DNA structure: cations in charge?

Insights into DNA solvation found in protein-DNA structures

The proteins that bind double-helical DNA present various microenvironments that sense and/or induce signals in the genetic material. The high-resolution structures of protein-DNA complexes reveal the nature of both the microenvironments and the conformational responses in DNA and protein. Complex networks of interactions within the structures somehow tie the protein and DNA together and induce the observed spatial forms. Here we show how the cumulative buildup of amino acid atoms around the sugars, phosphates, and bases in different protein-DNA complexes produces a binding cloud around the double helix and how different types of atoms fill that cloud. Rather than focusing on the principles of molecular binding and recognition suggested by the arrangements of amino acids and nucleotides in the macromolecular complexes, we consider the proteins in contact with DNA as organized solvents. We describe differences in the mix of atoms that come in closest contact with DNA, subtle sequence-dependent features in the microenvironment of the sugar-phosphate backbone, a direct link between the localized buildup of ionic species and the electrostatic potential surfaces of the DNA bases, and sites of atomic buildup above and below the basepair planes that transmit the unique features of the base environments along the chain backbone. The inferences about solvation that can be drawn from the survey provide new stimuli for improvement of nucleic acid force fields and fresh ideas for exploration of the properties of DNA in solution.

Similarities and Differences between Na+ and K+ Distributions around DNA Obtained with Three Popular Water Models

We have compared distributions of sodium and potassium ions around double-stranded DNA, simulated using fixed charge SPC/E, TIP3P, and OPC water models and the Joung/Cheatham (J/C) ion parameter set, as well as the Li/Merz HFE 6-12 (L/M HFE) ion parameters for OPC water. In all the simulations, the ion distributions are in qualitative agreement with Manning's condensation theory and the Debye-Hückel theory, where expected. In agreement with experiment, binding affinity of monovalent ions to DNA does not depend on ion type in every solvent model. However, behavior of deeply bound ions, including ions bound to specific sites, depends strongly on the solvent model. In particular, the number of potassium ions in the minor groove of AT-tracts differs at least 3-fold between the solvent models tested. The number of sodium ions associated with the DNA agrees quantitatively with the experiment for the OPC water model, followed closely by TIP3P+J/C; the largest deviation from the experiment, ∼10%, is seen for SPC/E+J/C. On the other hand, SPC/E+J/C model is most consistent (67%) with the experimental potassium binding sites, followed by OPC+J/C (60%), TIP3P+J/C (53%), and OPC+L/M HFE (27%). The use of NBFIX correction with TIP3P+J/C improves its consistency with the experiment. In summary, the choice of the solvent model matters little for simulating the diffuse atmosphere of sodium and potassium ions around DNA, but ion distributions become increasingly sensitive to the solvent model near the helical axis. We offer an explanation for these trends. There is no single gold standard solvent model, although OPC water with J/C ions or TIP3P with J/C + NBFIX may offer an imperfect compromise for practical simulations of ionic atmospheres around DNA.

Use of Ionic Liquids in Protein and DNA Chemistry

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been receiving much attention as solvents in various areas of biochemistry because of their various beneficial properties over the volatile solvents and ILs availability in myriad variants (perhaps as many as 108) owing to the possibility of paring one cation with several anions and vice-versa as well as formulations as zwitterions. Their potential as solvents lies in their tendency to offer both directional and non-directional forces toward a solute molecule. Because of these forces, ionic liquids easily undergo intermolecular interactions with a range of polar/non-polar solutes, including biomolecules such as proteins and DNA. The interaction of genomic species in aqueous/non-aqueous states assists in unraveling their structure and functioning, which have implications in various biomedical applications. The charge density of ionic liquids renders them hydrophilic and hydrophobic, which retain intact over long-range of temperatures. Their ability in stabilizing or destabilizing the 3D-structure of a protein or the double-helical structure of DNA has been assessed superior to the water and volatile organic solvents. The aptitude of an ion in influencing the structure and stability of a native protein depends on their ranking in the Hofmeister series. However, at several instances, a reverse Hofmeister ordering of ions and specific ion-solute interaction has been observed. The capability of an ionic liquid in terms of the tendency to promote the coiling/uncoiling of DNA structure is noted to rely on the basicity, electrostatic interaction, and hydrophobicity of the ionic liquid in question. Any change in the DNA's double-helical structure reflects a change in its melting temperature (T m), compared to a standard buffer solution. These changes in DNA structure have implications in biosensor design and targeted drug-delivery in biomedical applications. In the current review, we have attempted to highlight various aspects of ionic liquids that influence the structure and properties of proteins and DNA. In short, the review will address the issues related to the origin and strength of intermolecular interactions, the effect of structural components, their nature, and the influence of temperature, pH, and additives on them.

Preferential N-H⋯:C[double bond splayed right] hydrogen bonding involving ditopic NH-containing systems and N-heterocyclic carbenes

Hydrogen bonding plays a critical role in maintaining order and structure in complex biological and synthetic systems. N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) represent one of the most versatile tools in the synthetic chemistry toolbox, yet their potential as neutral carbon hydrogen bond acceptors remains underexplored. This report investigates this capability in a strategic manner, wherein carbene-based hydrogen bonding can be assessed by use of ditopic NH-containing molecules. N-H bonds are unique as there are three established reaction modes with carbenes: non-traditional hydrogen bonding adducts (X-H⋯:C[double bond splayed right]), salts arising from proton transfer ([H-C[double bond splayed right]]⁺[X]^-), or amines from insertion of the carbene into the N-H bond. Yet, there are no established rules to predict product distributions or the strength of these associations. Here we seek to correlate the hydrogen bond strength of symmetric and asymmetric ditopic secondary amines with 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IPr, a representative NHC). In symmetric and asymmetric ditopic amine adducts both the solid-state (hydrogen bond lengths, NHC interior angles) and solution-state (¹H Δδ of NH signals, ¹³C signals of carbenic carbon) can be related to the pK _a of the parent amine.

Single-molecule kinetic studies of DNA hybridization under extreme pressures

Pressure-responsive dynamics of DNA hairpin hybridization/dehybridization is directly visualized at the single molecule level.

