1
|
Ciesielska A, Brzeski J, Zarzeczańska D, Stasiuk M, Makowski M, Brzeska S. Exploring the interaction of biologically active compounds with DNA through the application of the SwitchSense technique, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and computational methods. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2024; 316:124313. [PMID: 38676984 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2024.124313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
DNA is a key target for anticancer and antimicrobial drugs. Assessing the bioactivity of compounds involves in silico and instrumental studies to determine their affinity for biomolecules like DNA. This study explores the potential of the switchSense technique in rapidly evaluating compound bioactivity towards DNA. By combining switchSense with computational methods and UV-Vis spectrophotometry, various bioactive compounds' interactions with DNA were analyzed. The objects of the study were: netropsin (as a model compound that binds in the helical groove), as well as derivatives of pyrazine (PTCA), sulfonamide (NbutylS), and anthraquinone (AQ-NetOH). Though no direct correlation was found between switchSense kinetics and binding modes, this research suggests the technique's broader utility in assessing new compounds' interactions with DNA. used as analytes whose interactions with DNA have not been yet fully described in the literature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jakub Brzeski
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Dorota Zarzeczańska
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Magdalena Stasiuk
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Mariusz Makowski
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Sandra Brzeska
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Martínez-Fernández L, Green JA, Esposito L, Jouybari MY, Zhang Y, Santoro F, Kohler B, Improta R. The photoactivated dynamics of dGpdC and dCpdG sequences in DNA: a comprehensive quantum mechanical study. Chem Sci 2024; 15:9676-9693. [PMID: 38939156 PMCID: PMC11206432 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc00910j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Study of alternating DNA GC sequences by different time-resolved spectroscopies has provided fundamental information on the interaction between UV light and DNA, a process of great biological importance. Multiple decay paths have been identified, but their interplay is still poorly understood. Here, we characterize the photophysics of GC-DNA by integrating different computational approaches, to study molecular models including up to 6 bases described at a full quantum mechanical level. Quantum dynamical simulations, exploiting a nonadiabatic linear vibronic coupling (LVC) model, coupled with molecular dynamics sampling of the initial structures of a (GC)5 DNA duplex, provide new insights into the photophysics in the sub-picosecond time-regime. They indicate a substantial population transfer, within 50 fs, from the spectroscopic states towards G → C charge transfer states involving two stacked bases (CTintra), thus explaining the ultrafast disappearance of fluorescence. This picture is consistent with that provided by quantum mechanical geometry optimizations, using time dependent-density functional theory and a polarizable continuum model, which we use to parametrize the LVC model and to map the main excited state deactivation pathways. For the first time, the infrared and excited state absorption signatures of the various states along these pathways are comprehensively mapped. The computational models suggest that the main deactivation pathways, which, according to experiment, lead to ground state recovery on the 10-50 ps time scale, involve CTintra followed by interstrand proton transfer from the neutral G to C-. Our calculations indicate that CTintra is populated to a larger extent and more rapidly in GC than in CG steps and suggest the likely involvement of monomer-like and interstrand charge transfer decay routes for isolated and less stacked CG steps. These findings underscore the importance of the DNA sequence and thermal fluctuations for the dynamics. They will also aid the interpretation of experimental results on other sequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lara Martínez-Fernández
- Departamento de Química Física de Materiales, Instituto de Química Física Blas Cabrera, CSIC 28006 Madrid Spain
| | - James Alexander Green
- Institut für Physikalische Theoretische Chemie, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Luciana Esposito
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini-CNR (IBB-CNR) Via De Amicis 95 I-80145 Napoli Italy
| | - Martha Yaghoubi Jouybari
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa 10 Marie Curie Ottawa Ontario K1N 6N5 Canada
- National Research Council of Canada 100 Sussex Drive Ottawa Ontario K1A 0R6 Canada
- Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici (ICCOM-CNR) Area della Ricerca del CNR, Via Moruzzi 1 I-56124 Pisa Italy
| | - Yuyuan Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University 100 West 18th Avenue Columbus Ohio 43210 USA
| | - Fabrizio Santoro
- Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici (ICCOM-CNR) Area della Ricerca del CNR, Via Moruzzi 1 I-56124 Pisa Italy
| | - Bern Kohler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University 100 West 18th Avenue Columbus Ohio 43210 USA
| | - Roberto Improta
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini-CNR (IBB-CNR) Via De Amicis 95 I-80145 Napoli Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ng NHJ, Ghosh S, Bok CM, Ching C, Low BSJ, Chen JT, Lim E, Miserendino MC, Tan YS, Hoon S, Teo AKK. HNF4A and HNF1A exhibit tissue specific target gene regulation in pancreatic beta cells and hepatocytes. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4288. [PMID: 38909044 PMCID: PMC11193738 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48647-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024] Open
Abstract
HNF4A and HNF1A encode transcription factors that are important for the development and function of the pancreas and liver. Mutations in both genes have been directly linked to Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk. To better define the pleiotropic gene regulatory roles of HNF4A and HNF1A, we generated a comprehensive genome-wide map of their binding targets in pancreatic and hepatic cells using ChIP-Seq. HNF4A was found to bind and regulate known (ACY3, HAAO, HNF1A, MAP3K11) and previously unidentified (ABCD3, CDKN2AIP, USH1C, VIL1) loci in a tissue-dependent manner. Functional follow-up highlighted a potential role for HAAO and USH1C as regulators of beta cell function. Unlike the loss-of-function HNF4A/MODY1 variant I271fs, the T2D-associated HNF4A variant (rs1800961) was found to activate AKAP1, GAD2 and HOPX gene expression, potentially due to changes in DNA-binding affinity. We also found HNF1A to bind to and regulate GPR39 expression in beta cells. Overall, our studies provide a rich resource for uncovering downstream molecular targets of HNF4A and HNF1A that may contribute to beta cell or hepatic cell (dys)function, and set up a framework for gene discovery and functional validation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Hui Jin Ng
- Stem Cells and Diabetes Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Soumita Ghosh
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
| | - Chek Mei Bok
- Stem Cells and Diabetes Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Carmen Ching
- Stem Cells and Diabetes Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Blaise Su Jun Low
- Stem Cells and Diabetes Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Juin Ting Chen
- Stem Cells and Diabetes Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138673, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117596, Singapore
| | - Euodia Lim
- Stem Cells and Diabetes Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138673, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117596, Singapore
| | - María Clara Miserendino
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, X5000HUA, Córdoba, Argentina
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore, 138671, Singapore
| | - Yaw Sing Tan
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore, 138671, Singapore
| | - Shawn Hoon
- Molecular Engineering Laboratory, IMCB, A*STAR, Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Adrian Kee Keong Teo
- Stem Cells and Diabetes Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138673, Singapore.
