1
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Mondal S, Mukherjee S, Bagchi B. Melting and Bubble Formation in a Double-Stranded DNA: Microscopic Aspects of Early Base-Pair Opening Events and the Role of Water. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:2076-2086. [PMID: 38389118 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c06519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Despite its rigid structure, DNA is a remarkably flexible molecule. Flexibility is essential for biological functions (such as transcription and gene repair), which require large-amplitude structural changes such as bubble formation. The bubbles thus formed are required to have a certain stability of their own and survive long on the time scale of molecular motions. A molecular understanding of fluctuations leading to quasi-stable structures is not available. Through extensive atomistic molecular dynamics simulations, we identify a sequence of microscopic events that culminate in local bubble formation, which is initiated by base-pair (BP) opening, resulting from the cleavage of native BP hydrogen bonds (HBs). This is followed by the formation of mismatched BPs with non-native contacts. These metastable structures can either revert to their original forms or undergo a flipping transition to form a local bubble that can span across 3-4 BPs. A substantial distortion of the DNA backbone and a disruption of BP stacking are observed because of the structural changes induced by these local perturbations. We also explored how water helps in the entire process. A small number of water molecules undergo rearrangement to stabilize the intermediate states by forming HBs with DNA bases. Water thus acts as a lubricant that counteracts the enthalpic penalty suffered from the loss of native BP contacts. Although the process of bubble formation is reversible, the sequence of steps involved poses an entropic barrier, preventing it from easily retracing the path to the native state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayantan Mondal
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Saumyak Mukherjee
- Center for Theoretical Chemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, Bochum D-44780, Germany
| | - Biman Bagchi
- Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka 560012, India
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2
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Smirnov E, Molínová P, Chmúrčiaková N, Vacík T, Cmarko D. Non-canonical DNA structures in the human ribosomal DNA. Histochem Cell Biol 2023; 160:499-515. [PMID: 37750997 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-023-02233-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Non-canonical structures (NCS) refer to the various forms of DNA that differ from the B-conformation described by Watson and Crick. It has been found that these structures are usual components of the genome, actively participating in its essential functions. The present review is focused on the nine kinds of NCS appearing or likely to appear in human ribosomal DNA (rDNA): supercoiling structures, R-loops, G-quadruplexes, i-motifs, DNA triplexes, cruciform structures, DNA bubbles, and A and Z DNA conformations. We discuss the conditions of their generation, including their sequence specificity, distribution within the locus, dynamics, and beneficial and detrimental role in the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeny Smirnov
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Pavla Molínová
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Nikola Chmúrčiaková
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Vacík
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Dušan Cmarko
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
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3
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Bartas M, Slychko K, Červeň J, Pečinka P, Arndt-Jovin DJ, Jovin TM. Extensive Bioinformatics Analyses Reveal a Phylogenetically Conserved Winged Helix (WH) Domain (Zτ) of Topoisomerase IIα, Elucidating Its Very High Affinity for Left-Handed Z-DNA and Suggesting Novel Putative Functions. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10740. [PMID: 37445918 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The dynamic processes operating on genomic DNA, such as gene expression and cellular division, lead inexorably to topological challenges in the form of entanglements, catenanes, knots, "bubbles", R-loops, and other outcomes of supercoiling and helical disruption. The resolution of toxic topological stress is the function attributed to DNA topoisomerases. A prominent example is the negative supercoiling (nsc) trailing processive enzymes such as DNA and RNA polymerases. The multiple equilibrium states that nscDNA can adopt by redistribution of helical twist and writhe include the left-handed double-helical conformation known as Z-DNA. Thirty years ago, one of our labs isolated a protein from Drosophila cells and embryos with a 100-fold greater affinity for Z-DNA than for B-DNA, and identified it as topoisomerase II (gene Top2, orthologous to the human UniProt proteins TOP2A and TOP2B). GTP increased the affinity and selectivity for Z-DNA even further and also led to inhibition of the isomerase enzymatic activity. An allosteric mechanism was proposed, in which topoII acts as a Z-DNA-binding protein (ZBP) to stabilize given states of topological (sub)domains and associated multiprotein complexes. We have now explored this possibility by comprehensive bioinformatic analyses of the available protein sequences of topoII representing organisms covering the whole tree of life. Multiple alignment of these sequences revealed an extremely high level of evolutionary conservation, including a winged-helix protein segment, here denoted as Zτ, constituting the putative structural homolog of Zα, the canonical Z-DNA/Z-RNA binding domain previously identified in the interferon-inducible RNA Adenosine-to-Inosine-editing deaminase, ADAR1p150. In contrast to Zα, which is separate from the protein segment responsible for catalysis, Zτ encompasses the active site tyrosine of topoII; a GTP-binding site and a GxxG sequence motif are in close proximity. Quantitative Zτ-Zα similarity comparisons and molecular docking with interaction scoring further supported the "B-Z-topoII hypothesis" and has led to an expanded mechanism for topoII function incorporating the recognition of Z-DNA segments ("Z-flipons") as an inherent and essential element. We further propose that the two Zτ domains of the topoII homodimer exhibit a single-turnover "conformase" activity on given G(ate) B-DNA segments ("Z-flipins"), inducing their transition to the left-handed Z-conformation. Inasmuch as the topoII-Z-DNA complexes are isomerase inactive, we infer that they fulfill important structural roles in key processes such as mitosis. Topoisomerases are preeminent targets of anti-cancer drug discovery, and we anticipate that detailed elucidation of their structural-functional interactions with Z-DNA and GTP will facilitate the design of novel, more potent and selective anti-cancer chemotherapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Bartas
- Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Kristyna Slychko
- Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Červeň
- Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Pečinka
- Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Donna J Arndt-Jovin
- Emeritus Laboratory of Cellular Dynamics, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas M Jovin
- Emeritus Laboratory of Cellular Dynamics, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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4
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Lu W, Onuchic JN, Di Pierro M. An associative memory Hamiltonian model for DNA and nucleosomes. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011013. [PMID: 36972316 PMCID: PMC10079229 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A model for DNA and nucleosomes is introduced with the goal of studying chromosomes from a single base level all the way to higher-order chromatin structures. This model, dubbed the Widely Editable Chromatin Model (WEChroM), reproduces the complex mechanics of the double helix including its bending persistence length and twisting persistence length, and their respective temperature dependence. The WEChroM Hamiltonian is composed of chain connectivity, steric interactions, and associative memory terms representing all remaining interactions leading to the structure, dynamics, and mechanical characteristics of the B-DNA. Several applications of this model are discussed to demonstrate its applicability. WEChroM is used to investigate the behavior of circular DNA in the presence of positive and negative supercoiling. We show that it recapitulates the formation of plectonemes and of structural defects that relax mechanical stress. The model spontaneously manifests an asymmetric behavior with respect to positive or negative supercoiling, similar to what was previously observed in experiments. Additionally, we show that the associative memory Hamiltonian is also capable of reproducing the free energy of partial DNA unwrapping from nucleosomes. WEChroM is designed to emulate the continuously variable mechanical properties of the 10nm fiber and, by virtue of its simplicity, is ready to be scaled up to molecular systems large enough to investigate the structural ensembles of genes. WEChroM is implemented in the OpenMM simulation toolkits and is freely available for public use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqi Lu
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, & Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - José N. Onuchic
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, & Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry, & Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JNO); (MDP)
| | - Michele Di Pierro
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JNO); (MDP)
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5
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Bekkouche I, Shishonin AY, Vetcher AA. Recent Development in Biomedical Applications of Oligonucleotides with Triplex-Forming Ability. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:polym15040858. [PMID: 36850142 PMCID: PMC9964087 DOI: 10.3390/polym15040858] [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: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
A DNA structure, known as triple-stranded DNA, is made up of three oligonucleotide chains that wind around one another to form a triple helix (TFO). Hoogsteen base pairing describes how triple-stranded DNA may be built at certain conditions by the attachment of the third strand to an RNA, PNA, or DNA, which might all be employed as oligonucleotide chains. In each of these situations, the oligonucleotides can be employed as an anchor, in conjunction with a specific bioactive chemical, or as a messenger that enables switching between transcription and replication through the triplex-forming zone. These data are also considered since various illnesses have been linked to the expansion of triplex-prone sequences. In light of metabolic acidosis and associated symptoms, some consideration is given to the impact of several low-molecular-weight compounds, including pH on triplex production in vivo. The review is focused on the development of biomedical oligonucleotides with triplexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Incherah Bekkouche
- Nanotechnology Scientific and Educational Center, Institute of Biochemical Technology and Nanotechnology, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN), Miklukho-Maklaya Str. 6, Moscow 117198, Russia
| | - Alexander Y. Shishonin
- Complementary and Integrative Health Clinic of Dr. Shishonin, 5, Yasnogorskaya Str., Moscow 117588, Russia
| | - Alexandre A. Vetcher
- Nanotechnology Scientific and Educational Center, Institute of Biochemical Technology and Nanotechnology, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN), Miklukho-Maklaya Str. 6, Moscow 117198, Russia
- Complementary and Integrative Health Clinic of Dr. Shishonin, 5, Yasnogorskaya Str., Moscow 117588, Russia
- Correspondence:
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6
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A 2.8 Å Structure of Zoliflodacin in a DNA Cleavage Complex with Staphylococcus aureus DNA Gyrase. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021634. [PMID: 36675148 PMCID: PMC9865888 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Since 2000, some thirteen quinolones and fluoroquinolones have been developed and have come to market. The quinolones, one of the most successful classes of antibacterial drugs, stabilize DNA cleavage complexes with DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV (topo IV), the two bacterial type IIA topoisomerases. The dual targeting of gyrase and topo IV helps decrease the likelihood of resistance developing. Here, we report on a 2.8 Å X-ray crystal structure, which shows that zoliflodacin, a spiropyrimidinetrione antibiotic, binds in the same DNA cleavage site(s) as quinolones, sterically blocking DNA religation. The structure shows that zoliflodacin interacts with highly conserved residues on GyrB (and does not use the quinolone water-metal ion bridge to GyrA), suggesting it may be more difficult for bacteria to develop target mediated resistance. We show that zoliflodacin has an MIC of 4 µg/mL against Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii), an improvement of four-fold over its progenitor QPT-1. The current phase III clinical trial of zoliflodacin for gonorrhea is due to be read out in 2023. Zoliflodacin, together with the unrelated novel bacterial topoisomerase inhibitor gepotidacin, is likely to become the first entirely novel chemical entities approved against Gram-negative bacteria in the 21st century. Zoliflodacin may also become the progenitor of a new safer class of antibacterial drugs against other problematic Gram-negative bacteria.