Extension distribution for DNA confined in a nanochannel near the Odijk regime

DNA confinement in a nanochannel typically is understood via mapping to the confinement of an equivalent neutral polymer by hard walls. This model has proven to be effective for confinement in relatively large channels where hairpin formation is frequent. An analysis of existing experimental data for Escherichia coli DNA extension in channels smaller than the persistence length, combined with an additional dataset for λ-DNA confined in a 34 nm wide channel, reveals a breakdown in this approach as the channel size approaches the Odijk regime of strong confinement. In particular, the predicted extension distribution obtained from the asymptotic solution to the weakly correlated telegraph model for a confined wormlike chain deviates significantly from the experimental distribution obtained for DNA confinement in the 34 nm channel, and the discrepancy cannot be resolved by treating the alignment fluctuations or the effective channel size as fitting parameters. We posit that the DNA-wall electrostatic interactions, which are sensible throughout a significant fraction of the channel cross section in the Odijk regime, are the source of the disagreement between theory and experiment. Dimensional analysis of the wormlike chain propagator in channel confinement reveals the importance of a dimensionless parameter, reflecting the magnitude of the DNA-wall electrostatic interactions relative to thermal energy, which has not been considered explicitly in the prevailing theories for DNA confinement in a nanochannel.

Lessons learned in atomistic simulation of double-stranded DNA: Solvation and salt concerns [Article v1.0]

Nucleic acids are highly charged macromolecules sensitive to their surroundings of water, salt, and other biomolecules. Molecular dynamics simulations with accurate biomolecular force fields provide a detailed atomistic view into DNA and RNA that has been useful to study the structure and dynamics of these molecules and their biological relevance. In this work we study the Drew-Dickerson dodecamer duplex with the sequence d(GCGCAATTGCGC)₂ in three different salt concentrations and using different monvalent salt types to detect possible structural influence. Overall, the DNA shows no major structural changes regardless of amount or type of monovalent ions used. Our results show that only at very high salt conditions (5M) is a small structural effect observed in the DNA duplex, which mainly consist of narrowing of the grooves due to increased residence of ions. We also present the importance of sampling time to achieve a converged ensemble, which is of major relevance in any simulation to avoid biased or non-meaningful results.

H-Bond donor parameters for cations

UV/Vis absorption and NMR spectroscopy titrations have been used to investigate the formation of complexes between cations and neutral H-bond acceptors in organic solvents. Complexes formed by two different H-bond acceptors with fifteen different cations were studied in acetone and in acetonitrile. The effects of water and ion pairing with the counter-anion were found to be negligible in the two polar solvents employed for this study. The data were used to determine self-consistent H-bond donor parameters (α) for a series of organic and inorganic cations; guanidinium, primary, tertiary and quaternary ammonium, imidazolium, methylpyridinium, lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium and caesium. The results demonstrate the transferability of α parameters for cations between different solvents and different H-bond acceptor partners, allowing reliable prediction of cation recognition properties in different environments. Lithium and protonated nitrogen cations form the most stable complexes, but the α parameter is only 5.0, which is similar to the neutral H-bond donor 3-trifluoromethyl,4-nitrophenol (α = 5.1). Quaternary ammonium is the weakest H-bond donor investigated with an α value of 2.7, which is comparable to an alcohol. The α parameters for alkali metal cations decrease down the group from 5.0 (Li+) to 3.5 (Cs+).

Employing LiCl salt gradient in the wild-type α-hemolysin nanopore to slow down DNA translocation and detect methylated cytosine

In this research, we demonstrate a label-free detection, biological nanopore-based method to distinguish methylated cytosine (mC) from naked cytosine (C) in sample mixtures containing both C and mC at a prolonged translocation duration. Using a 15-fold increase in LiCl salt concentration going from a cis to trans chamber, we increased the translocation dwell time of ssDNA by over 5-fold and the event capture rate by 6-fold in comparison with the symmetric concentration of 1.0 M KCl (control). This is a consequence of counter-ion binding and effective lowering of the overall charge of DNA, which in turn lessens the electrophoretic drive of the system and slows the translocation velocity. Moreover, salt gradients can create a large electric field that will funnel ions and polymers towards the pore, increasing the capture rate and translocation dwell time of DNA. As a result, in 0.2 M-3.0 M LiCl solution, ssDNA achieved a prolonged dwell time of 52 μs per nucleotide and a capture rate of 60 ssDNA per second. Importantly, lowering the translocation speed of ssDNA enhances the resulting resolution, allowing 5'-mC to be distinguished from C without using methyl-specific labels. We successfully distinguished 5'-mC from C when mixed together at ratios of 1 : 1, 3 : 7 and 7 : 3. The distribution of current blockade amplitudes of all mixtures adopted bimodal shapes, with peak-to-peak ratios coarsely corresponding to the mixture composition (e.g. the density and distribution of events shifted in correspondence with changes in 18b-0mC and 18-2mC concentration ratios in the mixture).

Defining the Structure of a Protein-Spherical Nucleic Acid Conjugate and Its Counterionic Cloud

Protein-spherical nucleic acid conjugates (Pro-SNAs) are an emerging class of bioconjugates that have properties defined by their protein cores and dense shell of oligonucleotides. They have been used as building blocks in DNA-driven crystal engineering strategies and show promise as agents that can cross cell membranes and affect both protein and DNA-mediated processes inside cells. However, ionic environments surrounding proteins can influence their activity and conformational stability, and functionalizing proteins with DNA substantively changes the surrounding ionic environment in a nonuniform manner. Techniques typically used to determine protein structure fail to capture such irregular ionic distributions. Here, we determine the counterion radial distribution profile surrounding Pro-SNAs dispersed in RbCl with 1 nm resolution through in situ anomalous small-angle X-ray scattering (ASAXS) and classical density functional theory (DFT). SAXS analysis also reveals the radial extension of the DNA and the linker used to covalently attach the DNA to the protein surface. At the experimental salt concentration of 50 mM RbCl, Rb⁺ cations compensate ∼90% of the negative charge due to the DNA and linker. Above 75 mM, DFT calculations predict overcompensation of the DNA charge by Rb⁺. This study suggests a method for exploring Pro-SNA structure and function in different environments through predictions of ionic cloud densities as a function of salt concentration, DNA grafting density, and length. Overall, our study demonstrates that solution X-ray scattering combined with DFT can discern counterionic distribution and submolecular features of highly charged, complex nanoparticle constructs such as Pro-SNAs and related nucleic acid conjugate materials.

