization and activity transition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2116462119. [PMID: 35658074 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2116462119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
SignificanceBloom syndrome helicase (BLM) is a multifunctional helicase that primarily catalyzes the separation of two single strands of DNA. Here, using a single-molecule optical tweezers approach combined with confocal microscopy, we monitored both the enzymatic activity and oligomeric status of BLM at the same time. Strikingly, a head-on collision of BLM-medicated DNA unwinding forks was found to effectively switch their oligomeric state and activity. Specifically, BLMs, upon collision, immediately fuse across the fork junctions and covert their activities from dsDNA unwinding to ssDNA translocation and protein displacement. These findings explain how BLM plays multiple functional roles in homologous recombination (HR). The single-molecule approach used here provides a reference model for investigating the relationship between protein oligomeric state and function.
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96
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Cruz-León S, Vanderlinden W, Müller P, Forster T, Staudt G, Lin YY, Lipfert J, Schwierz N. Twisting DNA by salt. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:5726-5738. [PMID: 35640616 PMCID: PMC9177979 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The structure and properties of DNA depend on the environment, in particular the ion atmosphere. Here, we investigate how DNA twist -one of the central properties of DNA- changes with concentration and identity of the surrounding ions. To resolve how cations influence the twist, we combine single-molecule magnetic tweezer experiments and extensive all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. Two interconnected trends are observed for monovalent alkali and divalent alkaline earth cations. First, DNA twist increases monotonously with increasing concentration for all ions investigated. Second, for a given salt concentration, DNA twist strongly depends on cation identity. At 100 mM concentration, DNA twist increases as Na+ < K+ < Rb+ < Ba2+ < Li+ ≈ Cs+ < Sr2+ < Mg2+ < Ca2+. Our molecular dynamics simulations reveal that preferential binding of the cations to the DNA backbone or the nucleobases has opposing effects on DNA twist and provides the microscopic explanation of the observed ion specificity. However, the simulations also reveal shortcomings of existing force field parameters for Cs+ and Sr2+. The comprehensive view gained from our combined approach provides a foundation for understanding and predicting cation-induced structural changes both in nature and in DNA nanotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Cruz-León
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Str. 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Willem Vanderlinden
- Department of Physics and Center for Nanoscience (CeNS), LMU Munich, Amalienstr. 54, 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Müller
- Department of Physics and Center for Nanoscience (CeNS), LMU Munich, Amalienstr. 54, 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Tobias Forster
- Department of Physics and Center for Nanoscience (CeNS), LMU Munich, Amalienstr. 54, 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Georgina Staudt
- Department of Physics and Center for Nanoscience (CeNS), LMU Munich, Amalienstr. 54, 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Yi-Yun Lin
- Department of Physics and Center for Nanoscience (CeNS), LMU Munich, Amalienstr. 54, 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Jan Lipfert
- Department of Physics and Center for Nanoscience (CeNS), LMU Munich, Amalienstr. 54, 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Nadine Schwierz
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Str. 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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97
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Strasser F, Barnett SM, Ritsch-Marte M, Thalhammer G. Generally Applicable Holographic Torque Measurement for Optically Trapped Particles. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2022; 128:213604. [PMID: 35687430 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.128.213604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We present a method to measure the optical torque applied to particles of arbitrary shape such as micrometer-sized micro-organisms or cells held in an optical trap, inferred from the change of angular momentum of light induced by the particle. All torque components can be determined from a single interference pattern recorded by a camera in the back focal plane of a high-NA condenser lens provided that most of the scattered light is collected. We derive explicit expressions mapping the measured complex field in this plane to the torque components. The required phase is retrieved by an iterative algorithm, using the known position of the optical traps as constraints. The torque pertaining to individual particles is accessible, as well as separate spin or orbital parts of the total torque.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Strasser
- Medical University of Innsbruck, Institute of Biomedical Physics, Müllerstraße 44, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Stephen M Barnett
- University of Glasgow, School of Physics and Astronomy, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Monika Ritsch-Marte
- Medical University of Innsbruck, Institute of Biomedical Physics, Müllerstraße 44, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Gregor Thalhammer
- Medical University of Innsbruck, Institute of Biomedical Physics, Müllerstraße 44, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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98