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7
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Waszkiewicz R, Ranasinghe M, Fogg JM, Catanese DJ, Ekiel-Jeżewska ML, Lisicki M, Demeler B, Zechiedrich L, Szymczak P. DNA supercoiling-induced shapes alter minicircle hydrodynamic properties. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.04.522747. [PMID: 36711572 PMCID: PMC9881935 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.04.522747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
DNA in cells is organized in negatively supercoiled loops. The resulting torsional and bending strain allows DNA to adopt a surprisingly wide variety of 3-D shapes. This interplay between negative supercoiling, looping, and shape influences how DNA is stored, replicated, transcribed, repaired, and likely every other aspect of DNA activity. To understand the consequences of negative supercoiling and curvature on the hydrodynamic properties of DNA, we submitted 336 bp and 672 bp DNA minicircles to analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC). We found that the diffusion coefficient, sedimentation coefficient, and the DNA hydrodynamic radius strongly depended on circularity, loop length, and degree of negative supercoiling. Because AUC cannot ascertain shape beyond degree of non-globularity, we applied linear elasticity theory to predict DNA shapes, and combined these with hydrodynamic calculations to interpret the AUC data, with reasonable agreement between theory and experiment. These complementary approaches, together with earlier electron cryotomography data, provide a framework for understanding and predicting the effects of supercoiling on the shape and hydrodynamic properties of DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radost Waszkiewicz
- Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maduni Ranasinghe
- University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Alberta, T1K3M4, Canada
| | - Jonathan M. Fogg
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Daniel J. Catanese
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005-1827, USA
| | - Maria L. Ekiel-Jeżewska
- Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, A. Pawińskiego 5B, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland,Co-contributing authors: MLE-J: , ML: , BD: , LZ: , PS:
| | - Maciej Lisicki
- Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland,Co-contributing authors: MLE-J: , ML: , BD: , LZ: , PS:
| | - Borries Demeler
- University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Alberta, T1K3M4, Canada,University of Montana, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Missoula, MT 59812, USA,Co-contributing authors: MLE-J: , ML: , BD: , LZ: , PS:
| | - Lynn Zechiedrich
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Co-contributing authors: MLE-J: , ML: , BD: , LZ: , PS:
| | - Piotr Szymczak
- Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland,Co-contributing authors: MLE-J: , ML: , BD: , LZ: , PS:
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8
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Lim W, Randisi F, Doye JPK, Louis AA. The interplay of supercoiling and thymine dimers in DNA. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:2480-2492. [PMID: 35188542 PMCID: PMC8934635 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac082] [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: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymine dimers are a major mutagenic photoproduct induced by UV radiation. While they have been the subject of extensive theoretical and experimental investigations, questions of how DNA supercoiling affects local defect properties, or, conversely, how the presence of such defects changes global supercoiled structure, are largely unexplored. Here, we introduce a model of thymine dimers in the oxDNA forcefield, parametrized by comparison to melting experiments and structural measurements of the thymine dimer induced bend angle. We performed extensive molecular dynamics simulations of double-stranded DNA as a function of external twist and force. Compared to undamaged DNA, the presence of a thymine dimer lowers the supercoiling densities at which plectonemes and bubbles occur. For biologically relevant supercoiling densities and forces, thymine dimers can preferentially segregate to the tips of the plectonemes, where they enhance the probability of a localized tip-bubble. This mechanism increases the probability of highly bent and denatured states at the thymine dimer site, which may facilitate repair enzyme binding. Thymine dimer-induced tip-bubbles also pin plectonemes, which may help repair enzymes to locate damage. We hypothesize that the interplay of supercoiling and local defects plays an important role for a wider set of DNA damage repair systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilber Lim
- Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
| | - Ferdinando Randisi
- Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
- FabricNano Limited, 192 Drummond St, London NW1 3HP, UK
| | - Jonathan P K Doye
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QZ, UK
| | - Ard A Louis
- Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
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9
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Kim M, Hong CC, Lee S, Kim JS. Dynamics of a
DNA
minicircle: Poloidal rotation and in‐plane circular vibration. B KOREAN CHEM SOC 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/bkcs.12492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Minjung Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience Ewha Womans University Seoul South Korea
| | - Chi Cheng Hong
- Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience Ewha Womans University Seoul South Korea
- School of Chemistry University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Saeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience Ewha Womans University Seoul South Korea
| | - Jun Soo Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience Ewha Womans University Seoul South Korea
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10
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Searching for New Z-DNA/Z-RNA Binding Proteins Based on Structural Similarity to Experimentally Validated Zα Domain. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23020768. [PMID: 35054954 PMCID: PMC8775963 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Z-DNA and Z-RNA are functionally important left-handed structures of nucleic acids, which play a significant role in several molecular and biological processes including DNA replication, gene expression regulation and viral nucleic acid sensing. Most proteins that have been proven to interact with Z-DNA/Z-RNA contain the so-called Zα domain, which is structurally well conserved. To date, only eight proteins with Zα domain have been described within a few organisms (including human, mouse, Danio rerio, Trypanosoma brucei and some viruses). Therefore, this paper aimed to search for new Z-DNA/Z-RNA binding proteins in the complete PDB structures database and from the AlphaFold2 protein models. A structure-based similarity search found 14 proteins with highly similar Zα domain structure in experimentally-defined proteins and 185 proteins with a putative Zα domain using the AlphaFold2 models. Structure-based alignment and molecular docking confirmed high functional conservation of amino acids involved in Z-DNA/Z-RNA, suggesting that Z-DNA/Z-RNA recognition may play an important role in a variety of cellular processes.
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11
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Watson G, Velasco-Berrelleza V, Noy A. Atomistic Molecular Dynamics Simulations of DNA in Complex 3D Arrangements for Comparison with Lower Resolution Structural Experiments. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2476:95-109. [PMID: 35635699 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2221-6_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Atomic-level computer simulations are a very useful tool for describing the structure and dynamics of complex biomolecules such as DNA and for providing detail at a resolution where experimental techniques cannot arrive. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of mechanically distorted DNA caused by agents like supercoiling and protein binding are computationally challenging due to the large size of the associated systems and timescales. However, nowadays they are achievable thanks to the efficient usage of GPU and to the improvements of continuum solvation models. This together with the concurrent improvements in the resolution of single-molecule experiments, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), makes possible the convergence between the two. Here we present detailed protocols for doing so: for performing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of DNA adopting complex three-dimensional arrangements and for comparing the outcome of the calculations with single-molecule experimental data with a lower resolution than atomic.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Watson
- Department of Physics, University of York, Heslington, York, UK
| | | | - Agnes Noy
- Department of Physics, University of York, Heslington, York, UK.