Modulation effect of double strand DNA on the self-assembly of N-terminal domain of Euplotes octocarinatus centrin

Centrin is a member of the EF-hand super family of calcium-binding proteins, which can behave as a part of damage detector initiated the initiation of nucleotide excision repair (NER). Its self-assembly plays a causative role in fiber contraction associated with the cell division cycle and ciliogenesis. To explore the possible role of DNA in the process of centrin self-assembly, the aggregation properties of N-terminal domain of Euplotes octocarinatus centrin (N-EoCen) in the presence of DNA with or without metal ions are investigated. It is verified that metal ions, such as Ca²⁺ and Tb³⁺, can bind to N-EoCen with 2:1 stoichiometry by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Importantly, this study reports that double strand DNA (dsDNA) is capable of binding N-EoCen, changing conformation of protein and modulating centrin aggregation, as demonstrated by extensive biophysical assays. Interestingly, the open conformation of protein induced by metal ions may be favour of the interaction of protein with dsDNA. Nevertheless, the randomly coiled single strand DNA (ssDNA) is completely inefficient to the aggregation regulation. Furthermore, results reveal that hydrophobic site could play important role in the process. This finding may link to the potent roles of centrin in the NER process.

All-atom MD indicates ion-dependent behavior of therapeutic DNA polymer

Understanding the efficacy of and creating delivery mechanisms for therapeutic nucleic acids requires understanding structural and kinetic properties which allow these polymers to promote the death of cancerous cells. One molecule of interest is a 10 mer of FdUMP (5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine-5'-O-monophosphate) - also called F10. Here we investigate the structural and kinetic behavior of F10 in intracellular and extracellular solvent conditions along with non-biological conditions that may be efficacious in in vitro preparations of F10 delivery systems. From our all-atom molecular dynamics simulations totaling 80 microseconds, we predict that F10's phosphate groups form close-range interactions with calcium and zinc ions, with calcium having the highest affinity of the five ions investigated. We also predict that F10's interactions with magnesium, potassium and sodium are almost exclusively long-range interactions. In terms of intramolecular interactions, we find that F10 is least structured (in terms of hydrogen bonds among bases) in the 150 mM NaCl (extracellular-like solvent conditions) and most structured in 150 mM ZnCl2. Kinetically, we see that F10 is unstable in the presence of magnesium, sodium or potassium, finding stable kinetic traps in the presence of calcium or zinc.

All-Atom MD Predicts Magnesium-Induced Hairpin in Chemically Perturbed RNA Analog of F10 Therapeutic

Given their increasingly frequent usage, understanding the chemical and structural properties which allow therapeutic nucleic acids to promote the death of cancer cells is critical for medical advancement. One molecule of interest is a 10-mer of FdUMP (5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine-5'-O-monophosphate) also called F10. To investigate causes of structural stability, we have computationally restored the 2' oxygen on each ribose sugar of the phosphodiester backbone, creating FUMP[10]. Microsecond time-scale, all-atom, simulations of FUMP[10] in the presence of 150 mM MgCl₂ predict that the strand has a 45% probability of folding into a stable hairpin-like secondary structure. Analysis of 16 μs of data reveals phosphate interactions as likely contributors to the stability of this folded state. Comparison with polydT and polyU simulations predicts that FUMP[10]'s lowest order structures last for one to 2 orders of magnitude longer than similar nucleic acid strands. Here we provide a brief structural and conformational analysis of the predicted structures of FUMP[10], and suggest insights into its stability via comparison to F10, polydT, and polyU.

Endonuclease-like activity of the N-terminal domain of Euplotes octocarinatus centrin

Euplotes octocarinatus centrin (EoCen) is a member of the EF-hand superfamily of calcium-binding proteins, which refer to nucleotide excision repair (NER).

Uncovering Large-Scale Conformational Change in Molecular Dynamics without Prior Knowledge

As the length of molecular dynamics (MD) trajectories grows with increasing computational power, so does the importance of clustering methods for partitioning trajectories into conformational bins. Of the methods available, the vast majority require users to either have some a priori knowledge about the system to be clustered or to tune clustering parameters through trial and error. Here we present non-parametric uses of two modern clustering techniques suitable for first-pass investigation of an MD trajectory. Being non-parametric, these methods require neither prior knowledge nor parameter tuning. The first method, HDBSCAN, is fast-relative to other popular clustering methods-and is able to group unstructured or intrinsically disordered systems (such as intrinsically disordered proteins, or IDPs) into bins that represent global conformational shifts. HDBSCAN is also useful for determining the overall stability of a system-as it tends to group stable systems into one or two bins-and identifying transition events between metastable states. The second method, iMWK-Means, with explicit rescaling followed by K-Means, while slower than HDBSCAN, performs well with stable, structured systems such as folded proteins and is able to identify higher resolution details such as changes in relative position of secondary structural elements. Used in conjunction, these clustering methods allow a user to discern quickly and without prior knowledge the stability of a simulated system and identify both local and global conformational changes.

Base sequence specificity of counterion binding to DNA: what can MD simulations tell us?

Nucleic acids are highly charged biopolymers whose secondary structure is strongly dependent on electrostatic interactions. Solvent molecules and ions are also believed to play an important role in mediating and directing both sequence recognition and interactions with other molecules, such as proteins and a variety of ligands. Therefore, to fully understand the biological functions of DNA, it is necessary to understand the interactions with the surrounding counterions. It is well known that monovalent counterions can bind to the minor groove of DNA with consecutive sequences of four, or more, adenine and thymine (A-tracts) with relatively long residence times. However, much less is known about their binding to the backbone and to the major groove. In this work, we used molecular dynamics simulations to both investigate the interactions between the backbone and major groove of DNA and one of its physiological counterions (Na+) and evaluate the relationship between these interactions and the nucleotide sequence. Three dodecamers, namely CGAAAATTTTCG, CGCTCTAGAGCG, and CGCGAATTCGCG, were simulated using the Toukan–Rahman flexible SPC water model and Smith and Dang parameters for Na+, revealing a significant sequence dependence on the ion binding to both backbone and major groove. In the absence of experimental data on the atomistic details of the studied interactions, the reliability of the results was evaluated performing the simulations with additional sets of potential parameters for ions and solvent, namely the Ȧqvist or the Joung and Cheatham ion parameters and the TIP3P water model. This allowed us to evaluate the results by verifying which features are preserved independently from the parameters adopted.

