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Yukawa K, Mizuuchi R, Ichihashi N. Relaxed Substrate Specificity in Qβ Replicase through Long-Term In Vitro Evolution. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 12:life12010032. [PMID: 35054425 PMCID: PMC8778257 DOI: 10.3390/life12010032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A change from RNA- to DNA-based genetic systems is hypothesized as a major transition in the evolution of early life forms. One of the possible requirements for this transition is a change in the substrate specificity of the replication enzyme. It is largely unknown how such changes would have occurred during early evolutionary history. In this study, we present evidence that an RNA replication enzyme that has evolved in the absence of deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs) relaxes its substrate specificity and incorporates labeled dNTPs. This result implies that ancient replication enzymes, which probably evolved in the absence of dNTPs, could have incorporated dNTPs to synthesize DNA soon after dNTPs became available. The transition from RNA to DNA, therefore, might have been easier than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohtoh Yukawa
- Department of Life Science, Graduate School of Arts and Science, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan;
| | - Ryo Mizuuchi
- JST, PRESTO, Kawaguchi 332-0012, Japan;
- Komaba Institute for Science, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Norikazu Ichihashi
- Department of Life Science, Graduate School of Arts and Science, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan;
- Komaba Institute for Science, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- Research Center for Complex Systems Biology, Universal Biology Institute, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- Correspondence:
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2
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Jiménez EI, Gibard C, Krishnamurthy R. Prebiotic Phosphorylation and Concomitant Oligomerization of Deoxynucleosides to form DNA. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202015910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eddy I. Jiménez
- The Department of Chemistry The Scripps Research Institute 10550 North Torrey Pines Road La Jolla CA 92037 USA
| | - Clémentine Gibard
- The Department of Chemistry The Scripps Research Institute 10550 North Torrey Pines Road La Jolla CA 92037 USA
| | - Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy
- The Department of Chemistry The Scripps Research Institute 10550 North Torrey Pines Road La Jolla CA 92037 USA
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3
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Jiménez EI, Gibard C, Krishnamurthy R. Prebiotic Phosphorylation and Concomitant Oligomerization of Deoxynucleosides to form DNA. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:10775-10783. [PMID: 33325148 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202015910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Recent demonstrations of RNA-DNA chimeras (RDNA) enabling RNA and DNA replication, coupled with prebiotic co-synthesis of deoxyribo- and ribo-nucleotides, have resurrected the hypothesis of co-emergence of RNA and DNA. As further support, we show that diamidophosphate (DAP) with 2-aminoimidazole (amido)phosphorylates and oligomerizes deoxynucleosides to form DNA-under conditions similar to those of ribonucleosides. The pyrimidine deoxynucleoside 5'-O-amidophosphates are formed in good (≈60 %) yields. Intriguingly, the presence of pyrimidine deoxynucleos(t)ides increased the yields of purine deoxynucleotides (≈20 %). Concomitantly, oligomerization (≈18-31 %) is observed with predominantly 3',5'-phosphodiester DNA linkages, and some (<5 %) pyrophosphates. Combined with previous observations of DAP-mediated chemistries and the constructive role of RDNA chimeras, the results reported here help set the stage for systematic investigation of a systems chemistry approach of RNA-DNA coevolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eddy I Jiménez
- The Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Clémentine Gibard
- The Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy
- The Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
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4
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Efthymiou T, Gavette J, Stoop M, De Riccardis F, Froeyen M, Herdewijn P, Krishnamurthy R. Chimeric XNA: An Unconventional Design for Orthogonal Informational Systems. Chemistry 2018; 24:12811-12819. [PMID: 29901248 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201802287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
The paradigm of homogenous-sugar-backbone of RNA and DNA has reliably guided the construction of many functional and useful xeno nucleic acid (XNA) systems to date. Deviations from this monotonous and canonical design, in many cases, results in oligonucleotide systems that lack base pairing with themselves, or with RNA or DNA. Here we show that nucleotides of two such compromised XNA systems can be combined with RNA and DNA in specific patterns to produce chimeric-backbone oligonucleotides, which in certain cases demonstrate base pairing properties comparable to-or stronger than-canonical systems, while also altering the conventional Watson-Crick pairing behavior. The unorthodox pairing properties generated from these chimeric sugar-backbone oligonucleotides suggest a counterintuitive approach of creating modules consisting of non-base pairing XNAs with RNA/DNA in a set pattern. This strategy has the potential to increase the diversity of unconventional nucleic acids leading to orthogonal backbone-sequence-controlled informational systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Efthymiou
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Jesse Gavette
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Matthias Stoop
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Francesco De Riccardis
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.,Department of Chemistry and Biology, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084, Fisciano, Salerno, Italy
| | - Mathy Froeyen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Herestraat, 49, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Piet Herdewijn
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Herestraat, 49, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
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5