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Paul B, Chaubet L, Verver DE, Montoya G. Mechanics of CRISPR-Cas12a and engineered variants on λ-DNA. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:5208-5225. [PMID: 34951457 PMCID: PMC9122593 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cas12a is an RNA-guided endonuclease that is emerging as a powerful genome-editing tool. Here, we selected a target site on bacteriophage λ-DNA and used optical tweezers combined with fluorescence to provide mechanistic insight into wild type Cas12a and three engineered variants, where the specific dsDNA and the unspecific ssDNA cleavage are dissociated (M1 and M2) and a third one which nicks the target DNA (M3). At low forces wtCas12a and the variants display two main off-target binding sites, while on stretched dsDNA at higher forces numerous binding events appear driven by the mechanical distortion of the DNA and partial matches to the crRNA. The multiple binding events onto dsDNA at high tension do not lead to cleavage, which is observed on the target site at low forces when the DNA is flexible. In addition, activity assays also show that the preferential off-target sites for this crRNA are not cleaved by wtCas12a, indicating that λ-DNA is only severed at the target site. Our single molecule data indicate that the Cas12a scaffold presents singular mechanical properties, which could be used to generate new endonucleases with biomedical and biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bijoya Paul
- Structural Molecular Biology Group, Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3-B, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Loïc Chaubet
- LUMICKS, Pilotenstraat 41, 1059 CH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Guillermo Montoya
- Structural Molecular Biology Group, Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3-B, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
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99
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Afanasyev AY, Onufriev AV. Stretching of Long Double-Stranded DNA and RNA Described by the Same Approach. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:3911-3920. [PMID: 35544776 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.1c01221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We propose an approach to help interpret polymer force-extension curves that exhibit plateau regimes. When coupled to a bead-spring dynamic model, the approach accurately reproduces a variety of experimental force-extension curves of long double-stranded DNA and RNA, including torsionally constrained and unconstrained DNA and negatively supercoiled DNA. A key feature of the model is a specific nonconvex energy function of the spring. We provide an algorithm to obtain the five required parameters of the model from experimental force-extension curves. The applicability of the approach to the force-extension curves of double-stranded (ds) DNA of variable GC content as well as to a DNA/RNA hybrid structure is explored and confirmed. We use the approach to explain counterintuitive sequence-dependent trends and make predictions. In the plateau region of the force-extension curves, our molecular dynamics simulations show that the polymer separates into a mix of weakly and strongly stretched states without forming macroscopically distinct phases. The distribution of these states is predicted to depend on the sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Y Afanasyev
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Alexey V Onufriev
- Departments of Computer Science and Physics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
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100
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Abstract
Single-molecule mechanochemical sensing (SMMS) is a novel biosensing technique using mechanical force as a signal transduction mechanism. In the mechanochemical sensing, the chemical binding of an analyte molecule to a sensing template is converted to mechanical signals, such as tensile force, of the template. Since mechanical force can be conveniently monitored by single-molecule tools, such as optical tweezers, magnetic tweezers, or Atomic Force Microscopy, mechanochemical sensing is often carried out at the single molecule level. In traditional format of ensemble sensing, sensitivity can be achieved via chemical or electrical amplifications, which are materials intensive and time-consuming. To address these problems, in 2011, we used the principle of mechanochemical coupling in a single molecular template to detect single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in DNA fragments. The single-molecule sensitivity in such SMMS strategy allows to removing complex amplification steps, drastically conserving materials and increasing temporal resolution in the sensing. By placing many probing units throughout a single-molecule sensing template, SMMS can have orders of magnitude better efficiency in the materials usage (i.e., high Atom Economy) with respect to the ensemble biosensing. The SMMS sensing probes also enable topochemical arrangement of different sensing units. By placing these units in a spatiotemporally addressable fashion, single-molecule topochemical sensors have been demonstrated in our lab to detect an expandable set of microRNA targets. Because of the stochastic behavior of single-molecule binding, however, it is challenging for the SMMS to accurately report analyte concentrations in a fixed time window. While multivariate analysis has been shown to rectify background noise due to stochastic nature of single-molecule probes, a template containing an array of sensing units has shown ensemble average behaviors to address the same problem. In this so-called ensemble single-molecule sensing, collective mechanical transitions of many sensing units occur in the SMMS sensing probes, which allows accurate quantification of analytes. For the SMMS to function as a viable sensing approach readily adopted by biosensing communities, the future of the SMMS technique relies on the reduction in the complexity and cost of instrumentation to report mechanical signals. In this account, we first explain the mechanism and main features of the SMMS. We then specify basic elements employed in SMMS. Using DNA as an exemplary SMMS template, we further summarize different types of SMMS which present multiplexing capability and increased throughput. Finally, recent efforts to develop simple and affordable high throughput methods for force generation and measurement are discussed in this Account for potential usage in the mechanochemical sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changpeng Hu
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, United States
| | - Rabia Tahir
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, United States
| | - Hanbin Mao
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, United States
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