The Role of Correlation and Solvation in Ion Interactions with B-DNA

The ionic atmospheres around nucleic acids play important roles in biological function. Large-scale explicit solvent simulations coupled to experimental assays such as anomalous small-angle x-ray scattering can provide important insights into the structure and energetics of such atmospheres but are time- and resource intensive. In this article, we use classical density functional theory to explore the balance among ion-DNA, ion-water, and ion-ion interactions in ionic atmospheres of RbCl, SrCl2, and CoHexCl3 (cobalt hexamine chloride) around a B-form DNA molecule. The accuracy of the classical density functional theory calculations was assessed by comparison between simulated and experimental anomalous small-angle x-ray scattering curves, demonstrating that an accurate model should take into account ion-ion correlation and ion hydration forces, DNA topology, and the discrete distribution of charges on the DNA backbone. As expected, these calculations revealed significant differences among monovalent, divalent, and trivalent cation distributions around DNA. Approximately half of the DNA-bound Rb(+) ions penetrate into the minor groove of the DNA and half adsorb on the DNA backbone. The fraction of cations in the minor groove decreases for the larger Sr(2+) ions and becomes zero for CoHex(3+) ions, which all adsorb on the DNA backbone. The distribution of CoHex(3+) ions is mainly determined by Coulomb and steric interactions, while ion-correlation forces play a central role in the monovalent Rb(+) distribution and a combination of ion-correlation and hydration forces affect the Sr(2+) distribution around DNA. This does not imply that correlations in CoHex solutions are weaker or stronger than for other ions. Steric inaccessibility of the grooves to large CoHex ions leads to their binding at the DNA surface. In this binding mode, first-order electrostatic interactions (Coulomb) dominate the overall binding energy as evidenced by low sensitivity of ionic distribution to the presence or absence of second-order electrostatic correlation interactions.

Atomic resolution structure of a chimeric DNA-RNA Z-type duplex in complex with Ba(2+) ions: a case of complicated multi-domain twinning

The self-complementary dCrGdCrGdCrG hexanucleotide, in which not only the pyrimidine/purine bases but also the ribo/deoxy sugars alternate along the sequence, was crystallized in the presence of barium cations in the form of a left-handed Z-type duplex. The asymmetric unit of the P21 crystal with a pseudohexagonal lattice contains four chimeric duplexes and 16 partial Ba(2+) sites. The chimeric (DNA-RNA)2 duplexes have novel patterns of hydration and exhibit a high degree of discrete conformational disorder of their sugar-phosphate backbones, which can at least partly be correlated with the fractional occupancies of the barium ions. The crystals of the DNA-RNA chimeric duplex in complex with Ba(2+) ions and also with Sr(2+) ions exhibit complicated twinning, which in combination with structural pseudosymmetry made structure determination difficult. The structure could be successfully solved by molecular replacement in space groups P1 and P21 but not in orthorhombic or higher symmetry and, after scrupulous twinning and packing analysis, was refined in space group P21 to an R and Rfree of 11.36 and 16.91%, respectively, using data extending to 1.09 Å resolution. With the crystal structure having monoclinic symmetry, the sixfold crystal twinning is a combination of threefold and twofold rotations. The paper describes the practical aspects of dealing with cases of complicated twinning and pseudosymmetry, and compares the available software tools for the refinement and analysis of such cases.

Sodium and Potassium Interactions with Nucleic Acids

Metal ions are essential cofactors for the structure and functions of nucleic acids. Yet, the early discovery in the 70s of the crucial role of Mg(2+) in stabilizing tRNA structures has occulted for a long time the importance of monovalent cations. Renewed interest in these ions was brought in the late 90s by the discovery of specific potassium metal ions in the core of a group I intron. Their importance in nucleic acid folding and catalytic activity is now well established. However, detection of K(+) and Na(+) ions is notoriously problematic and the question about their specificity is recurrent. Here we review the different methods that can be used to detect K(+) and Na(+) ions in nucleic acid structures such as X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance or molecular dynamics simulations. We also discuss specific versus non-specific binding to different structures through various examples.

Label-free technology for the amplified detection of microRNA based on the allosteric hairpin DNA switch and hybridization chain reaction

By using the allosteric hairpin DNA switch, a novel assay for the detection of microRNA (miRNA) let-7a via a hybridization chain reaction (HCR) was introduced. Briefly, the hairpin DNA switch probe is a single-stranded DNA consisting of a streptavidin (SA) aptamer sequence, a target binding sequence and a certain sequence that acts as a trigger of the HCR. In the presence of target let-7a, the hairpin DNA switch would open and expose the stem region sequences, where a part of this sequence acts as initiator sequence strands for the HCR and triggers a cascade of hybridization events that yields nicked double helices analogous to alternating copolymers, another part is the SA aptamer sequence which activates its binding affinity to SA on SA-coated magnetic particles. The hybridization event could be sensitively detected via an instantaneous derivatization reaction between a special chemiluminescence (CL) reagent, 3,4,5-trimethoxylphenylglyoxal (TMPG) and the guanine nucleotides within the target, the hairpin DNA switch probe, and HCR helices to form an unstable CL intermediate for the generation of light. Our results show that the coupling of the hairpin DNA switch probe and the HCR for the amplified detection of let-7a achieves a better performance (e.g. wide linear response range: 0.1-1000 fmol, low detection limit: 0.1 fmol, and high specificity). Furthermore, this approach could be easily applied to the detection of let-7a in human lung cells, and extended to detect other types of miRNA and proteins such as PDGF based on aptamers. We believe such advancements will represent a significant step towards improved diagnostics and more personalized medical treatment.