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12
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Watson GD, Chan EW, Leake MC, Noy A. Structural interplay between DNA-shape protein recognition and supercoiling: The case of IHF. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:5264-5274. [PMID: 36212531 PMCID: PMC9519438 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
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13
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Kim M, Bae S, Oh I, Yoo J, Kim JS. Sequence-dependent twist-bend coupling in DNA minicircles. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:20186-20196. [PMID: 34847218 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr04672a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Looping of double-stranded DNA molecules with 100-200 base pairs into minicircles, catenanes, and rotaxanes has been suggested as a potential tool for DNA nanotechnologies. However, sharp DNA bending into a minicircle with a diameter of several to ten nanometers occurs with alterations in the DNA helical structure and may lead to defective kink formation that hampers the use of DNA minicircles, catenanes, and rotaxanes in nanoscale DNA applications. Here, we investigated local variations of a helical twist in sharply bent DNA using microsecond-long all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of six different DNA minicircles, focusing on the sequence dependence of the coupling between DNA bending and its helical twist. Twist angles between consecutive base pairs were analyzed at different locations relative to the direction of DNA bending and, among 10 unique dinucleotide steps, we identified four dinucleotide steps with strong twist-bend coupling, the pyrimidine-purine dinucleotide steps of TA/TA, CG/CG, and CA/TG and the purine-purine dinucleotide step of GA/TC. This work suggests the sequence-dependent structural responses of DNA to strong mechanical deformation, providing new molecular-level insights into the structure and stability of sharply bent DNA minicircles for nanoscale applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minjung Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sehui Bae
- Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea.
| | - Inrok Oh
- LG Chem Ltd, LG Science Park, Seoul 07796, Republic of Korea
| | - Jejoong Yoo
- Department of Physics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Soo Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea.
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14
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Fogg JM, Judge AK, Stricker E, Chan HL, Zechiedrich L. Supercoiling and looping promote DNA base accessibility and coordination among distant sites. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5683. [PMID: 34584096 PMCID: PMC8478907 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25936-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA in cells is supercoiled and constrained into loops and this supercoiling and looping influence every aspect of DNA activity. We show here that negative supercoiling transmits mechanical stress along the DNA backbone to disrupt base pairing at specific distant sites. Cooperativity among distant sites localizes certain sequences to superhelical apices. Base pair disruption allows sharp bending at superhelical apices, which facilitates DNA writhing to relieve torsional strain. The coupling of these processes may help prevent extensive denaturation associated with genomic instability. Our results provide a model for how DNA can form short loops, which are required for many essential processes, and how cells may use DNA loops to position nicks to facilitate repair. Furthermore, our results reveal a complex interplay between site-specific disruptions to base pairing and the 3-D conformation of DNA, which influences how genomes are stored, replicated, transcribed, repaired, and many other aspects of DNA activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Fogg
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Houston, TX, USA
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Allison K Judge
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Erik Stricker
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hilda L Chan
- Graduate Program in Immunology and Microbiology, Houston, TX, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lynn Zechiedrich
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Houston, TX, USA.
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Houston, TX, USA.
- Graduate Program in Immunology and Microbiology, Houston, TX, USA.
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15
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Abstract
DNA dynamics can only be understood by taking into account its complex mechanical behavior at different length scales. At the micrometer level, the mechanical properties of single DNA molecules have been well-characterized by polymer models and are commonly quantified by a persistence length of 50 nm (~150 bp). However, at the base pair level (~3.4 Å), the dynamics of DNA involves complex molecular mechanisms that are still being deciphered. Here, we review recent single-molecule experiments and molecular dynamics simulations that are providing novel insights into DNA mechanics from such a molecular perspective. We first discuss recent findings on sequence-dependent DNA mechanical properties, including sequences that resist mechanical stress and sequences that can accommodate strong deformations. We then comment on the intricate effects of cytosine methylation and DNA mismatches on DNA mechanics. Finally, we review recently reported differences in the mechanical properties of DNA and double-stranded RNA, the other double-helical carrier of genetic information. A thorough examination of the recent single-molecule literature permits establishing a set of general 'rules' that reasonably explain the mechanics of nucleic acids at the base pair level. These simple rules offer an improved description of certain biological systems and might serve as valuable guidelines for future design of DNA and RNA nanostructures.
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16
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Pyne ALB, Noy A, Main KHS, Velasco-Berrelleza V, Piperakis MM, Mitchenall LA, Cugliandolo FM, Beton JG, Stevenson CEM, Hoogenboom BW, Bates AD, Maxwell A, Harris SA. Base-pair resolution analysis of the effect of supercoiling on DNA flexibility and major groove recognition by triplex-forming oligonucleotides. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1053. [PMID: 33594049 PMCID: PMC7887228 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21243-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the cell, DNA is arranged into highly-organised and topologically-constrained (supercoiled) structures. It remains unclear how this supercoiling affects the detailed double-helical structure of DNA, largely because of limitations in spatial resolution of the available biophysical tools. Here, we overcome these limitations, by a combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, to resolve structures of negatively-supercoiled DNA minicircles at base-pair resolution. We observe that negative superhelical stress induces local variation in the canonical B-form DNA structure by introducing kinks and defects that affect global minicircle structure and flexibility. We probe how these local and global conformational changes affect DNA interactions through the binding of triplex-forming oligonucleotides to DNA minicircles. We show that the energetics of triplex formation is governed by a delicate balance between electrostatics and bonding interactions. Our results provide mechanistic insight into how DNA supercoiling can affect molecular recognition, that may have broader implications for DNA interactions with other molecular species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice L B Pyne
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
- London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Agnes Noy
- Department of Physics, Biological Physical Sciences Institute, University of York, York, UK.
| | - Kavit H S Main
- London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, London, UK
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Michael M Piperakis
- Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
- Department of Chemistry, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, UK
| | | | - Fiorella M Cugliandolo
- Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
- Department of Pathology, Division of Immunology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Joseph G Beton
- London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Crystallography, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | | | - Bart W Hoogenboom
- London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew D Bates
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Anthony Maxwell
- Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
| | - Sarah A Harris
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
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17
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Babamohammadi S, Lillian TD. Traveling Salesman Finds Random Walk: A Curve Reconstruction Algorithm for Supercoiled DNA. Biophys J 2020; 119:2517-2523. [PMID: 33217387 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.10.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA supercoiling plays an important role in a variety of cellular processes, including transcription, replication, and DNA compaction. To fully understand these processes, we must uncover and characterize the dynamics of supercoiled DNA. However, supercoil dynamics are difficult to access because of the wide range of relevant length and timescales. In this work, we present an algorithm to reconstruct the arrangement of identical fluorescent particles distributed around a circular DNA molecule, given their three-dimensional trajectories through time. We find that this curve reconstruction problem is analogous to solving the traveling salesman problem. We demonstrate that our approach converges to the correct arrangement with a sufficiently long observation time. In addition, we show that the time required to accurately reconstruct the fluorophore arrangement is reduced by increasing the fluorophore density or reducing the level of supercoiling. This curve reconstruction algorithm, when paired with next-generation super-resolution imaging systems, could be used to access and thereby advance our understanding of supercoil dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeed Babamohammadi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Semnan, Iran
| | - Todd D Lillian
- William B. Burnsed, Jr. Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama.
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18
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Abstract
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Molecular association of proteins with nucleic
acids is required
for many biological processes essential to life. Electrostatic interactions
via ion pairs (salt bridges) of nucleic acid phosphates and protein
side chains are crucial for proteins to bind to DNA or RNA. Counterions
around the macromolecules are also key constituents for the thermodynamics
of protein–nucleic acid association. Until recently, there
had been only a limited amount of experiment-based information about
how ions and ionic moieties behave in biological macromolecular processes.
In the past decade, there has been significant progress in quantitative
experimental research on ionic interactions with nucleic acids and
their complexes with proteins. The highly negatively charged surfaces
of DNA and RNA electrostatically attract and condense cations, creating
a zone called the ion atmosphere. Recent experimental studies were
able to examine and validate theoretical models on ions and their
mobility and interactions with macromolecules. The ionic interactions
are highly dynamic. The counterions rapidly diffuse within the ion
atmosphere. Some of the ions are released from the ion atmosphere
when proteins bind to nucleic acids, balancing the charge via intermolecular
ion pairs of positively charged side chains and negatively charged
backbone phosphates. Previously, the release of counterions had been
implicated indirectly by the salt-concentration dependence of the
association constant. Recently, direct detection of counterion
release by NMR spectroscopy
has become possible and enabled more accurate and quantitative analysis
of the counterion release and its entropic impact on the thermodynamics
of protein–nucleic acid association. Recent studies also revealed
the dynamic nature of ion pairs of protein side chains and nucleic
acid phosphates. These ion pairs undergo transitions between two major
states. In one of the major states, the cation and the anion are in
direct contact and form hydrogen bonds. In the other major state,
the cation and the anion are separated by water. Transitions between
these states rapidly occur on a picosecond to nanosecond time scale.