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Anderson BA, Krishnamurthy R. Heterogeneous Pyrophosphate-Linked DNA-Oligonucleotides: Aversion to DNA but Affinity for RNA. Chemistry 2018. [PMID: 29532524 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201800538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Pyrophosphate linkages are important in extant biology and are hypothesized to have played a role in prebiotic chemistry and in the origination of oligonucleotides. Inspired by pyrophosphate as backbones of primordial oligomers, DNA oligomers with varying amounts of pyrophosphate inserts (ppDNA) were synthesized and investigated for their base-pairing properties. As expected, pyrophosphate inserts into the backbone compromised the thermal stability of ppDNA-DNA duplexes. In contrast, the ppDNA-RNA duplex exhibited, remarkably, duplex stability, even with accumulation of pyrophosphate linkages. This seems to be a consequence of an increase in the diameter of the double-helix with eight-bond-repeat units, and higher inclination of the base-pair axis with respect to the backbone in RNA (A-form), compared with that in DNA (B-form). These results suggest that pyrophosphate-linked oligonucleotides could harbor functional capabilities with implications for their roles in the origins of life and chemical biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke A Anderson
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
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Lepper CP, Williams MAK, Penny D, Edwards PJB, Jameson GB. Effects of Pressure and pH on the Hydrolysis of Cytosine: Implications for Nucleotide Stability around Deep-Sea Black Smokers. Chembiochem 2018; 19:540-544. [PMID: 29205716 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201700555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The relatively low chemical stability of cytosine compared with other nucleobases is a key concern in origin-of-life scenarios, but the effect of pressure on the rate of hydrolysis of cytosine to uracil remains unknown. Through in situ NMR spectroscopy measurements, it has been determined that the half-life of cytosine at 373.15 K decreases from (18.0±0.7) days at ambient pressure (0.1 MPa) to (8.64±0.18) days at high pressure (200 MPa). This yields an activation volume for hydrolysis of (-11.8±0.5) cm3 mol-1 ; a decrease that is similar to the molar volume of water (18.0 cm3 mol-1 ) and consistent with a tetrahedral 3,3-hydroxyamine transition-state/intermediate species. Similar behaviour was also observed for cytidine. At both ambient and high pressures, the half-life of cytosine decreases significantly as the pH decreases from 7.0 to 6.0. These results provide scant support for the notion that RNA-based life forms originated in high-temperature, high-pressure, acidic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher P Lepper
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4410, New Zealand
| | - Martin A K Williams
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, The MacDiarmid Institute and the Riddet Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North, Manawatu, 4442, New Zealand
| | - David Penny
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4410, New Zealand
| | - Patrick J B Edwards
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4410, New Zealand
| | - Geoffrey B Jameson
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, The MacDiarmid Institute and the Riddet Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North, Manawatu, 4442, New Zealand
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7
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Barlev A, Sen D. DNA's Encounter with Ultraviolet Light: An Instinct for Self-Preservation? Acc Chem Res 2018; 51:526-533. [PMID: 29419284 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.7b00582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Photochemical modification is the major class of environmental damage suffered by DNA, the genetic material of all free-living organisms. Photolyases are enzymes that carry out direct photochemical repair (photoreactivation) of covalent pyrimidine dimers formed in DNA from exposure to ultraviolet light. The discovery of catalytic RNAs in the 1980s led to the "RNA world hypothesis", which posits that early in evolution RNA or a similar polymer served both genetic and catalytic functions. Intrigued by the RNA world hypothesis, we set out to test whether a catalytic RNA (or a surrogate, a catalytic DNA) with photolyase activity could be contemplated. In vitro selection from a random-sequence DNA pool yielded two DNA enzymes (DNAzymes): Sero1C, which requires serotonin as an obligate cofactor, and UV1C, which is cofactor-independent and optimally uses light of 300-310 nm wavelength to repair cyclobutane thymine dimers within a gapped DNA substrate. Both Sero1C and UV1C show multiple turnover kinetics, and UV1C repairs its substrate with a quantum yield of ∼0.05, on the same order as the quantum yields of certain classes of photolyase enzymes. Intensive study of UV1C has revealed that its catalytic core consists of a guanine quadruplex (G-quadruplex) positioned proximally to the bound substrate's thymine dimer. We hypothesize that electron transfer from photoexcited guanines within UV1C's G-quadruplex is responsible for substrate photoreactivation, analogous to electron transfer to pyrimidine dimers within a DNA substrate from photoexcited flavin cofactors located within natural photolyase enzymes. Though the analogy to evolution is necessarily limited, a comparison of the properties of UV1C and Sero1C, which arose out of the same in vitro selection experiment, reveals that although the two DNAzymes comparably accelerate the rate of thymine dimer repair, Sero1C has a substantially broader substrate repertoire, as it can repair many more kinds of pyrimidine dimers than UV1C. Therefore, the co-opting of an amino acid-like cofactor by a nucleic acid enzyme in this case contributes functional versatility rather than a greater rate enhancement. In recent work on UV1C, we have succeeded in shifting its action spectrum from the UVB into the blue region of the spectrum and determined that although it catalyzes both repair and de novo formation of thymine dimers, UV1C is primarily a catalyst for thymine dimer repair. Our work on photolyase DNAzymes has stimulated broader questions about whether analogous, purely nucleotide-based photoreactivation also occurs in double-helical DNA, the dominant form of DNA in living cells. Recently, a number of different groups have reported that this kind of repair is indeed operational in DNA duplexes, i.e., that there exist nucleotide sequences that actively protect, by way of photoreactivation (rather than by simply preventing their formation), pyrimidine dimers located proximal to them. Nucleotide-based photoreactivation thus appears to be a salient, if unanticipated, property of DNA and RNA. The phenomenon also offers pointers in the direction of how in primordial evolution-in an RNA world-early nucleic acids may have protected themselves from structural and functional damage wrought by ultraviolet light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Barlev
- Department
of Chemistry and ‡Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Dipankar Sen
- Department
of Chemistry and ‡Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
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