Analyzing ion distributions around DNA: sequence-dependence of potassium ion distributions from microsecond molecular dynamics

Microsecond molecular dynamics simulations of B-DNA oligomers carried out in an aqueous environment with a physiological salt concentration enable us to perform a detailed analysis of how potassium ions interact with the double helix. The oligomers studied contain all 136 distinct tetranucleotides and we are thus able to make a comprehensive analysis of base sequence effects. Using a recently developed curvilinear helicoidal coordinate method we are able to analyze the details of ion populations and densities within the major and minor grooves and in the space surrounding DNA. The results show higher ion populations than have typically been observed in earlier studies and sequence effects that go beyond the nature of individual base pairs or base pair steps. We also show that, in some special cases, ion distributions converge very slowly and, on a microsecond timescale, do not reflect the symmetry of the corresponding base sequence.

DNA Stability in Ionic Liquids and Deep Eutectic Solvents

DNA molecules are known as the genetic information carriers. Recently, they are being explored as a new generation of biocatalysts or chiral scaffolds for metal catalysts. There is also a growing interest of finding alternative solvents for DNA preservation and stabilization, including two unique types of solvents: ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DES). Therefore, it is important to understand how DNA molecules interact with these novel ionic solvent systems (i.e. ILs and DES). It is well known that inorganic di- and monovalent ions preferentially bind with major and minor grooves of DNA structures. However, in the case of ILs and DES, organic cation may intrude into the DNA minor grooves; more importantly, electrostatic attraction between organic cations and the DNA phosphate backbone becomes a predominant interaction, accompanying by hydrophobic and polar interactions between ILs and DNA major and minor grooves. In addition, anions may form hydrogen-bonds with cytosine, adenine and guanine bases. Despites these strong interactions, DNA molecules maintain double helical structure in most ionic solvent systems, especially in aqueous IL solutions. Furthermore, the exciting advances of G-quadruplexe DNA structures in ILs and DES are discussed.

Ion distributions around left- and right-handed DNA and RNA duplexes: a comparative study

The ion atmosphere around nucleic acids is an integral part of their solvated structure. However, detailed aspects of the ionic distribution are difficult to probe experimentally, and comparative studies for different structures of the same sequence are almost non-existent. Here, we have used large-scale molecular dynamics simulations to perform a comparative study of the ion distribution around (5'-CGCGCGCGCGCG-3')2 dodecamers in solution in B-DNA, A-RNA, Z-DNA and Z-RNA forms. The CG sequence is very sensitive to ionic strength and it allows the comparison with the rare but important left-handed forms. The ions investigated include Na(+), K(+) and Mg(2 +), with various concentrations of their chloride salts. Our results quantitatively describe the characteristics of the ionic distributions for different structures at varying ionic strengths, tracing these differences to nucleic acid structure and ion type. Several binding pockets with rather long ion residence times are described, both for the monovalent ions and for the hexahydrated Mg[(H2O)6](2+) ion. The conformations of these binding pockets include direct binding through desolvated ion bridges in the GpC steps in B-DNA and A-RNA; direct binding to backbone oxygens; binding of Mg[(H2O)6](2+) to distant phosphates, resulting in acute bending of A-RNA; tight 'ion traps' in Z-RNA between C-O2 and the C-O2' atoms in GpC steps; and others.

Specific minor groove solvation is a crucial determinant of DNA binding site recognition

The DNA sequence preferences of nearly all sequence specific DNA binding proteins are influenced by the identities of bases that are not directly contacted by protein. Discrimination between non-contacted base sequences is commonly based on the differential abilities of DNA sequences to allow narrowing of the DNA minor groove. However, the factors that govern the propensity of minor groove narrowing are not completely understood. Here we show that the differential abilities of various DNA sequences to support formation of a highly ordered and stable minor groove solvation network are a key determinant of non-contacted base recognition by a sequence-specific binding protein. In addition, disrupting the solvent network in the non-contacted region of the binding site alters the protein's ability to recognize contacted base sequences at positions 5–6 bases away. This observation suggests that DNA solvent interactions link contacted and non-contacted base recognition by the protein.

Analyzing ion distributions around DNA

We present a new method for analyzing ion, or molecule, distributions around helical nucleic acids and illustrate the approach by analyzing data derived from molecular dynamics simulations. The analysis is based on the use of curvilinear helicoidal coordinates and leads to highly localized ion densities compared to those obtained by simply superposing molecular dynamics snapshots in Cartesian space. The results identify highly populated and sequence-dependent regions where ions strongly interact with the nucleic and are coupled to its conformational fluctuations. The data from this approach is presented as ion populations or ion densities (in units of molarity) and can be analyzed in radial, angular and longitudinal coordinates using 1D or 2D graphics. It is also possible to regenerate 3D densities in Cartesian space. This approach makes it easy to understand and compare ion distributions and also allows the calculation of average ion populations in any desired zone surrounding a nucleic acid without requiring references to its constituent atoms. The method is illustrated using microsecond molecular dynamics simulations for two different DNA oligomers in the presence of 0.15 M potassium chloride. We discuss the results in terms of convergence, sequence-specific ion binding and coupling with DNA conformation.