When proteins interact with nucleic acids, interfacial arginine (Arg)
and lysine (Lys) side chains exhibit considerably different behaviors.
Arg side chains show a higher propensity to form rigid contacts with
nucleotide bases, whereas Lys side chains tend to be more mobile at
the molecular interfaces. The dynamic ionic interactions may facilitate
adaptive molecular recognition and play both thermodynamic and kinetic
roles in protein–nucleic acid interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binhan Yu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-1068, United States
| | - B. Montgomery Pettitt
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-1068, United States
| | - Junji Iwahara
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-1068, United States
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19
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Travers A, Muskhelishvili G. Chromosomal Organization and Regulation of Genetic Function in Escherichia coli Integrates the DNA Analog and Digital Information. EcoSal Plus 2020; 9:10.1128/ecosalplus.ESP-0016-2019. [PMID: 32056535 PMCID: PMC11168577 DOI: 10.1128/ecosalplus.esp-0016-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In this article, we summarize our current understanding of the bacterial genetic regulation brought about by decades of studies using the Escherichia coli model. It became increasingly evident that the cellular genetic regulation system is organizationally closed, and a major challenge is to describe its circular operation in quantitative terms. We argue that integration of the DNA analog information (i.e., the probability distribution of the thermodynamic stability of base steps) and digital information (i.e., the probability distribution of unique triplets) in the genome provides a key to understanding the organizational logic of genetic control. During bacterial growth and adaptation, this integration is mediated by changes of DNA supercoiling contingent on environmentally induced shifts in intracellular ionic strength and energy charge. More specifically, coupling of dynamic alterations of the local intrinsic helical repeat in the structurally heterogeneous DNA polymer with structural-compositional changes of RNA polymerase holoenzyme emerges as a fundamental organizational principle of the genetic regulation system. We present a model of genetic regulation integrating the genomic pattern of DNA thermodynamic stability with the gene order and function along the chromosomal OriC-Ter axis, which acts as a principal coordinate system organizing the regulatory interactions in the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Travers
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
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20
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Xia Y, Zheng KW, He YD, Liu HH, Wen CJ, Hao YH, Tan Z. Transmission of dynamic supercoiling in linear and multi-way branched DNAs and its regulation revealed by a fluorescent G-quadruplex torsion sensor. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:7418-7424. [PMID: 29982790 PMCID: PMC6101514 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA supercoiling is an important regulator of gene activity. The transmission of transcription-generated supercoiling wave along a DNA helix provides a way for a gene being transcribed to communicate with and regulate its neighboring genes. Currently, the dynamic behavior of supercoiling transmission remains unclear owing to the lack of a suitable tool for detecting the dynamics of supercoiling transmission. In this work, we established a torsion sensor that quantitatively monitors supercoiling transmission in real time in DNA. Using this sensor, we studied the transmission of transcriptionally generated negative supercoiling in linear and multi-way DNA duplexes. We found that transcription-generated dynamic supercoiling not only transmits along linear DNA duplex but also equally diverges at and proceeds through multi-way DNA junctions. We also show that such a process is regulated by DNA–protein interactions and non-canonical DNA structures in the path of supercoiling transmission. These results imply a transcription-coupled mechanism of dynamic supercoiling-mediated intra- and inter-chromosomal signal transduction pathway and their regulation in DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P.R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P.R. China
| | - Ke-Wei Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P.R. China
| | - Yi-de He
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P.R. China
| | - Hong-He Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P.R. China
| | - Cui-Jiao Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P.R. China
| | - Yu-Hua Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P.R. China
| | - Zheng Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P.R. China
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21
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Zechiedrich L, Fogg JM. BIOPHYSICS MEETS GENE THERAPY: HOW EXPLORING SUPERCOILING-DEPENDENT STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN DNA LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MINIVECTOR DNA. TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION 2019; 20:427-439. [PMID: 33815681 DOI: 10.21300/20.4.2019.427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Supercoiling affects every aspect of DNA function (replication, transcription, repair, recombination, etc.), yet the vast majority of studies on DNA and crystal structures of the molecule utilize short linear duplex DNA, which cannot be supercoiled. To study how supercoiling drives DNA biology, we developed and patented methods to make milligram quantities of tiny supercoiled circles of DNA called minicircles. We used a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach, including computational simulations (both atomistic and coarse-grained), biochemical experimentation, and biophysical methods to study these minicircles. By determining the three-dimensional conformations of individual supercoiled DNA minicircles, we revealed the structural diversity of supercoiled DNA and its highly dynamic nature. We uncovered profound structural changes, including sequence-specific base-flipping (where the DNA base flips out into the solvent), bending, and denaturing in negatively supercoiled minicircles. Counterintuitively, exposed DNA bases emerged in the positively supercoiled minicircles, which may result from inside-out DNA (Pauling-like, or "P-DNA"). These structural changes strongly influence how enzymes interact with or act on DNA. We hypothesized that, because of their small size and lack of bacterial sequences, these small supercoiled DNA circles may be efficient at delivering DNA into cells for gene therapy applications. "Minivectors," as we named them for this application, have proven to have therapeutic potential. We discovered that minivectors efficiently transfect a wide range of cell types, including many clinically important cell lines that are refractory to transfection with conventional plasmid vectors. Minivectors can be aerosolized for delivery to lungs and transfect human cells in culture to express RNA or genes. Importantly, minivectors demonstrate no obvious vector-associated toxicity. Minivectors can be repeatedly delivered and are long-lasting without integrating into the genome. Requests from colleagues around the world for minicircle and minivector DNA revealed a demand for our invention. We successfully obtained start-up funding for Twister Biotech, Inc. to help fulfill this demand, providing DNA for those who needed it, with a long-term goal of developing human therapeutics. In summary, what started as a tool for studying DNA structure has taken us in new and unanticipated directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn Zechiedrich
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jonathan M Fogg
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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22
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Abstract
Supercoiling is a fundamental property of DNA, generated by polymerases and other DNA-binding proteins as a consequence of separating/bending the DNA double helix. DNA supercoiling plays a key role in gene expression and genome organization, but has proved difficult to study in eukaryotes because of the large, complex and chromatinized genomes. Key approaches to study DNA supercoiling in eukaryotes are (1) centrifugation-based or electrophoresis-based techniques in which supercoiled plasmids extracted from eukaryotic cells form a compacted writhed structure that migrates at a rate proportional to the level of DNA supercoiling; (2) in vivo approaches based on the preferential intercalation of psoralen molecules into under-wound DNA. Here, we outline the principles behind these techniques and discuss key discoveries, which have confirmed the presence and functional potential of unconstrained DNA supercoiling in eukaryotic genomes.
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23
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary C. Conley
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Truston J. Bodine
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Interdepartmental Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Andrew Chou
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Lynn Zechiedrich
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Interdepartmental Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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24
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Sutthibutpong T, Noy A, Harris S. Atomistic Molecular Dynamics Simulations of DNA Minicircle Topoisomers: A Practical Guide to Setup, Performance, and Analysis. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1431:195-219. [PMID: 27283311 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3631-1_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
While DNA supercoiling is ubiquitous in vivo, the structure of supercoiled DNA is more challenging to study experimentally than simple linear sequences because the DNA must have a closed topology in order to sustain superhelical stress. DNA minicircles, which are closed circular double-stranded DNA sequences typically containing between 60 and 500 base pairs, have proven to be useful biochemical tools for the study of supercoiled DNA mechanics. We present detailed protocols for constructing models of DNA minicircles in silico, for performing atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of supercoiled minicircle DNA, and for analyzing the results of the calculations. These simulations are computationally challenging due to the large system sizes. However, improvements in parallel computing software and hardware promise access to improve conformational sampling and simulation timescales. Given the concurrent improvements in the resolution of experimental techniques such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and cryo-electron microscopy, the study of DNA minicircles will provide a more complete understanding of both the structure and the mechanics of supercoiled DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thana Sutthibutpong
- Theoretical and Computational Science Center (TaCS), Science Laboratory Building, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut University of Technology Thonburi, 126 Pracha Uthit Road, Bang Mod, Thung Khru, Bangkok, 10140, Thailand.
| | - Agnes Noy
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Sarah Harris
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
- Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
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25
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Chromosomal organization of transcription: in a nutshell. Curr Genet 2017; 64:555-565. [PMID: 29184972 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-017-0785-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Early studies of transcriptional regulation focused on individual gene promoters defined specific transcription factors as central agents of genetic control. However, recent genome-wide data propelled a different view by linking spatially organized gene expression patterns to chromosomal dynamics. Therefore, the major problem in contemporary molecular genetics concerned with transcriptional gene regulation is to establish a unifying model that reconciles these two views. This problem, situated at the interface of polymer physics and network theory, requires development of an integrative methodology. In this review, we discuss recent achievements in classical model organism E. coli and provide some novel insights gained from studies of a bacterial plant pathogen, D. dadantii. We consider DNA topology and the basal transcription machinery as key actors of regulation, in which activation of functionally relevant genes is coupled to and coordinated with the establishment of extended chromosomal domains of coherent transcription. We argue that the spatial organization of genome plays a fundamental role in its own regulation.