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119228, Singapore.
- Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117596, Singapore.
- Precision Medicine Translational Research Programme (TRP), National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119228, Singapore.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mandal S, Ganesh KN, Maiti PK. Dynamics of terminal fraying-peeling and hydrogen bonds dictates the sequential vs. cooperative melting pathways of nanoscale DNA and PNA triplexes. NANOSCALE 2024. [PMID: 38904319 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr01104j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are charge-neutral synthetic DNA/RNA analogues. In many aspects of biology and biotechnology, the details of DNA and PNA melting reaction coordinates are crucial, and their associative/dissociative details remain inadequately understood. In the current study, we have attempted to gain insights into comparative melting pathways and binding affinity of iso-sequences of an 18-mer PNA-DNA-PNA triplex and the analogous DNA-DNA-DNA triplex, and DNA-DNA and PNA-DNA duplexes. It is intriguing that while the DNA-DNA-DNA triplex melts in two sequential steps, the PNA-DNA-PNA triplex melts in a single step and the mechanistic aspects for this difference are still not clear. We report an all-atom molecular dynamics simulation of both complexes in the temperature range of 300 to 500 K with 20 K intervals. Based on the trajectory analysis, we provide evidence that the association and dissociation are dictated by the differences in fraying-peeling effects from either terminus to the center in a zipper pattern among the PNA-DNA-PNA triplex and DNA-DNA-DNA triplexes. These are shown to be governed by the different characteristics of H-bonding, RMSD, and Free Energy Landscape (FEL) as analyzed by PCA, leading to the DNA-DNA-DNA triplex exhibiting sequential melting, while the PNA-DNA-PNA triplex shows cooperative melting of the whole fragment in a single-step. The PNA-DNA-PNA triplex base pairs are thermodynamically more stable than the DNA-DNA-DNA triplex, with the binding affinity of PNA-TFO to the PNA : DNA duplex being higher than that of DNA-TFO to the DNA : DNA duplex. The investigation of the association/dissociation of PNA-TFO to the PNA-DNA duplex has relevance and importance in the emerging effective applications of oligonucleotide therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandip Mandal
- Center for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
| | - Krishna N Ganesh
- Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Jakkur, Bengaluru 560064, India.
| | - Prabal K Maiti
- Center for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Evoli S, Kariyawasam NL, Nitiss KC, Nitiss JL, Wereszczynski J. Modeling allosteric mechanisms of eukaryotic type II topoisomerases. Biophys J 2024; 123:1620-1634. [PMID: 38720465 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Type II topoisomerases (TopoIIs) are ubiquitous enzymes that are involved in crucial nuclear processes such as genome organization, chromosome segregation, and other DNA metabolic processes. These enzymes function as large, homodimeric complexes that undergo a complex cycle of binding and hydrolysis of two ATP molecules in their ATPase domains, which regulates the capture and passage of one DNA double-helix through a second, cleaved DNA molecule. This process requires the transmission of information about the state of the bound nucleotide over vast ranges in the TopoII complex. How this information is transmitted at the molecular level to regulate TopoII functions and how protein substitutions disrupt these mechanisms remains largely unknown. Here, we employed extensive microsecond-scale molecular dynamics simulations of the yeast TopoII enzyme in multiple nucleotide-bound states and with amino acid substitutions near both the N and C termini of the complex. Simulation results indicate that the ATPase domains are remarkably flexible on the sub-microsecond timescale and that these dynamics are modulated by the identity of the bound nucleotides and both local and distant amino acid substitutions. Network analyses point toward specific allosteric networks that transmit information about the hydrolysis cycle throughout the complex, which include residues in both the protein and the bound DNA molecule. Amino acid substitutions weaken many of these pathways. Together, our results provide molecular level details on how the TopoII catalytic cycle is controlled through nucleotide binding and hydrolysis and how mutations may disrupt this process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Evoli
- Department of Physics, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois; Center for Molecular Study of Condensed Soft Matter, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Nilusha L Kariyawasam
- Department of Physics, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois; Center for Molecular Study of Condensed Soft Matter, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Karin C Nitiss
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, University of Illinois at Chicago, Rockford, Illinois
| | - John L Nitiss
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, University of Illinois at Chicago, Rockford, Illinois
| | - Jeff Wereszczynski
- Department of Physics, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois; Center for Molecular Study of Condensed Soft Matter, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Biology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ding T, Xiao Y, Saiding Q, Li X, Chen G, Zhang T, Ma J, Cui W. Capture and Storage of Cell-Free DNA via Bio-Informational Hydrogel Microspheres. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2403557. [PMID: 38881489 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202403557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Excessive cell-free DNA (cfDNA) can induce chronic inflammation by activating intracellular nucleic acid sensors. Intervention in cfDNA-mediated "pro-inflammatory signaling transduction" could be a potential alleviating strategy for chronic inflammation, such as in diabetic wounds. However, effectively and specifically downgrading cfDNA concentration in the pathological microenvironment remains a challenge. Therefore, this work prepares free-standing polydopamine nanosheets through DNA-guided assembly and loaded them into microfluidic hydrogel microspheres. The π─π stacking/hydrogen bonding interactions between polydopamine nanosheets and the π-rich bases of cfDNA, along with the cage-like spatial confinement created by the hydrogel polymer network, achieved cfDNA capture and storage, respectively. Catechol in polydopamine nanosheets can also assist in reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Efficient cfDNA binding independent of serum proteins, specific interdiction of abnormal activation of cfDNA-associated toll-like receptor 9, as well as down-regulation of inflammatory cytokines and ROS levels are shown in this system. The chronic inflammation alleviating and the pro-healing effects on the mice model with diabetic wounds are also investigated. This work presents a new strategy for capturing and storing cfDNA to intervene in cell signaling transduction. It also offers new insights into the regulatory mechanisms between inflammatory mediators and biomaterials in inflammation-related diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tao Ding
- Department of Orthopaedics Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
- Jiaxing Key Laboratory of Basic Research and Clinical Translation on Orthopedic Biomaterials, Department of Orthopaedics, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, 314000, China
| | - Yongqiang Xiao
- ENT Institute, Department of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Qimanguli Saiding
- Department of Orthopaedics Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoxiao Li
- Department of Orthopaedics Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| | - Gang Chen
- Jiaxing Key Laboratory of Basic Research and Clinical Translation on Orthopedic Biomaterials, Department of Orthopaedics, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, 314000, China
| | - Tianyu Zhang
- ENT Institute, Department of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Jing Ma