DNA-Based Asymmetric Catalysis: Role of Ionic Solvents and Glymes

Recently, DNA has been evaluated as a chiral scaffold for metal complexes to construct so called 'DNA-based hybrid catalysts', a robust and inexpensive alternative to enzymes. The unique chiral structure of DNA allows the hybrid catalysts to catalyze various asymmetric synthesis reactions. However, most current studies used aqueous buffers as solvents for these asymmetric reactions, where substrates/products are typically suspended in the solutions. The mass transfer limitation usually requires a long reaction time. To overcome this hurdle and to advance DNA-based asymmetric catalysis, we evaluated a series of ionic liquids (ILs), inorganic salts, deep eutectic solvents (DES), glymes, glycols, acetonitrile and methanol as co-solvents/additives for the DNA-based asymmetric Michael addition. In general, these additives induce indistinguishable changes to the DNA B-form duplex conformation as suggested by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, but impose a significant influence on the catalytic efficiency of the DNA-based hybrid catalyst. Conventional organic solvents (e.g. acetonitrile and methanol) led to poor product yields and/or low enantioselectivities. Most ILs and inorganic salts cause the deactivation of the hybrid catalyst except 0.2 M [BMIM][CF3COO] (95.4% ee and 93% yield) and 0.2 M [BMIM]Cl (93.7% ee and 89% yield). Several other additives have also been found to improve the catalytic efficiency of the DNA-based hybrid catalyst (control reaction without additive gives >99% ee and 87% yield): 0.4 M glycerol (>99% ee and 96% yield at 5 °C or 96.2% ee and 83% yield at room temperature), 0.2 M choline chloride/glycerol (1:2) (92.4% ee and 90% yield at 5 °C or 94.0% ee and 88% yield at room temperature), and 0.5 M dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether (>99% ee and 87% yield at room temperature). The use of some co-solvents/additives allows the Michael addition to be performed at a higher temperature (e.g. room temperature vs 5 °C) and a shorter reaction time (24 h vs 3 days). In addition, we found that a brief pre-sonication (5 min) of DNA in MOPS buffer prior to the reaction could improve the performance of the DNA-based hybrid catalyst. We have also shown that this DNA-based catalysis method is suitable for a variety of different substrates and relatively large-scale reactions. In conclusion, a judicious selection of benign co-solvents/additives could improve the catalytic efficiency of DNA-based hybrid catalyst.

Mechanical properties of DNA-like polymers

The molecular structure of the DNA double helix has been known for 60 years, but we remain surprisingly ignorant of the balance of forces that determine its mechanical properties. The DNA double helix is among the stiffest of all biopolymers, but neither theory nor experiment has provided a coherent understanding of the relative roles of attractive base stacking forces and repulsive electrostatic forces creating this stiffness. To gain insight, we have created a family of double-helical DNA-like polymers where one of the four normal bases is replaced with various cationic, anionic or neutral analogs. We apply DNA ligase-catalyzed cyclization kinetics experiments to measure the bending and twisting flexibilities of these polymers under low salt conditions. Interestingly, we show that these modifications alter DNA bending stiffness by only 20%, but have much stronger (5-fold) effects on twist flexibility. We suggest that rather than modifying DNA stiffness through a mechanism easily interpretable as electrostatic, the more dominant effect of neutral and charged base modifications is their ability to drive transitions to helical conformations different from canonical B-form DNA.

Cations form sequence selective motifs within DNA grooves via a combination of cation-pi and ion-dipole/hydrogen bond interactions

The fine conformational subtleties of DNA structure modulate many fundamental cellular processes including gene activation/repression, cellular division, and DNA repair. Most of these cellular processes rely on the conformational heterogeneity of specific DNA sequences. Factors including those structural characteristics inherent in the particular base sequence as well as those induced through interaction with solvent components combine to produce fine DNA structural variation including helical flexibility and conformation. Cation-pi interactions between solvent cations or their first hydration shell waters and the faces of DNA bases form sequence selectively and contribute to DNA structural heterogeneity. In this paper, we detect and characterize the binding patterns found in cation-pi interactions between solvent cations and DNA bases in a set of high resolution x-ray crystal structures. Specifically, we found that monovalent cations (Tl⁺) and the polarized first hydration shell waters of divalent cations (Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺) form cation-pi interactions with DNA bases stabilizing unstacked conformations. When these cation-pi interactions are combined with electrostatic interactions a pattern of specific binding motifs is formed within the grooves.

Control of DNA minor groove width and Fis protein binding by the purine 2-amino group

The width of the DNA minor groove varies with sequence and can be a major determinant of DNA shape recognition by proteins. For example, the minor groove within the center of the Fis–DNA complex narrows to about half the mean minor groove width of canonical B-form DNA to fit onto the protein surface. G/C base pairs within this segment, which is not contacted by the Fis protein, reduce binding affinities up to 2000-fold over A/T-rich sequences. We show here through multiple X-ray structures and binding properties of Fis–DNA complexes containing base analogs that the 2-amino group on guanine is the primary molecular determinant controlling minor groove widths. Molecular dynamics simulations of free-DNA targets with canonical and modified bases further demonstrate that sequence-dependent narrowing of minor groove widths is modulated almost entirely by the presence of purine 2-amino groups. We also provide evidence that protein-mediated phosphate neutralization facilitates minor groove compression and is particularly important for binding to non-optimally shaped DNA duplexes.

K(+) , Na(+) , and Mg(2+) on DNA translocation in silicon nitride nanopores

In this work, we report on how salt concentration and cation species affect DNA translocation in voltage-biased silicon nitride nanopores. The translocation of dsDNA in linear, circular, and supercoiled forms was measured in salt solutions containing KCl, NaCl, and MgCl(2) . As the KCl concentrations were decreased from 1 to 0.1 M, the time taken by a DNA molecule to pass through a nanopore was shorter and the frequency of the translocation in a folded configuration was reduced, suggesting an increase in DNA electrophoretic mobility and DNA persistence length. When the salt concentration was kept at 1 M, but replacing K(+) with Na(+) , longer DNA translocation times (t(d) ) were observed. The addition of low concentrations of MgCl(2) with 1.6 M KCl resulted in longer t(d) and an increased frequency of supercoiled DNA molecules in a branched form. These observations were consistent with the greater counterion charge screening ability of Na(+) and Mg(2+) as compared to K(+) . In addition, we demonstrated that dsDNA molecules indeed translocated through a ∼10 nm nanopore by PCR amplification and gel electrophoresis. We also compared the dependence of DNA mobility and conformation on KCl concentration and cation species measured at single molecule level by silicon nitride nanopores with existing bulk-based experimental results and theoretical predictions.