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26
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Miguel-Arribas A, Hao JA, Luque-Ortega JR, Ramachandran G, Val-Calvo J, Gago-Córdoba C, González-Álvarez D, Abia D, Alfonso C, Wu LJ, Meijer WJJ. The Bacillus subtilis Conjugative Plasmid pLS20 Encodes Two Ribbon-Helix-Helix Type Auxiliary Relaxosome Proteins That Are Essential for Conjugation. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2138. [PMID: 29163424 PMCID: PMC5675868 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial conjugation is the process by which a conjugative element (CE) is transferred horizontally from a donor to a recipient cell via a connecting pore. One of the first steps in the conjugation process is the formation of a nucleoprotein complex at the origin of transfer (oriT), where one of the components of the nucleoprotein complex, the relaxase, introduces a site- and strand specific nick to initiate the transfer of a single DNA strand into the recipient cell. In most cases, the nucleoprotein complex involves, besides the relaxase, one or more additional proteins, named auxiliary proteins, which are encoded by the CE and/or the host. The conjugative plasmid pLS20 replicates in the Gram-positive Firmicute bacterium Bacillus subtilis. We have recently identified the relaxase gene and the oriT of pLS20, which are separated by a region of almost 1 kb. Here we show that this region contains two auxiliary genes that we name aux1LS20 and aux2LS20 , and which we show are essential for conjugation. Both Aux1LS20 and Aux2LS20 are predicted to contain a Ribbon-Helix-Helix DNA binding motif near their N-terminus. Analyses of the purified proteins show that Aux1LS20 and Aux2LS20 form tetramers and hexamers in solution, respectively, and that they both bind preferentially to oriTLS20 , although with different characteristics and specificities. In silico analyses revealed that genes encoding homologs of Aux1LS20 and/or Aux2LS20 are located upstream of almost 400 relaxase genes of the RelLS20 family (MOBL) of relaxases. Thus, Aux1LS20 and Aux2LS20 of pLS20 constitute the founding member of the first two families of auxiliary proteins described for CEs of Gram-positive origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Miguel-Arribas
- Department of Virology and Microbiology, Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Instituto de Biología Molecular “Eladio Viñuela” (CSIC), Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jian-An Hao
- Department of Virology and Microbiology, Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Instituto de Biología Molecular “Eladio Viñuela” (CSIC), Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- The Institute of Seawater Desalination and Multipurpose Utilization (SOA), Tianjin, China
| | | | - Gayetri Ramachandran
- Department of Virology and Microbiology, Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Instituto de Biología Molecular “Eladio Viñuela” (CSIC), Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Val-Calvo
- Department of Virology and Microbiology, Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Instituto de Biología Molecular “Eladio Viñuela” (CSIC), Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - César Gago-Córdoba
- Department of Virology and Microbiology, Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Instituto de Biología Molecular “Eladio Viñuela” (CSIC), Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel González-Álvarez
- Department of Virology and Microbiology, Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Instituto de Biología Molecular “Eladio Viñuela” (CSIC), Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Abia
- Department of Virology and Microbiology, Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Instituto de Biología Molecular “Eladio Viñuela” (CSIC), Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Alfonso
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ling J. Wu
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Wilfried J. J. Meijer
- Department of Virology and Microbiology, Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Instituto de Biología Molecular “Eladio Viñuela” (CSIC), Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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27
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Mondal A, Bhattacherjee A. Understanding the Role of DNA Topology in Target Search Dynamics of Proteins. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:9372-9381. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b08199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anupam Mondal
- School of Computational and
Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Arnab Bhattacherjee
- School of Computational and
Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
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28
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Gantchev TG, Petkov PS, Hunting DJ. Conformational rearrangement of 1,2-d(GG) intrastrand cis-diammineplatinum crosslinked DNA is driven by counter-ion penetration within the minor groove of the modified site. J Mol Model 2017; 23:278. [PMID: 28913561 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-017-3445-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The major structural aberrations of DNA induced by a cis-diammineplatinum (II) 1,2-d(GG) intrastrand cross-link (CPT) have been known for decades. To gain deeper insights into the structural dynamics of the sequence-dependent DNA distortions adjacent to the CPT adduct, we employed molecular modeling and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The structural dynamics of native (N-DNA) and cisPt 1,2-d(GG) crosslinked (CPT-DNA) in the form of symmetric 36 nt d(G2T15G*G*T15G2)●C2A15CCA15C2) oligonucleotide duplexes is compared. The selected sequence context enabled tracking of the origin of the DNA axis curvature at the YpR flexible points (N-DNA), the enhancement of axis bending, and further distortions due to steric/electrostatic perturbations arising from the CPT-crosslink. In addition to the known structural distortions of CPT-DNA: helix bend towards the major groove; local helix unwinding; high roll angle between cross-linked guanine bases; and adoption of A-form DNA on the 5'-side of the CPT-crosslink (TpG junction); our results show the existence of a singular irreversible and reproducible conformational rearrangement, not previously observed, resulting in two stable CPT-DNA1 and CPT-DNA2 conformers. The CPT-DNA2 conformation presents an enhanced DNA axis bend and a wider and shallower minor grove with increased solvent accessibility within the modified site. It is concluded that the polymorphous (unstable) DNA environment near the cisPt 1,2-d(GG) unit in synergy with specific dynamic events, such as prolonged minor groove retention of particular Na+ ions and water redistribution within the d(TG*G*T) site, together with the formation of extra and more stable H-bonds between Pt(NH3)2 amines and neighboring nucleotides, are cooperatively responsible for the initiation of the conformational rearrangement leading to the CPT-DNA2 conformer, which, surprisingly, closely resembles the HMGB1-bound CPT-DNA structure. Graphical abstract Superimposed averaged structures of normal (N-DNA, green) and cisplatin intrastrand cross-linked (CPT-DNA, orange). Global DNA axes: N-DNA (blue beads); CPT-DNA (red beads); PT (yellow sphere); crosslinked dGs viewed from the minor groove (bold).
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsvetan G Gantchev
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & Radiobiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1H 5N4, Canada. .,"Roumen Tsanev" Institute of Molecular Biology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria.