- ENT Institute, Department of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Wenguo Cui
- Department of Orthopaedics Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Li T, Shahabi S, Biswas T, Tsodikov OV, Pan W, Huang DB, Wang VYF, Wang Y, Ghosh G. Transient interactions modulate the affinity of NF-κB transcription factors for DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2405555121. [PMID: 38805268 PMCID: PMC11161749 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2405555121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The dimeric nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) transcription factors (TFs) regulate gene expression by binding to a variety of κB DNA elements with conserved G:C-rich flanking sequences enclosing a degenerate central region. Toward defining mechanistic principles of affinity regulated by degeneracy, we observed an unusual dependence of the affinity of RelA on the identity of the central base pair, which appears to be noncontacted in the complex crystal structures. The affinity of κB sites with A or T at the central position is ~10-fold higher than with G or C. The crystal structures of neither the complexes nor the free κB DNAs could explain the differences in affinity. Interestingly, differential dynamics of several residues were revealed in molecular dynamics simulation studies, where simulation replicates totaling 148 μs were performed on NF-κB:DNA complexes and free κB DNAs. Notably, Arg187 and Arg124 exhibited selectivity in transient interactions that orchestrated a complex interplay among several DNA-interacting residues in the central region. Binding and simulation studies with mutants supported these observations of transient interactions dictating specificity. In combination with published reports, this work provides insights into the nuanced mechanisms governing the discriminatory binding of NF-κB family TFs to κB DNA elements and sheds light on cancer pathogenesis of cRel, a close homolog of RelA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianjie Li
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region999077, China
| | - Shandy Shahabi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
| | - Tapan Biswas
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
| | - Oleg V. Tsodikov
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40536
| | - Wenfei Pan
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau Special Administrative Region999078, China
| | - De-Bin Huang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
| | - Vivien Ya-Fan Wang
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau Special Administrative Region999078, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region999077, China
| | - Gourisankar Ghosh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Farré-Gil D, Arcon JP, Laughton CA, Orozco M. CGeNArate: a sequence-dependent coarse-grained model of DNA for accurate atomistic MD simulations of kb-long duplexes. Nucleic Acids Res 2024:gkae444. [PMID: 38813824 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
We present CGeNArate, a new model for molecular dynamics simulations of very long segments of B-DNA in the context of biotechnological or chromatin studies. The developed method uses a coarse-grained Hamiltonian with trajectories that are back-mapped to the atomistic resolution level with extreme accuracy by means of Machine Learning Approaches. The method is sequence-dependent and reproduces very well not only local, but also global physical properties of DNA. The efficiency of the method allows us to recover with a reduced computational effort high-quality atomic-resolution ensembles of segments containing many kilobases of DNA, entering into the gene range or even the entire DNA of certain cellular organelles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Farré-Gil
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10-12, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Pablo Arcon
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10-12, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Charles A Laughton
- School of Pharmacy and Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Modesto Orozco
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10-12, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedicine, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Tosti Guerra F, Poppleton E, Šulc P, Rovigatti L. ANNaMo: Coarse-grained modeling for folding and assembly of RNA and DNA systems. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:205102. [PMID: 38814009 DOI: 10.1063/5.0202829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
The folding of RNA and DNA strands plays crucial roles in biological systems and bionanotechnology. However, studying these processes with high-resolution numerical models is beyond current computational capabilities due to the timescales and system sizes involved. In this article, we present a new coarse-grained model for investigating the folding dynamics of nucleic acids. Our model represents three nucleotides with a patchy particle and is parameterized using well-established nearest-neighbor models. Thanks to the reduction of degrees of freedom and to a bond-swapping mechanism, our model allows for simulations at timescales and length scales that are currently inaccessible to more detailed models. To validate the performance of our model, we conducted extensive simulations of various systems: We examined the thermodynamics of DNA hairpins, capturing their stability and structural transitions, the folding of an MMTV pseudoknot, which is a complex RNA structure involved in viral replication, and also explored the folding of an RNA tile containing a k-type pseudoknot. Finally, we evaluated the performance of the new model in reproducing the melting temperatures of oligomers and the dependence on the toehold length of the displacement rate in toehold-mediated displacement processes, a key reaction used in molecular computing. All in all, the successful reproduction of experimental data and favorable comparisons with existing coarse-grained models validate the effectiveness of the new model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F Tosti Guerra
- Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, Roma, Italy
| | - E Poppleton
- School of Molecular Sciences and Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, USA
- Biophysical Engineering Group, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - P Šulc
- School of Molecular Sciences and Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, USA
- Department of Bioscience, School of Natural Sciences, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - L Rovigatti
- Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, Roma, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Maghsoud Y, Roy A, Leddin EM, Cisneros GA. Effects of the Y432S Cancer-Associated Variant on the Reaction Mechanism of Human DNA Polymerase κ. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:4231-4249. [PMID: 38717969 PMCID: PMC11181361 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00339] [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] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Human DNA polymerases are vital for genetic information management. Their function involves catalyzing the synthesis of DNA strands with unparalleled accuracy, which ensures the fidelity and stability of the human genomic blueprint. Several disease-associated mutations and their functional impact on DNA polymerases have been reported. One particular polymerase, human DNA polymerase kappa (Pol κ), has been reported to be susceptible to several cancer-associated mutations. The Y432S mutation in Pol κ, associated with various cancers, is of interest due to its impact on polymerization activity and markedly reduced thermal stability. Here, we have used computational simulations to investigate the functional consequences of the Y432S using classical molecular dynamics (MD) and coupled quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) methods. Our findings suggest that Y432S induces structural alterations in domains responsible for nucleotide addition and ternary complex stabilization while retaining structural features consistent with possible catalysis in the active site. Calculations of the minimum energy path associated with the reaction mechanism of the wild type (WT) and Y432S Pol κ indicate that, while both enzymes are catalytically competent (in terms of energetics and the active site's geometries), the cancer mutation results in an endoergic reaction and an increase in the catalytic barrier. Interactions with a third magnesium ion and environmental effects on nonbonded interactions, particularly involving key residues, contribute to the kinetic and thermodynamic distinctions between the WT and mutant during the catalytic reaction. The energetics and electronic findings suggest that active site residues favor the catalytic reaction with dCTP3- over dCTP4-.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yazdan Maghsoud