Indirect readout of DNA sequence by p22 repressor: roles of DNA and protein functional groups in modulating DNA conformation

The repressor of bacteriophage P22 (P22R) discriminates between its various DNA binding sites by sensing the identity of non-contacted base pairs at the center of its binding site. The "indirect readout" of these non-contacted bases is apparently based on DNA's sequence-dependent conformational preferences. The structures of P22R-DNA complexes indicate that the non-contacted base pairs at the center of the binding site are in the B' state. This finding suggests that indirect readout and therefore binding site discrimination depend on P22R's ability to either sense and/or impose the B' state on the non-contacted bases of its binding sites. We show here that the affinity of binding sites for P22R depends on the tendency of the central bases to assume the B'-DNA state. Furthermore, we identify functional groups in the minor groove of the non-contacted bases as the essential modulators of indirect readout by P22R. In P22R-DNA complexes, the negatively charged E44 and E48 residues are provocatively positioned near the negatively charged DNA phosphates of the non-contacted nucleotides. The close proximity of the negatively charged groups on protein and DNA suggests that electrostatics may play a key role in the indirect readout process. Changing either of two negatively charged residues to uncharged residues eliminates the ability of P22R to impose structural changes on DNA and to recognize non-contacted base sequence. These findings suggest that these negatively charged amino acids function to force the P22R-bound DNA into the B' state and therefore play a key role in indirect readout by P22R.

Gas-phase hydration thermochemistry of sodiated and potassiated nucleic acid bases

Hydration reactions of sodiated and potassiated nucleic acid bases (uracil, thymine, cytosine, and adenine) produced by electrospray have been studied in a gas phase using the pulsed ion-beam high-pressure mass spectrometer. The thermochemical properties, ΔH(o)(n), ΔS(o)(n), and ΔG(o)(n), for the hydrated systems were obtained from hydration equilibrium measurement. The structural aspects of the hydrated complexes are discussed in conjunction with available literature data. The correlation between water binding energies in the hydrated complexes and the corresponding metal ion affinities of nucleobases suggests that a significant (if not dominant) amount of the canonical structure of cytosine undergoes tautomerization during electrospray ionization, and the thermochemical values for cationized cytosine probably correspond to a mixture of tautomeric complexes.

Structures and physical properties of gaseous metal cationized biological ions

Metal chelation can alter the activity of free biomolecules by modifying their structures or stabilizing higher energy tautomers. In recent years, mass spectrometric techniques have been used to investigate the effects of metal complexation with proteins, nucleobases and nucleotides, where small conformational changes can have significant physiological consequences. In particular, infrared multiple photon dissociation spectroscopy has emerged as an important tool for determining the structure and reactivity of gas-phase ions. Unlike other mass spectrometric approaches, this method is able to directly resolve structural isomers using characteristic vibrational signatures. Other activation and dissociation methods, such as blackbody infrared radiative dissociation or collision-induced dissociation can also reveal information about the thermochemistry and dissociative pathways of these biological ions. This information can then be used to provide information about the structures of the ionic complexes under study. In this article, we review the use of gas-phase techniques in characterizing metal-bound biomolecules. Particular attention will be given to our own contributions, which detail the ability of metal cations to disrupt nucleobase pairs, direct the self-assembly of nucleobase clusters and stabilize non-canonical isomers of amino acids.

Characterization of metal ion-nucleic acid interactions in solution

Metal ions are inextricably involved with nucleic acids due to their polyanionic nature. In order to understand the structure and function of RNAs and DNAs, one needs to have detailed pictures on the structural, thermodynamic, and kinetic properties of metal ion interactions with these biomacromolecules. In this review we first compile the physicochemical properties of metal ions found and used in combination with nucleic acids in solution. The main part then describes the various methods developed over the past decades to investigate metal ion binding by nucleic acids in solution. This includes for example hydrolytic and radical cleavage experiments, mutational approaches, as well as kinetic isotope effects. In addition, spectroscopic techniques like EPR, lanthanide(III) luminescence, IR and Raman as well as various NMR methods are summarized. Aside from gaining knowledge about the thermodynamic properties on the metal ion-nucleic acid interactions, especially NMR can be used to extract information on the kinetics of ligand exchange rates of the metal ions applied. The final section deals with the influence of anions, buffers, and the solvent permittivity on the binding equilibria between metal ions and nucleic acids. Little is known on some of these aspects, but it is clear that these three factors have a large influence on the interaction between metal ions and nucleic acids.

Nucleic acid-metal ion interactions in the solid state

Metal ions play a key role in nucleic acid structure and activity. Elucidation of the rules that govern the binding of metal ions is therefore an essential step for better understanding of the nucleic acid functions. This review is as an update to a preceding one (Metal Ions Biol. Syst., 1996, 32, 91-134), in which we offered a general view of metal ion interactions with mono-, di-, tri-, and oligonucleotides in the solid state, based on their crystal structures reported before 1994. In this chapter, we survey all the crystal structures of metal ion complexes with nucleotides involving oligonucleotides reported after 1994 and we have tried to uncover new characteristic metal bonding patterns for mononucleotides and oligonucleotides with A-RNA and A/B/Z-DNA fragments that form duplexes. We do not cover quadruplexes, duplexes with metal-mediated base-pairs, tRNAs, rRNAs in ribosome, ribozymes, and nucleic acid-drug and -protein complexes. Factors that affect metal binding to mononucleotides and oligonucleotide duplexes are also dealt with.

B-DNA structure is intrinsically polymorphic: even at the level of base pair positions

Increasingly exact measurement of single crystal X-ray diffraction data offers detailed characterization of DNA conformation, hydration and electrostatics. However, instead of providing a more clear and unambiguous image of DNA, highly accurate diffraction data reveal polymorphism of the DNA atomic positions and conformation and hydration. Here we describe an accurate X-ray structure of B-DNA, painstakingly fit to a multistate model that contains multiple competing positions of most of the backbone and of entire base pairs. Two of ten base-pairs of CCAGGCCTGG are in multiple states distinguished primarily by differences in slide. Similarly, all the surrounding ions are seen to fractionally occupy discrete competing and overlapping sites. And finally, the vast majority of water molecules show strong evidence of multiple competing sites. Conventional resolution appears to give a false sense of homogeneity in conformation and interactions of DNA. In addition, conventional resolution yields an average structure that is not accurate, in that it is different from any of the multiple discrete structures observed at high resolution. Because base pair positional heterogeneity has not always been incorporated into model-building, even some high and ultrahigh-resolution structures of DNA do not indicate the full extent of conformational polymorphism.