| | - Peicho St Petkov
- Department of Atomic Physics, Faculty of Physics, Sofia University, 5 James Bourchier Blvd., 1164, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Darel J Hunting
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & Radiobiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1H 5N4, Canada
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Wang Q, Irobalieva RN, Chiu W, Schmid MF, Fogg JM, Zechiedrich L, Pettitt BM. Influence of DNA sequence on the structure of minicircles under torsional stress. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:7633-7642. [PMID: 28609782 PMCID: PMC5737869 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The sequence dependence of the conformational distribution of DNA under various levels of torsional stress is an important unsolved problem. Combining theory and coarse-grained simulations shows that the DNA sequence and a structural correlation due to topology constraints of a circle are the main factors that dictate the 3D structure of a 336 bp DNA minicircle under torsional stress. We found that DNA minicircle topoisomers can have multiple bend locations under high torsional stress and that the positions of these sharp bends are determined by the sequence, and by a positive mechanical correlation along the sequence. We showed that simulations and theory are able to provide sequence-specific information about individual DNA minicircles observed by cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET). We provided a sequence-specific cryo-ET tomogram fitting of DNA minicircles, registering the sequence within the geometric features. Our results indicate that the conformational distribution of minicircles under torsional stress can be designed, which has important implications for using minicircle DNA for gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Rossitza N. Irobalieva
- Graduate Program in Structural and Computational Biology and Molecular Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Wah Chiu
- Graduate Program in Structural and Computational Biology and Molecular Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Michael F. Schmid
- Graduate Program in Structural and Computational Biology and Molecular Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jonathan M. Fogg
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX, 77030, USA
| | - Lynn Zechiedrich
- Graduate Program in Structural and Computational Biology and Molecular Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX, 77030, USA
| | - B. Montgomery Pettitt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Graduate Program in Structural and Computational Biology and Molecular Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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30
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Andrabi M, Hutchins AP, Miranda-Saavedra D, Kono H, Nussinov R, Mizuguchi K, Ahmad S. Predicting conformational ensembles and genome-wide transcription factor binding sites from DNA sequences. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4071. [PMID: 28642456 PMCID: PMC5481346 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03199-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA shape is emerging as an important determinant of transcription factor binding beyond just the DNA sequence. The only tool for large scale DNA shape estimates, DNAshape was derived from Monte-Carlo simulations and predicts four broad and static DNA shape features, Propeller twist, Helical twist, Minor groove width and Roll. The contributions of other shape features e.g. Shift, Slide and Opening cannot be evaluated using DNAshape. Here, we report a novel method DynaSeq, which predicts molecular dynamics-derived ensembles of a more exhaustive set of DNA shape features. We compared the DNAshape and DynaSeq predictions for the common features and applied both to predict the genome-wide binding sites of 1312 TFs available from protein interaction quantification (PIQ) data. The results indicate a good agreement between the two methods for the common shape features and point to advantages in using DynaSeq. Predictive models employing ensembles from individual conformational parameters revealed that base-pair opening - known to be important in strand separation - was the best predictor of transcription factor-binding sites (TFBS) followed by features employed by DNAshape. Of note, TFBS could be predicted not only from the features at the target motif sites, but also from those as far as 200 nucleotides away from the motif.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munazah Andrabi
- National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation Health and Nutrition, 7-6-8, Saito-Asagi, Ibaraki, Osaka, 5670085, Japan
- Faculty of Biology,Medicine and Health, Michael Smith Building, The University of Manchester, Dover Street, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Andrew Paul Hutchins
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology of China, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Diego Miranda-Saavedra
- World Premier International (WPI) Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC/Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford Wolfson Building, Parks Road, OXFORD, OX1 3QD, United Kingdom
| | - Hidetoshi Kono
- Molecular Modeling and Simulation (MMS) Group, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 8-1-7, Umemidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto, 619-0215, Japan
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- National Cancer Institute, Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. Frederick, Maryland, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Human Genetics, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Kenji Mizuguchi
- National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation Health and Nutrition, 7-6-8, Saito-Asagi, Ibaraki, Osaka, 5670085, Japan
| | - Shandar Ahmad
- National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation Health and Nutrition, 7-6-8, Saito-Asagi, Ibaraki, Osaka, 5670085, Japan.
- School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi, 110067, India.
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31
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Ramachandran G, Miguel-Arribas A, Abia D, Singh PK, Crespo I, Gago-Córdoba C, Hao JA, Luque-Ortega JR, Alfonso C, Wu LJ, Boer DR, Meijer WJJ. Discovery of a new family of relaxases in Firmicutes bacteria. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006586. [PMID: 28207825 PMCID: PMC5313138 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a serious global problem. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARG), which are widespread in environmental bacteria, can be transferred to pathogenic bacteria via horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Gut microbiomes are especially apt for the emergence and dissemination of ARG. Conjugation is the HGT route that is predominantly responsible for the spread of ARG. Little is known about conjugative elements of Gram-positive bacteria, including those of the phylum Firmicutes, which are abundantly present in gut microbiomes. A critical step in the conjugation process is the relaxase-mediated site- and strand-specific nick in the oriT region of the conjugative element. This generates a single-stranded DNA molecule that is transferred from the donor to the recipient cell via a connecting channel. Here we identified and characterized the relaxosome components oriT and the relaxase of the conjugative plasmid pLS20 of the Firmicute Bacillus subtilis. We show that the relaxase gene, named relLS20, is essential for conjugation, that it can function in trans and provide evidence that Tyr26 constitutes the active site residue. In vivo and in vitro analyses revealed that the oriT is located far upstream of the relaxase gene and that the nick site within oriT is located on the template strand of the conjugation genes. Surprisingly, the RelLS20 shows very limited similarity to known relaxases. However, more than 800 genes to which no function had been attributed so far are predicted to encode proteins showing significant similarity to RelLS20. Interestingly, these putative relaxases are encoded almost exclusively in Firmicutes bacteria. Thus, RelLS20 constitutes the prototype of a new family of relaxases. The identification of this novel relaxase family will have an important impact in different aspects of future research in the field of HGT in Gram-positive bacteria in general, and specifically in the phylum of Firmicutes, and in gut microbiome research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gayetri Ramachandran
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Instituto de Biología Molecular "Eladio Viñuela" (CSIC), Universidad Autónoma, Canto Blanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrés Miguel-Arribas
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Instituto de Biología Molecular "Eladio Viñuela" (CSIC), Universidad Autónoma, Canto Blanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Abia
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Instituto de Biología Molecular "Eladio Viñuela" (CSIC), Universidad Autónoma, Canto Blanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Praveen K. Singh
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Instituto de Biología Molecular "Eladio Viñuela" (CSIC), Universidad Autónoma, Canto Blanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isidro Crespo
- XALOC beamline, ALBA synchrotron Light Source, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - César Gago-Córdoba
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Instituto de Biología Molecular "Eladio Viñuela" (CSIC), Universidad Autónoma, Canto Blanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jian An Hao
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Instituto de Biología Molecular "Eladio Viñuela" (CSIC), Universidad Autónoma, Canto Blanco, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Carlos Alfonso
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ling J. Wu
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - D. Roeland Boer
- XALOC beamline, ALBA synchrotron Light Source, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Wilfried J. J. Meijer
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Instituto de Biología Molecular "Eladio Viñuela" (CSIC), Universidad Autónoma, Canto Blanco, Madrid, Spain
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32
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Chen C, Pettitt BM. DNA Shape versus Sequence Variations in the Protein Binding Process. Biophys J 2017; 110:534-544. [PMID: 26840719 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.11.3527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Revised: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The binding process of a protein with a DNA involves three stages: approach, encounter, and association. It has been known that the complexation of protein and DNA involves mutual conformational changes, especially for a specific sequence association. However, it is still unclear how the conformation and the information in the DNA sequences affects the binding process. What is the extent to which the DNA structure adopted in the complex is induced by protein binding, or is instead intrinsic to the DNA sequence? In this study, we used the multiscale simulation method to explore the binding process of a protein with DNA in terms of DNA sequence, conformation, and interactions. We found that in the approach stage the protein can bind both the major and minor groove of the DNA, but uses different features to locate the binding site. The intrinsic conformational properties of the DNA play a significant role in this binding stage. By comparing the specific DNA with the nonspecific in unbound, intermediate, and associated states, we found that for a specific DNA sequence, ∼40% of the bending in the association forms is intrinsic and that ∼60% is induced by the protein. The protein does not induce appreciable bending of nonspecific DNA. In addition, we proposed that the DNA shape variations induced by protein binding are required in the early stage of the binding process, so that the protein is able to approach, encounter, and form an intermediate at the correct site on DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanying Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - B Montgomery Pettitt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.