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| | - Arkanil Roy
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| | - Emmett M Leddin
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76201, United States
| | - G Andrés Cisneros
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Vianney YM, Jana J, Weisz K. A pH-Responsive Topological Switch Based on a DNA Quadruplex-Duplex Hybrid. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202400722. [PMID: 38497675 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202400722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
A guanine-rich oligonucleotide based on a human telomeric sequence but with the first three-nucleotide intervening stretch replaced by a putative 15-nucleotide hairpin-forming sequence shows a pH-dependent folding into different quadruplex-duplex hybrids in a potassium containing buffer. At slightly acidic pH, the quadruplex domain adopts a chair-type conformation. Upon increasing the pH, a transition with a midpoint close to neutral pH to a major and minor (3+1) hybrid topology with either a coaxially stacked or orthogonally oriented duplex stem-loop occurs. NMR-derived high-resolution structures reveal that an adenine protonation is prerequisite for the formation of a non-canonical base quartet, capping the outer G-tetrad at the quadruplex-duplex interface and stabilizing the antiparallel chair conformation in an acidic environment. Being directly associated with interactions at the quadruplex-duplex interface, this unique pH-dependent topological transition is fully reversible. Coupled with a conformation-sensitive optical readout demonstrated as a proof of concept using the fluorescent dye thiazole orange, the present quadruplex-duplex hybrid architecture represents a potentially valuable pH-sensing system responsive in a physiological pH range of 7±1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoanes Maria Vianney
- Institute of Biochemistry, Universität Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 4, D-17489, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jagannath Jana
- Institute of Biochemistry, Universität Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 4, D-17489, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Klaus Weisz
- Institute of Biochemistry, Universität Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 4, D-17489, Greifswald, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Zhang Z, Mlýnský V, Krepl M, Šponer J, Stadlbauer P. Mechanical Stability and Unfolding Pathways of Parallel Tetrameric G-Quadruplexes Probed by Pulling Simulations. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:3896-3911. [PMID: 38630447 PMCID: PMC11094737 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00227] [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: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Guanine quadruplex (GQ) is a noncanonical nucleic acid structure formed by guanine-rich DNA and RNA sequences. Folding of GQs is a complex process, where several aspects remain elusive, despite being important for understanding structure formation and biological functions of GQs. Pulling experiments are a common tool for acquiring insights into the folding landscape of GQs. Herein, we applied a computational pulling strategy─steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulations─in combination with standard molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to explore the unfolding landscapes of tetrameric parallel GQs. We identified anisotropic properties of elastic conformational changes, unfolding transitions, and GQ mechanical stabilities. Using a special set of structural parameters, we found that the vertical component of pulling force (perpendicular to the average G-quartet plane) plays a significant role in disrupting GQ structures and weakening their mechanical stabilities. We demonstrated that the magnitude of the vertical force component depends on the pulling anchor positions and the number of G-quartets. Typical unfolding transitions for tetrameric parallel GQs involve base unzipping, opening of the G-stem, strand slippage, and rotation to cross-like structures. The unzipping was detected as the first and dominant unfolding event, and it usually started at the 3'-end. Furthermore, results from both SMD and standard MD simulations indicate that partial spiral conformations serve as a transient ensemble during the (un)folding of GQs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyue Zhang
- Institute
of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 61200, Czech Republic
- CEITEC−Central
European Institute of Technology, Masaryk
University, Kamenice
5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- National
Center for Biomolecular Research,
Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Mlýnský
- Institute
of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 61200, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Krepl
- Institute
of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 61200, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Šponer
- Institute
of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 61200, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Stadlbauer
- Institute
of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 61200, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Kladova OA, Tyugashev TE, Miroshnikov AA, Novopashina DS, Kuznetsov NA, Kuznetsova AA. SNP-Associated Substitutions of Amino Acid Residues in the dNTP Selection Subdomain Decrease Polβ Polymerase Activity. Biomolecules 2024; 14:547. [PMID: 38785954 PMCID: PMC11117729 DOI: 10.3390/biom14050547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In the cell, DNA polymerase β (Polβ) is involved in many processes aimed at maintaining genome stability and is considered the main repair DNA polymerase participating in base excision repair (BER). Polβ can fill DNA gaps formed by other DNA repair enzymes. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the POLB gene can affect the enzymatic properties of the resulting protein, owing to possible amino acid substitutions. For many SNP-associated Polβ variants, an association with cancer, owing to changes in polymerase activity and fidelity, has been shown. In this work, kinetic analyses and molecular dynamics simulations were used to examine the activity of naturally occurring polymorphic variants G274R, G290C, and R333W. Previously, the amino acid substitutions at these positions have been found in various types of tumors, implying a specific role of Gly-274, Gly-290, and Arg-333 in Polβ functioning. All three polymorphic variants had reduced polymerase activity. Two substitutions-G274R and R333W-led to the almost complete disappearance of gap-filling and primer elongation activities, a decrease in the deoxynucleotide triphosphate-binding ability, and a lower polymerization constant, due to alterations of local contacts near the replaced amino acid residues. Thus, variants G274R, G290C, and R333W may be implicated in an elevated level of unrepaired DNA damage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olga A. Kladova
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (T.E.T.); (D.S.N.); (N.A.K.)
| | - Timofey E. Tyugashev
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (T.E.T.); (D.S.N.); (N.A.K.)
| | | | - Daria S. Novopashina
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (T.E.T.); (D.S.N.); (N.A.K.)
| | - Nikita A. Kuznetsov
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (T.E.T.); (D.S.N.); (N.A.K.)
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia;
| | - Aleksandra A. Kuznetsova
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (T.E.T.); (D.S.N.); (N.A.K.)