Altering the electrostatic potential in the major groove: thermodynamic and structural characterization of 7-deaza-2'-deoxyadenosine:dT base pairing in DNA

As part of an ongoing effort to explore the effect of major groove electrostatics on the thermodynamic stability and structure of DNA, a 7-deaza-2′-deoxyadenosine:dT (7-deaza-dA:dT) base pair in the Dickerson–Drew dodecamer (DDD) was studied. The removal of the electronegative N7 atom on dA and the replacement with an electropositive C–H in the major groove was expected to have a significant effect on major groove electrostatics. The structure of the 7-deaza-dA:dT base pair was determined at 1.1 Å resolution in the presence of Mg²⁺. The 7-deaza-dA, which is isosteric for dA, had minimal effect on the base pairing geometry and the conformation of the DDD in the crystalline state. There was no major groove cation association with the 7-deaza-dA heterocycle. In solution, circular dichroism showed a positive Cotton effect centered at 280 nm and a negative Cotton effect centered at 250 nm that were characteristic of a right-handed helix in the B-conformation. However, temperature-dependent NMR studies showed increased exchange between the thymine N3 imino proton of the 7-deaza-dA:dT base pair and water, suggesting reduced stacking interactions and an increased rate of base pair opening. This correlated with the observed thermodynamic destabilization of the 7-deaza-dA modified duplex relative to the DDD. A combination of UV melting and differential scanning calorimetry experiments were conducted to evaluate the relative contributions of enthalpy and entropy in the thermodynamic destabilization of the DDD. The most significant contribution arose from an unfavorable enthalpy term, which probably results from less favorable stacking interactions in the modified duplex, which was accompanied by a significant reduction in the release of water and cations from the 7-deaza-dA modified DNA.

NMR cross-correlated relaxation rates reveal ion coordination sites in DNA

In this work, a novel NMR method for the identification of preferential coordination sites between physiologically relevant counterions and nucleic acid bases is demonstrated. In this approach, the NMR cross-correlated relaxation rates between the aromatic carbon chemical shift anisotropy and the proton-carbon dipolar interaction are monitored as a function of increasing Na(+), K(+), and Mg(2+) concentrations. Increasing the counterion concentration modulates the residence times of the counterions at specific sites around the nucleic acid bases. It is demonstrated that the modulation of the counterion concentration leads to sizable variations of the cross-correlated relaxation rates, which can be used to probe the site-specific counterion coordination. In parallel, the very same measurements report on the rotational tumbling of DNA, which, as shown here, depends on the nature of the ion and its concentration. This methodology is highly sensitive and easily implemented. The method can be used to cross-validate and/or complement direct but artifact-prone experimental techniques such as X-ray diffraction, NMR analysis with substitutionary ions, and molecular dynamics simulations. The feasibility of this technique is demonstrated on the extraordinarily stable DNA mini-hairpin d(GCGAAGC).

Divalent metal cation speciation and binding to surface-bound oligonucleotide single strands studied by second harmonic generation

The binding of Sr(II), Ca(II), Mg(II), Ba(II), Mn(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II) to silica/water interfaces functionalized with A(15)T(6) oligonucleotides was quantified at pH 7 and 10 mM NaCl using the Eisenthal χ((3)) technique. The binding free energies range from -31.1(6) kJ/mol for Ba(II) to -33.8(4) kJ/mol for Ca(II). The ion densities were found to range from 2(1) ions/strand for Zn(II) to 11(1) ions/strand for Cd(II). Additionally, we quantified Mg(II) binding in the presence of varying background electrolyte concentrations which showed that the binding free energies changed in a linear fashion from -39.3(8) to -27(1) kJ/mol over the electrolyte concentration range of 1-80 mM, respectively. An adsorption free energy versus interfacial potential analysis allowed us to elucidate the speciation of the bound Mg(II) ions and to identify three possible binding pathways. Our findings suggest that Mg(II) binds as a fully hydrated divalent cation, most likely displacing DNA-bound Na ions. These measurements will serve as a benchmark for computer simulations of divalent metal cation/DNA interactions for geochemical and biosensing applications.

Nucleosome structural studies

Chromatin plays a fundamental role in eukaryotic genomic regulation, and the increasing awareness of the importance of epigenetic processes in human health and disease emphasizes the need for understanding the structure and function of the nucleosome. Recent advances in chromatin structural studies, including the first structures of nucleosomes containing the Widom 601 sequence and the structure of a chromatin protein-nucleosome assembly, have provided new insight into stretching of nucleosomal DNA, nucleosome positioning, binding of metal ions, drugs and therapeutic candidates to nucleosomes, and nucleosome recognition by nuclear proteins. These discoveries ensure promising future prospects for unravelling structural attributes of chromatin.

On the molecular basis of uracil recognition in DNA: comparative study of T-A versus U-A structure, dynamics and open base pair kinetics

Uracil (U) can be found in DNA as a mismatch paired either to adenine (A) or to guanine (G). Removal of U from DNA is performed by a class of enzymes known as uracil–DNA–glycosylases (UDG). Recent studies suggest that recognition of U–A and U–G mismatches by UDG takes place via an extra-helical mechanism. In this work, we use molecular dynamics simulations to analyze the structure, dynamics and open base pair kinetics of U–A base pairs relative to their natural T–A counterpart in 12 dodecamers. Our results show that the presence of U does not alter the local conformation of B-DNA. Breathing dynamics and base pair closing kinetics are only weakly dependent on the presence of U versus T, with open T–A and U–A pairs lifetimes in the nanosecond timescale. Additionally, we observed spontaneous base flipping in U–A pairs. We analyze the structure and dynamics for this event and compare the results to available crystallographic data of open base pair conformations. Our results are in agreement with both structural and kinetic data derived from NMR imino proton exchange measurements, providing the first detailed description at the molecular level of elusive events such as spontaneous base pair opening and flipping in mismatched U–A sequences in DNA. Based on these results, we propose that base pair flipping can occur spontaneously at room temperature via a 3-step mechanism with an open base pair intermediate. Implications for the molecular basis of U recognition by UDG are discussed.