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33
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Seol Y, Neuman KC. The dynamic interplay between DNA topoisomerases and DNA topology. Biophys Rev 2016; 8:101-111. [PMID: 28510219 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-016-0240-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Topological properties of DNA influence its structure and biochemical interactions. Within the cell, DNA topology is constantly in flux. Transcription and other essential processes, including DNA replication and repair, not only alter the topology of the genome but also introduce additional complications associated with DNA knotting and catenation. These topological perturbations are counteracted by the action of topoisomerases, a specialized class of highly conserved and essential enzymes that actively regulate the topological state of the genome. This dynamic interplay among DNA topology, DNA processing enzymes, and DNA topoisomerases is a pervasive factor that influences DNA metabolism in vivo. Building on the extensive structural and biochemical characterization over the past four decades that has established the fundamental mechanistic basis of topoisomerase activity, scientists have begun to explore the unique roles played by DNA topology in modulating and influencing the activity of topoisomerases. In this review we survey established and emerging DNA topology-dependent protein-DNA interactions with a focus on in vitro measurements of the dynamic interplay between DNA topology and topoisomerase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeonee Seol
- Laboratory of Single Molecule Biophysics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health, 50 South Dr., Room 3517, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Keir C Neuman
- Laboratory of Single Molecule Biophysics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health, 50 South Dr., Room 3517, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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34
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Noy A, Sutthibutpong T, A Harris S. Protein/DNA interactions in complex DNA topologies: expect the unexpected. Biophys Rev 2016; 8:145-155. [PMID: 28035245 PMCID: PMC5153831 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-016-0241-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA supercoiling results in compacted DNA structures that can bring distal sites into close proximity. It also changes the local structure of the DNA, which can in turn influence the way it is recognised by drugs, other nucleic acids and proteins. Here, we discuss how DNA supercoiling and the formation of complex DNA topologies can affect the thermodynamics of DNA recognition. We then speculate on the implications for transcriptional control and the three-dimensional organisation of the genetic material, using examples from our own simulations and from the literature. We introduce and discuss the concept of coupling between the multiple length-scales associated with hierarchical nuclear structural organisation through DNA supercoiling and topology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes Noy
- Department of Physics, Biological Physical Sciences Institute, University of York, York, YO10 5DD UK
| | - Thana Sutthibutpong
- Theoretical and Computational Physics Group, Department of Physics, King Mongkut University of Technology Thonburi, 126 Pracha Uthit Road, Bang Mod, Thung Khru, Bangkok, Thailand 10140
| | - Sarah A Harris
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, 192 Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, UK LS2 9JT ; Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, 192 Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, UK LS2 9JT
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35
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Muskhelishvili G, Travers A. The regulatory role of DNA supercoiling in nucleoprotein complex assembly and genetic activity. Biophys Rev 2016; 8:5-22. [PMID: 28510220 PMCID: PMC5425797 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-016-0237-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We argue that dynamic changes in DNA supercoiling in vivo determine both how DNA is packaged and how it is accessed for transcription and for other manipulations such as recombination. In both bacteria and eukaryotes, the principal generators of DNA superhelicity are DNA translocases, supplemented in bacteria by DNA gyrase. By generating gradients of superhelicity upstream and downstream of their site of activity, translocases enable the differential binding of proteins which preferentially interact with respectively more untwisted or more writhed DNA. Such preferences enable, in principle, the sequential binding of different classes of protein and so constitute an essential driver of chromatin organization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew Travers
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK.
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36
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Sutthibutpong T, Matek C, Benham C, Slade GG, Noy A, Laughton C, K Doye JP, Louis AA, Harris SA. Long-range correlations in the mechanics of small DNA circles under topological stress revealed by multi-scale simulation. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:9121-9130. [PMID: 27664220 PMCID: PMC5100592 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 09/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well established that gene regulation can be achieved through activator and repressor proteins that bind to DNA and switch particular genes on or off, and that complex metabolic networks determine the levels of transcription of a given gene at a given time. Using three complementary computational techniques to study the sequence-dependence of DNA denaturation within DNA minicircles, we have observed that whenever the ends of the DNA are constrained, information can be transferred over long distances directly by the transmission of mechanical stress through the DNA itself, without any requirement for external signalling factors. Our models combine atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) with coarse-grained simulations and statistical mechanical calculations to span three distinct spatial resolutions and timescale regimes. While they give a consensus view of the non-locality of sequence-dependent denaturation in highly bent and supercoiled DNA loops, each also reveals a unique aspect of long-range informational transfer that occurs as a result of restraining the DNA within the closed loop of the minicircles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thana Sutthibutpong
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.,Theoretical and Computational Science Center (TaCS), Science Laboratory Building, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), 126 Pracha-Uthit Road, Bang Mod, Thrung Khru, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
| | - Christian Matek
- Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
| | - Craig Benham
- UC Davis Genome Centre, Health Sciences Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Gabriel G Slade
- Department of Physics, São Paulo State University, Rua Cristovão, São José do Rio Preto, SP 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Agnes Noy
- Department of Physics, Biological Physical Sciences Institute, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Charles Laughton
- School of Pharmacy and Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Jonathan P K Doye
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, UK
| | - Ard A Louis
- Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
| | - Sarah A Harris
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK .,Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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37
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Chan HS, Liu Z. Thermodynamics and kinetics of TopoII action: A consensus on T-segment curvature selection? Comment on “Disentangling DNA Molecules” by Alexander Vologodskii. Phys Life Rev 2016; 18:135-138. [DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2016.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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38
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Noy A, Sutthibutpong T, A Harris S. Protein/DNA interactions in complex DNA topologies: expect the unexpected. Biophys Rev 2016; 8:233-243. [PMID: 27738452 PMCID: PMC5039213 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-016-0208-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA supercoiling results in compacted DNA structures that can bring distal sites into close proximity. It also changes the local structure of the DNA, which can in turn influence the way it is recognised by drugs, other nucleic acids and proteins. Here, we discuss how DNA supercoiling and the formation of complex DNA topologies can affect the thermodynamics of DNA recognition. We then speculate on the implications for transcriptional control and the three-dimensional organisation of the genetic material, using examples from our own simulations and from the literature. We introduce and discuss the concept of coupling between the multiple length-scales associated with hierarchical nuclear structural organisation through DNA supercoiling and topology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes Noy
- Department of Physics, Biological Physical Sciences Institute, University of York, York, YO10 5DD UK
| | - Thana Sutthibutpong
- Theoretical and Computational Physics Group, Department of Physics, King Mongkut University of Technology Thonburi, 126 Pracha Uthit Road, Bang Mod, Thung Khru, Bangkok, Thailand 10140
| | - Sarah A Harris
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, 192 Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, UK LS2 9JT ; Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, 192 Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, UK LS2 9JT
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39
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Abstract
Topological properties of DNA influence its structure and biochemical interactions. Within the cell DNA topology is constantly in flux. Transcription and other essential processes including DNA replication and repair, alter the topology of the genome, while introducing additional complications associated with DNA knotting and catenation. These topological perturbations are counteracted by the action of topoisomerases, a specialized class of highly conserved and essential enzymes that actively regulate the topological state of the genome. This dynamic interplay among DNA topology, DNA processing enzymes, and DNA topoisomerases, is a pervasive factor that influences DNA metabolism in vivo. Building on the extensive structural and biochemical characterization over the past four decades that established the fundamental mechanistic basis of topoisomerase activity, the unique roles played by DNA topology in modulating and influencing the activity of topoisomerases have begun to be explored. In this review we survey established and emerging DNA topology dependent protein-DNA interactions with a focus on in vitro measurements of the dynamic interplay between DNA topology and topoisomerase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeonee Seol
- Laboratory of Single Molecule Biophysics, NHLBI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, U.S.A
| | - Keir C Neuman
- Laboratory of Single Molecule Biophysics, NHLBI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, U.S.A
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40
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Coarse-grained models for studying protein diffusion along DNA. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-COMPUTATIONAL MOLECULAR SCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/wcms.1262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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41
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Norouzi D, Katebi A, Cui F, Zhurkin VB. Topological diversity of chromatin fibers: Interplay between nucleosome repeat length, DNA linking number and the level of transcription. AIMS BIOPHYSICS 2015; 2:613-629. [PMID: 28133628 PMCID: PMC5271602 DOI: 10.3934/biophy.2015.4.613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The spatial organization of nucleosomes in 30-nm fibers remains unknown in detail. To tackle this problem, we analyzed all stereochemically possible configurations of two-start chromatin fibers with DNA linkers L = 10–70 bp (nucleosome repeat length NRL = 157–217 bp). In our model, the energy of a fiber is a sum of the elastic energy of the linker DNA, steric repulsion, electrostatics, and the H4 tail-acidic patch interaction between two stacked nucleosomes. We found two families of energetically feasible conformations of the fibers—one observed earlier, and the other novel. The fibers from the two families are characterized by different DNA linking numbers—that is, they are topologically different. Remarkably, the optimal geometry of a fiber and its topology depend on the linker length: the fibers with linkers L = 10n and 10n + 5 bp have DNA linking numbers per nucleosome ΔLk ≈ −1.5 and −1.0, respectively. In other words, the level of DNA supercoiling is directly related to the length of the inter-nucleosome linker in the chromatin fiber (and therefore, to NRL). We hypothesize that this topological polymorphism of chromatin fibers may play a role in the process of transcription, which is known to generate different levels of DNA supercoiling upstream and downstream from RNA polymerase. A genome-wide analysis of the NRL distribution in active and silent yeast genes yielded results consistent with this assumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davood Norouzi
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, NIH Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ataur Katebi
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, NIH Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Feng Cui
- Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, 85 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
| | - Victor B Zhurkin
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, NIH Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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42
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Mondal A, Bhattacherjee A. Searching target sites on DNA by proteins: Role of DNA dynamics under confinement. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:9176-86. [PMID: 26400158 PMCID: PMC4627088 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 08/15/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA-binding proteins (DBPs) rapidly search and specifically bind to their target sites on genomic DNA in order to trigger many cellular regulatory processes. It has been suggested that the facilitation of search dynamics is achieved by combining 3D diffusion with one-dimensional sliding and hopping dynamics of interacting proteins. Although, recent studies have advanced the knowledge of molecular determinants that affect one-dimensional search efficiency, the role of DNA molecule is poorly understood. In this study, by using coarse-grained simulations, we propose that dynamics of DNA molecule and its degree of confinement due to cellular crowding concertedly regulate its groove geometry and modulate the inter-communication with DBPs. Under weak confinement, DNA dynamics promotes many short, rotation-decoupled sliding events interspersed by hopping dynamics. While this results in faster 1D diffusion, associated probability of missing targets by jumping over them increases. In contrast, strong confinement favours rotation-coupled sliding to locate targets but lacks structural flexibility to achieve desired specificity. By testing under physiological crowding, our study provides a plausible mechanism on how DNA molecule may help in maintaining an optimal balance between fast hopping and rotation-coupled sliding dynamics, to locate target sites rapidly and form specific complexes precisely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anupam Mondal
- Center for Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Delhi, New Delhi-110020, India
| | - Arnab Bhattacherjee
- Center for Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Delhi, New Delhi-110020, India
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43
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Abstract
By regulating access to the genetic code, DNA supercoiling strongly affects DNA metabolism. Despite its importance, however, much about supercoiled DNA (positively supercoiled DNA, in particular) remains unknown. Here we use electron cryo-tomography together with biochemical analyses to investigate structures of individual purified DNA minicircle topoisomers with defined degrees of supercoiling. Our results reveal that each topoisomer, negative or positive, adopts a unique and surprisingly wide distribution of three-dimensional conformations. Moreover, we uncover striking differences in how the topoisomers handle torsional stress. As negative supercoiling increases, bases are increasingly exposed. Beyond a sharp supercoiling threshold, we also detect exposed bases in positively supercoiled DNA. Molecular dynamics simulations independently confirm the conformational heterogeneity and provide atomistic insight into the flexibility of supercoiled DNA. Our integrated approach reveals the three-dimensional structures of DNA that are essential for its function. DNA supercoiling strongly affects its metabolism. By electron cryo-tomography, biochemical assays and molecular dynamics simulations, here the authors show that supercoiled DNA minicircles adopt unique and wide distributions of three-dimensional conformations, many with disrupted base pairs.