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Slavkovic S, Shoara AA, Kaiyum YA, Churcher ZR, Liu T, Simine L, Johnson PE. Amodiaquine Nonspecifically Binds Double Stranded and Three-Way Junction DNA Structures. Chembiochem 2024:e202400116. [PMID: 38668388 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202400116] [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: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
The 4-aminoquinoline class of compounds includes the important antimalarial compounds amodiaquine and chloroquine. Despite their medicinal importance, the mode of action of these compounds is poorly understood. In a previous study we observed these compounds, as well as quinine and mefloquine, tightly bind the DNA cocaine-binding aptamer. Here, we further explore the range of nucleic acid structures bound by these compounds. To gauge a wide range of binding affinities, we used isothermal titration calorimetry to explore high affinity binding (nM to tens of μM) and NMR spectroscopy to assay weak binding biding in the hundreds of micromolar range. We find that amodiaquine tightly binds all double stranded DNA structures explored. Mefloquine binds double stranded DNA duplex molecules tightly and weakly associates with a three-way junction DNA construct. Quinine and chloroquine only weakly bind duplex DNA but do not tightly bind any of the DNA constructs explored. A simulation of the free energy of binding of these ligands to the Dickerson-Drew dodecamer resulted in an excellent agreement between the simulated and experimental free energy. These results provide new insight into the DNA binding of clinically important antimalarial compounds and may play a role in future development of new antimalarials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sladjana Slavkovic
- Department of Chemistry, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M3J 1P3
| | - Aron A Shoara
- Department of Chemistry, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M3J 1P3
| | - Yunus A Kaiyum
- Department of Chemistry, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M3J 1P3
| | - Zachary R Churcher
- Department of Chemistry, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M3J 1P3
| | - Tao Liu
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 0B8
| | - Lena Simine
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 0B8
| | - Philip E Johnson
- Department of Chemistry, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M3J 1P3
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Kokot M, Minovski N. Dynamic Profiling and Binding Affinity Prediction of NBTI Antibacterials against DNA Gyrase Enzyme by Multidimensional Machine Learning and Molecular Dynamics Simulations. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:18278-18295. [PMID: 38680300 PMCID: PMC11044241 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial type II topoisomerases are well-characterized and clinically important targets for antibacterial chemotherapy. Novel bacterial topoisomerase inhibitors (NBTIs) are a newly disclosed class of antibacterials. Prediction of their binding affinity to these enzymes would be beneficial for de novo design/optimization of new NBTIs. Utilizing in vitro NBTI experimental data, we constructed two comprehensive multidimensional DNA gyrase surrogate models for Staphylococcus aureus (q2 = 0.791) and Escherichia coli (q2 = 0.806). Both models accurately predicted the IC50s of 26 NBTIs from our recent studies. To investigate the NBTI's dynamic profile and binding to both targets, 10 selected NBTIs underwent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The analysis of MD production trajectories confirmed key hydrogen-bonding and hydrophobic contacts that NBTIs establish in both enzymes. Moreover, the binding free energies of selected NBTIs were computed by the linear interaction energy (LIE) method employing an in-house derived set of fitting parameters (α = 0.16, β = 0.029, γ = 0.0, and intercept = -1.72), which are successfully applicable to DNA gyrase of Gram-positive/Gram-negative pathogens. Both methods offer accurate predictions of the binding free energies of NBTIs against S. aureus and E. coli DNA gyrase. We are confident that this integrated modeling approach could be valuable in the de novo design and optimization of efficient NBTIs for combating resistant bacterial pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maja Kokot
- Laboratory
for Cheminformatics, Theory Department, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- The
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Nikola Minovski
- Laboratory
for Cheminformatics, Theory Department, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Rihon J, Mattelaer CA, Montalvão RW, Froeyen M, Pinheiro VB, Lescrinier E. Structural insights into the morpholino nucleic acid/RNA duplex using the new XNA builder Ducque in a molecular modeling pipeline. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:2836-2847. [PMID: 38412249 PMCID: PMC11014352 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae135] [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: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The field of synthetic nucleic acids with novel backbone structures [xenobiotic nucleic acids (XNAs)] has flourished due to the increased importance of XNA antisense oligonucleotides and aptamers in medicine, as well as the development of XNA processing enzymes and new XNA genetic materials. Molecular modeling on XNA structures can accelerate rational design in the field of XNAs as it contributes in understanding and predicting how changes in the sugar-phosphate backbone impact on the complementation properties of the nucleic acids. To support the development of novel XNA polymers, we present a first-in-class open-source program (Ducque) to build duplexes of nucleic acid analogs with customizable chemistry. A detailed procedure is described to extend the Ducque library with new user-defined XNA fragments using quantum mechanics (QM) and to generate QM-based force field parameters for molecular dynamics simulations within standard packages such as AMBER. The tool was used within a molecular modeling workflow to accurately reproduce a selection of experimental structures for nucleic acid duplexes with ribose-based as well as non-ribose-based nucleosides. Additionally, it was challenged to build duplexes of morpholino nucleic acids bound to complementary RNA sequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Rihon
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Herestraat 49, Box 1030, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Charles-Alexandre Mattelaer
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Herestraat 49, Box 1030, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Quantum Chemistry and Physical Chemistry, Celestijnenlaan 200f, Box 2404, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rinaldo Wander Montalvão
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Herestraat 49, Box 1030, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Gain Therapeutics sucursal en España, Barcelona Science Park, Baldiri Reixac 4-10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mathy Froeyen
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Herestraat 49, Box 1030, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Vitor Bernardes Pinheiro
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Herestraat 49, Box 1030, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eveline Lescrinier
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Herestraat 49, Box 1030, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Kladova OA, Tyugashev TE, Yakimov DV, Mikushina ES, Novopashina DS, Kuznetsov NA, Kuznetsova AA. The Impact of SNP-Induced Amino Acid Substitutions L19P and G66R in the dRP-Lyase Domain of Human DNA Polymerase β on Enzyme Activities. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4182. [PMID: 38673769 PMCID: PMC11050361 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Base excision repair (BER), which involves the sequential activity of DNA glycosylases, apurinic/apyrimidinic endonucleases, DNA polymerases, and DNA ligases, is one of the enzymatic systems that preserve the integrity of the genome. Normal BER is effective, but due to single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), the enzymes themselves-whose main function is to identify and eliminate damaged bases-can undergo amino acid changes. One of the enzymes in BER is DNA polymerase β (Polβ), whose function is to fill gaps in DNA. SNPs can significantly affect the catalytic activity of an enzyme by causing an amino acid substitution. In this work, pre-steady-state kinetic analyses and molecular dynamics simulations were used to examine the activity of naturally occurring variants of Polβ that have the substitutions L19P and G66R in the dRP-lyase domain. Despite the substantial distance between the dRP-lyase domain and the nucleotidyltransferase active site, it was found that the capacity to form a complex with DNA and with an incoming dNTP is significantly altered by these substitutions. Therefore, the lower activity of the tested polymorphic variants may be associated with a greater number of unrepaired DNA lesions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olga A. Kladova
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia (N.A.K.)
| | - Timofey E. Tyugashev
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia (N.A.K.)
| | - Denis V. Yakimov
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Elena S. Mikushina
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia (N.A.K.)
| | - Daria S. Novopashina
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia (N.A.K.)
| | - Nikita A. Kuznetsov
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia (N.A.K.)
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Aleksandra A. Kuznetsova
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia (N.A.K.)
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Khatua P, Tang PK, Moulick AG, Patel R, Manandhar A, Loverde SM. Sequence Dependence in Nucleosome Dynamics. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:3090-3101. [PMID: 38530903 PMCID: PMC11181342 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c07363] [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] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
The basic packaging unit of eukaryotic chromatin is the nucleosome that contains 145-147 base pair duplex DNA wrapped around an octameric histone protein. While the DNA sequence plays a crucial role in controlling the positioning of the nucleosome, the molecular details behind the interplay between DNA sequence and nucleosome dynamics remain relatively unexplored. This study analyzes this interplay in detail by performing all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of nucleosomes, comparing the human α-satellite palindromic (ASP) and the strong positioning "Widom-601" DNA sequence at time scales of 12 μs. The simulations are performed at salt concentrations 10-20 times higher than physiological salt concentrations to screen the electrostatic interactions and promote unwrapping. These microsecond-long simulations give insight into the molecular-level sequence-dependent events that dictate the pathway of DNA unwrapping. We find that the "ASP" sequence forms a loop around SHL ± 5 for three sets of simulations. Coincident with loop formation is a cooperative increase in contacts with the neighboring N-terminal H2B tail and C-terminal H2A tail and the release of neighboring counterions. We find that the Widom-601 sequence exhibits a strong breathing motion of the nucleic acid ends. Coincident with the breathing motion is the collapse of the full N-terminal H3 tail and formation of an α-helix that interacts with the H3 histone core. We postulate that the dynamics of these histone tails and their modification with post-translational modifications (PTMs) may play a key role in governing this dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Prabir Khatua
- Department of Chemistry, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, 2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, New York, 10314, United States
- Present Address: Department of Chemistry, GITAM School of Science, GITAM (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, 562163, INDIA
| | - Phu K. Tang
- Department of Chemistry, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, 2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, New York, 10314, United States
- Ph.D. Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, 10016, United States
- Present Address: Flatiron Institute, New York, NY, 10010, United States
- These authors contributed equally: Phu K. Tang, Abhik Ghosh Moulick, and Rutika Patel
| | - Abhik Ghosh Moulick
- Department of Chemistry, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, 2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, New York, 10314, United States
- These authors contributed equally: Phu K. Tang, Abhik Ghosh Moulick, and Rutika Patel
| | - Rutika Patel
- Department of Chemistry, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, 2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, New York, 10314, United States
- Ph.D. Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, 10016, United States
- These authors contributed equally: Phu K. Tang, Abhik Ghosh Moulick, and Rutika Patel
| | - Anjela Manandhar
- Department of Chemistry, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, 2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, New York, 10314, United States
- Ph.D. Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, 10016, United States
- Present Address: Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Boston, MA, 02139, United States
| | - Sharon M. Loverde
- Department of Chemistry, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, 2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, New York, 10314, United States
- Ph.D. Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, 10016, United States
- Ph.D. Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, 10016, United States
- Ph.D. Program in Physics, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, 10016, United States
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Dabin A, Stirnemann G. Atomistic simulations of RNA duplex thermal denaturation: Sequence- and forcefield-dependence. Biophys Chem 2024; 307:107167. [PMID: 38262278 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2023.107167] [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] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Double-stranded RNA is the end-product of template-based replication, and is also the functional state of some biological RNAs. Similarly to proteins and DNA, they can be denatured by temperature, with important physiological and technological implications. Here, we use an in silico strategy to probe the thermal denaturation of RNA duplexes. Following previous results that were obtained on a few different duplexes, and which nuanced the canonical 2-state picture of nucleic acid denaturation, we here specifically address three different aspects that greatly improve our description of the temperature-induced dsRNA separation. First, we investigate the effect of the spatial distribution of weak and strong base-pairs among the duplex sequence. We show that the deviations from the two-state dehybridization mechanism are more pronounced when a strong core is flanked with weak extremities, while duplexes with a weak core but strong extremities exhibit a two-state behavior, which can be explained by the key role played by base fraying. This was later verified by generating artificial hairpin or circular states containing one or two locked duplex extremities, which results in an important reinforcement of the entire HB structure of the duplex and higher melting temperatures. Finally, we demonstrate that our results are little sensitive to the employed combination of RNA and water forcefields. The trends in thermal stability among the different sequences as well as the observed unfolding mechanisms (and the deviations from a two-state scenario) remain the same regardless of the employed atomistic models. However, our study points to possible limitations of recent reparametrizations of the Amber RNA forcefield, which sometimes results in duplexes that readily denature under ambient conditions, in contradiction with available experimental results.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aimeric Dabin
- CNRS Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Université de Paris Cité, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Stirnemann
- PASTEUR, Département de chimie, École normale supérieure, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Evoli S, Kariyawasam NL, Nitiss KC, Nitiss JL, Wereszczynski J. Modeling Allosteric Mechanisms of Eukaryotic Type II Topoisomerases. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.08.02.551689. [PMID: 37577673 PMCID: PMC10418245 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.02.551689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Type II topoisomerases (TopoIIs) are ubiquitous enzymes that are involved in crucial nuclear processes such as genome organization, chromosome segregation, and other DNA metabolic processes. These enzymes function as large, homodimeric complexes that undergo a complex cycle of binding and hydrolysis of two ATP molecules in their ATPase domains, which regulates the capture and passage of one DNA double-helix through a second, cleaved DNA molecule. This process requires the transmission of information about the state of the bound nucleotide over vast ranges in the TopoII complex. How this information is transmitted at the molecular level to regulate TopoII functions and how protein substitutions disrupt these mechanisms remains largely unknown. Here, we employed extensive microsecond scale molecular dynamics simulations of the yeast TopoII enzyme in multiple nucleotide-bound states and with amino acid substitutions near both the N- and C-terminals of the complex. Simulation results indicate that the ATPase domains are remarkably flexible on the sub-microsecond timescale and that these dynamics are modulated by the identity of the bound nucleotides and both local and distant amino acid substitutions. Network analyses point towards specific allosteric networks that transmit information about the hydrolysis cycle throughout the complex, which include residues in both the protein and the bound DNA molecule. Amino acid substitutions weaken many of these pathways. Together, our results provide molecular-level details on how the TopoII catalytic cycle is controlled through nucleotide binding and hydrolysis and how mutations may disrupt this process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Evoli
- Department of Physics, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, USA
- Center for Molecular Study of Condensed Soft Matter, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, USA
- these authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Nilusha L. Kariyawasam
- Department of Physics, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, USA