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44
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Fenyk S, Townsend PD, Dixon CH, Spies GB, de San Eustaquio Campillo A, Slootweg EJ, Westerhof LB, Gawehns FKK, Knight MR, Sharples GJ, Goverse A, Pålsson LO, Takken FLW, Cann MJ. The Potato Nucleotide-binding Leucine-rich Repeat (NLR) Immune Receptor Rx1 Is a Pathogen-dependent DNA-deforming Protein. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:24945-60. [PMID: 26306038 PMCID: PMC4599002 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.672121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Revised: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins enable cells to respond to pathogen attack. Several NLRs act in the nucleus; however, conserved nuclear targets that support their role in immunity are unknown. Previously, we noted a structural homology between the nucleotide-binding domain of NLRs and DNA replication origin-binding Cdc6/Orc1 proteins. Here we show that the NB-ARC (nucleotide-binding, Apaf-1, R-proteins, and CED-4) domain of the Rx1 NLR of potato binds nucleic acids. Rx1 induces ATP-dependent bending and melting of DNA in vitro, dependent upon a functional P-loop. In situ full-length Rx1 binds nuclear DNA following activation by its cognate pathogen-derived effector protein, the coat protein of potato virus X. In line with its obligatory nucleocytoplasmic distribution, DNA binding was only observed when Rx1 was allowed to freely translocate between both compartments and was activated in the cytoplasm. Immune activation induced by an unrelated NLR-effector pair did not trigger an Rx1-DNA interaction. DNA binding is therefore not merely a consequence of immune activation. These data establish a role for DNA distortion in Rx1 immune signaling and define DNA as a molecular target of an activated NLR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stepan Fenyk
- From the School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Biophysical Sciences Institute
| | - Philip D Townsend
- From the School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Biophysical Sciences Institute
| | - Christopher H Dixon
- From the School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Biophysical Sciences Institute
| | - Gerhard B Spies
- From the School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Biophysical Sciences Institute
| | | | - Erik J Slootweg
- the Laboratory of Nematology, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands, and
| | - Lotte B Westerhof
- the Laboratory of Nematology, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands, and
| | - Fleur K K Gawehns
- Molecular Plant Pathology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marc R Knight
- From the School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Biophysical Sciences Institute
| | - Gary J Sharples
- From the School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Biophysical Sciences Institute
| | - Aska Goverse
- the Laboratory of Nematology, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands, and
| | - Lars-Olof Pålsson
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom
| | - Frank L W Takken
- Molecular Plant Pathology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martin J Cann
- From the School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Biophysical Sciences Institute,
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45
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Liu Z, Chan HS. Consistent rationalization of type-2 topoisomerases' unknotting, decatenating, supercoil-relaxing actions and their scaling relation. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2015; 27:354103. [PMID: 26291958 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/27/35/354103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
How type-2 topoisomerases discern global topology from local properties of DNA is not known precisely but the hypothesis that the enzymes selectively pass double-helix strands at hook-like juxtapositions is promising. Building upon an investigation of unknotting and decatenating using an improved wormlike DNA model, here we focus primarily on the enzymes' action in narrowing the distribution of linking number (Lk) in supercoiled DNA. Consistent with experiments, with selective passage at a hooked juxtaposition, the simulated narrowing factor RLk diminishes with decreasing DNA circle size but approaches an asymptotic RLk ≈ 1.7-1.8 for circle size ≳3.5 kb. For the larger DNA circles, we found that (RLk - 1) ≈ 0.42log10RK ≈ 0.68log10RL and thus RK ≈ (RL)(1.6) holds for the computed RLk and knot and catenane reduction factors RK and RL attained by selective passage at different juxtaposition geometries. Remarkably, this general scaling relation is essentially identical to that observed experimentally for several type-2 topoisomerases from a variety of organisms, indicating that the different disentangling powers of the topoisomerases likely arise from variations in the hooked geometries they select. Taken together, our results suggest strongly that type-2 topoisomerases recognize not only the curvature of the G-segment but also that of the T-segment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhirong Liu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Center for Quantitative Biology, and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
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46
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Sutthibutpong T, Harris SA, Noy A. Comparison of Molecular Contours for Measuring Writhe in Atomistic Supercoiled DNA. J Chem Theory Comput 2015; 11:2768-75. [PMID: 26575569 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.5b00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thana Sutthibutpong
- Polymer
IRC, School of Physics
and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds West Yorkshire, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Sarah A. Harris
- Polymer
IRC, School of Physics
and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds West Yorkshire, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Agnes Noy
- Polymer
IRC, School of Physics
and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds West Yorkshire, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
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47
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Harris S. 131 Polymorphism within complex DNA topologies. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2015.1032764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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48
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Muskhelishvili G, Travers A. Order from the Order: How a Spatiotemporal Genetic Program Is Encoded in a 2-D Genetic Map of the Bacterial Chromosome. J Mol Microbiol Biotechnol 2015; 24:332-43. [DOI: 10.1159/000368852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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49
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Manning GS. The response of DNA length and twist to changes in ionic strength. Biopolymers 2015; 103:223-6. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.22585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gerald S. Manning
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology; Rutgers University; 610 Taylor Road Piscataway NJ 08854-8087
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50
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Volkman LE. Baculoviruses and nucleosome management. Virology 2015; 476:257-263. [PMID: 25569454 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2014.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Revised: 12/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Negatively-supercoiled-ds DNA molecules, including the genomes of baculoviruses, spontaneously wrap around cores of histones to form nucleosomes when present within eukaryotic nuclei. Hence, nucleosome management should be essential for baculovirus genome replication and temporal regulation of transcription, but this has not been documented. Nucleosome mobilization is the dominion of ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes. SWI/SNF and INO80, two of the best-studied complexes, as well as chromatin modifier TIP60, all contain actin as a subunit. Retrospective analysis of results of AcMNPV time course experiments wherein actin polymerization was blocked by cytochalasin D drug treatment implicate actin-containing chromatin modifying complexes in decatenating baculovirus genomes, shutting down host transcription, and regulating late and very late phases of viral transcription. Moreover, virus-mediated nuclear localization of actin early during infection may contribute to nucleosome management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loy E Volkman
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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