- Center for Molecular Study of Condensed Soft Matter, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, USA
- these authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Karin C. Nitiss
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, University of Illinois at Chicago, Rockford, IL
| | - John L. Nitiss
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, University of Illinois at Chicago, Rockford, IL
| | - Jeff Wereszczynski
- Department of Physics, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, USA
- Center for Molecular Study of Condensed Soft Matter, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, USA
- Department of Biology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Zhao S, Cieplak P, Duan Y, Luo R. Assessment of Amino Acid Electrostatic Parametrizations of the Polarizable Gaussian Multipole Model. J Chem Theory Comput 2024; 20:2098-2110. [PMID: 38394331 PMCID: PMC11060985 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c01347] [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] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Accurate parametrization of amino acids is pivotal for the development of reliable force fields for molecular modeling of biomolecules such as proteins. This study aims to assess amino acid electrostatic parametrizations with the polarizable Gaussian Multipole (pGM) model by evaluating the performance of the pGM-perm (with atomic permanent dipoles) and pGM-ind (without atomic permanent dipoles) variants compared to the traditional RESP model. The 100-conf-combterm fitting strategy on tetrapeptides was adopted, in which (1) all peptide bond atoms (-CO-NH-) share identical set of parameters and (2) the total charges of the two terminal N-acetyl (ACE) and N-methylamide (NME) groups were set to neutral. The accuracy and transferability of electrostatic parameters across peptides with varying lengths and real-world examples were examined. The results demonstrate the enhanced performance of the pGM-perm model in accurately representing the electrostatic properties of amino acids. This insight underscores the potential of the pGM-perm model and the 100-conf-combterm strategy for the future development of the pGM force field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shiji Zhao
- Nurix Therapeutics, Inc., 1700 Owens St. Suite 205, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Piotr Cieplak
- SBP Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Yong Duan
- UC Davis Genome Center and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Ray Luo
- Departments of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine. Irvine, California 92697, United States
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Roldán-Piñero C, Luengo-Márquez J, Assenza S, Pérez R. Systematic Comparison of Atomistic Force Fields for the Mechanical Properties of Double-Stranded DNA. J Chem Theory Comput 2024; 20:2261-2272. [PMID: 38411091 PMCID: PMC10938644 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c01089] [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: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
The response of double-stranded DNA to external mechanical stress plays a central role in its interactions with the protein machinery in the cell. Modern atomistic force fields have been shown to provide highly accurate predictions for the fine structural features of the duplex. In contrast, and despite their pivotal function, less attention has been devoted to the accuracy of the prediction of the elastic parameters. Several reports have addressed the flexibility of double-stranded DNA via all-atom molecular dynamics, yet the collected information is insufficient to have a clear understanding of the relative performance of the various force fields. In this work, we fill this gap by performing a systematic study in which several systems, characterized by different sequence contexts, are simulated with the most popular force fields within the AMBER family, bcs1 and OL15, as well as with CHARMM36. Analysis of our results, together with their comparison with previous work focused on bsc0, allows us to unveil the differences in the predicted rigidity between the newest force fields and suggests a roadmap to test their performance against experiments. In the case of the stretch modulus, we reconcile these differences, showing that a single mapping between sequence-dependent conformation and elasticity via the crookedness parameter captures simultaneously the results of all force fields, supporting the key role of crookedness in the mechanical response of double-stranded DNA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Roldán-Piñero
- Departamento
de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Luengo-Márquez
- Departamento
de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto
Nicolás Cabrera, Universidad Autónoma
de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Salvatore Assenza
- Departamento
de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto
Nicolás Cabrera, Universidad Autónoma
de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
- Condensed
Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad
Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rubén Pérez
- Departamento
de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
- Condensed
Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad
Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Giese TJ, Ekesan Ş, McCarthy E, Tao Y, York DM. Surface-Accelerated String Method for Locating Minimum Free Energy Paths. J Chem Theory Comput 2024; 20:2058-2073. [PMID: 38367218 PMCID: PMC11059188 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c01401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
We present a surface-accelerated string method (SASM) to efficiently optimize low-dimensional reaction pathways from the sampling performed with expensive quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) Hamiltonians. The SASM accelerates the convergence of the path using the aggregate sampling obtained from the current and previous string iterations, whereas approaches like the string method in collective variables (SMCV) or the modified string method in collective variables (MSMCV) update the path only from the sampling obtained from the current iteration. Furthermore, the SASM decouples the number of images used to perform sampling from the number of synthetic images used to represent the path. The path is optimized on the current best estimate of the free energy surface obtained from all available sampling, and the proposed set of new simulations is not restricted to being located along the optimized path. Instead, the umbrella potential placement is chosen to extend the range of the free energy surface and improve the quality of the free energy estimates near the path. In this manner, the SASM is shown to improve the exploration for a minimum free energy pathway in regions where the free energy surface is relatively flat. Furthermore, it improves the quality of the free energy profile when the string is discretized with too few images. We compare the SASM, SMCV, and MSMCV using 3 QM/MM applications: a ribozyme methyltransferase reaction using 2 reaction coordinates, the 2'-O-transphosphorylation reaction of Hammerhead ribozyme using 3 reaction coordinates, and a tautomeric reaction in B-DNA using 5 reaction coordinates. We show that SASM converges the paths using roughly 3 times less sampling than the SMCV and MSMCV methods. All three algorithms have been implemented in the FE-ToolKit package made freely available.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J. Giese
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Simulation Research, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Şölen Ekesan
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Simulation Research, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Erika McCarthy
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Simulation Research, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Yujun Tao
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Simulation Research, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Darrin M. York
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Simulation Research, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Nunes WVB, Oliveira DS, Dias GDR, Carvalho AB, Caruso ÍP, Biselli JM, Guegen N, Akkouche A, Burlet N, Vieira C, Carareto CMA. A comprehensive evolutionary scenario for the origin and neofunctionalization of the Drosophila speciation gene Odysseus (OdsH). G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2024; 14:jkad299. [PMID: 38156703 PMCID: PMC10917504 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Odysseus (OdsH) was the first speciation gene described in Drosophila related to hybrid sterility in offspring of mating between Drosophila mauritiana and Drosophila simulans. Its origin is attributed to the duplication of the gene unc-4 in the subgenus Sophophora. By using a much larger sample of Drosophilidae species, we showed that contrary to what has been previously proposed, OdsH origin occurred 62 MYA. Evolutionary rates, expression, and transcription factor-binding sites of OdsH evidence that it may have rapidly experienced neofunctionalization in male sexual functions. Furthermore, the analysis of the OdsH peptide allowed the identification of mutations of D. mauritiana that could result in incompatibility in hybrids. In order to find if OdsH could be related to hybrid sterility, beyond Sophophora, we explored the expression of OdsH in Drosophila arizonae and Drosophila mojavensis, a pair of sister species with incomplete reproductive isolation. Our data indicated that OdsH expression is not atypical in their male-sterile hybrids. In conclusion, we have proposed that the origin of OdsH occurred earlier than previously proposed, followed by neofunctionalization. Our results also suggested that its role as a speciation gene might be restricted to D. mauritiana and D. simulans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William Vilas Boas Nunes
- Institute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), 2265 Cristóvão Colombo Street, 15054-000 São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Bât. Grégor Mendel, 43 Boulevard 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Daniel Siqueira Oliveira
- Institute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), 2265 Cristóvão Colombo Street, 15054-000 São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Bât. Grégor Mendel, 43 Boulevard 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Guilherme de Rezende Dias
- Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, CCS sl A2-075, 373 Carlos Chagas Filho Avenue, 21941-971 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Antonio Bernardo Carvalho
- Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, CCS sl A2-075, 373 Carlos Chagas Filho Avenue, 21941-971 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ícaro Putinhon Caruso
- Institute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), 2265 Cristóvão Colombo Street, 15054-000 São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Joice Matos Biselli
- Institute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), 2265 Cristóvão Colombo Street, 15054-000 São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Nathalie Guegen
- Faculté de Médecine, iGReD, Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, INSERM, 4 Bd Claude Bernard, 63000 Clermont-Ferrande, France
| | - Abdou Akkouche
- Faculté de Médecine, iGReD, Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, INSERM, 4 Bd Claude Bernard, 63000 Clermont-Ferrande, France
| | - Nelly Burlet
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Bât. Grégor Mendel, 43 Boulevard 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Cristina Vieira
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Bât. Grégor Mendel, 43 Boulevard 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Claudia M A Carareto
- Institute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), 2265 Cristóvão Colombo Street, 15054-000 São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Dohnalová H, Matoušková E, Lankaš F. Temperature-dependent elasticity of DNA, RNA, and hybrid double helices. Biophys J 2024; 123:572-583. [PMID: 38340722 PMCID: PMC10938081 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.01.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Nucleic acid double helices in their DNA, RNA, and DNA-RNA hybrid form play a fundamental role in biology and are main building blocks of artificial nanostructures, but how their properties depend on temperature remains poorly understood. Here, we report thermal dependence of dynamic bending persistence length, twist rigidity, stretch modulus, and twist-stretch coupling for DNA, RNA, and hybrid duplexes between 7°C and 47°C. The results are based on all-atom molecular dynamics simulations using different force field parameterizations. We first demonstrate that unrestrained molecular dynamics can reproduce experimentally known mechanical properties of the duplexes at room temperature. Beyond experimentally known features, we also infer the twist rigidity and twist-stretch coupling of the hybrid duplex. As for the temperature dependence, we found that increasing temperature softens all the duplexes with respect to bending, twisting, and stretching. The relative decrease of the stretch moduli is 0.003-0.004/°C, similar for all the duplex variants despite their very different stretching stiffness, whereas RNA twist stiffness decreases by 0.003/°C, and smaller values are found for the other elastic moduli. The twist-stretch couplings are nearly unaffected by temperature. The stretching, bending, and twisting stiffness all include an important entropic component. Relation of our results to the two-state model of DNA flexibility is discussed. Our work provides temperature-dependent elasticity of nucleic acid duplexes at the microsecond scale relevant for initial stages of protein binding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hana Dohnalová
- Department of Informatics and Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Praha 6, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Matoušková
- Department of Informatics and Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Praha 6, Czech Republic
| | - Filip Lankaš
- Department of Informatics and Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Praha 6, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Debnath T, Cisneros GA. Investigation of the stability of D5SIC-DNAM-incorporated DNA duplex in Taq polymerase binary system: a systematic classical MD approach. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:7287-7295. [PMID: 38353000 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp05571j] [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: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
DNA polymerases are fundamental enzymes that play a crucial role in processing DNA with high fidelity and accuracy ensuring the faithful transmission of genetic information. The recognition of unnatural base pairs (UBPs) by polymerases, enabling their replication, represents a significant and groundbreaking discovery with profound implications for genetic expansion. Romesberg et al. examined the impact of DNA containing 2,6-dimethyl-2H-isoquiniline-1-thione: D5SIC (DS) and 2-methoxy-3-methylnaphthalene: DNAM (DN) UBPs bound to T. aquaticus DNA polymerase (Taq) through crystal structure analysis. Here, we have used polarizable and nonpolarizable classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the structural aspects and stability of Taq in complex with a DNA duplex including a DS-DN pair in the terminal 3' and 5' positions. Our results suggest that the flexibility of UBP-incorporated DNA in the terminal position is arrested by the polymerase, thus preventing fraying and mispairing. Our investigation also reveals that the UBP remains in an intercalated conformation inside the active site, exhibiting two distinct orientations in agreement with experimental findings. Our analysis pinpoints particular residues responsible for favorable interactions with the UBP, with some relying on van der Waals interactions while other on Coulombic forces.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tanay Debnath
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, Dallas, USA.
| | - G Andrés Cisneros
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, Dallas, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, Dallas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Debnath T, Cisneros GA. Investigation of dynamical flexibility of D5SIC-DNAM inside DNA duplex in aqueous solution: a systematic classical MD approach. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:7435-7445. [PMID: 38353005 PMCID: PMC11080001 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp05572h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Incorporation of artificial 3rd base pairs (unnatural base pairs, UBPs) has emerged as a fundamental technique in pursuit of expanding the genetic alphabet. 2,6-Dimethyl-2H-isoquiniline-1-thione: D5SIC (DS) and 2-methoxy-3-methylnaphthalene: DNAM (DN), a potential unnatural base pair (UBP) developed by Romesberg and colleagues, has been shown to have remarkable capability for replication within DNA. Crystal structures of a Taq polymerase/double-stranded DNA (ds-DNA) complex containing a DS-DN pair in the 3' terminus showed a parallelly stacked geometry for the pre-insertion, and an intercalated geometry for the post-insertion structure. Unconventional orientations of DS-DN inside a DNA duplex have inspired scientists to investigate the conformational orientations and structural properties of UBP-incorporated DNA. In recent years, computational simulations have been used to investigate the geometry of DS-DN within the DNA duplex; nevertheless, unresolved questions persist owing to inconclusive findings. In this work, we investigate the structural and dynamical properties of DS and DN inside a ds-DNA strand in aqueous solution considering both short and long DNA templates using polarizable, and non-polarizable classical MD simulations. Flexible conformational change of UBP with major populations of Watson-Crick-Franklin (WCF) and three distinct non-Watson-Crick-Franklin (nWCFP1, nWCFP2, nWCFO) conformations through intra and inter-strand flipping have been observed. Our results suggest that a dynamical conformational change leads to the production of diffierent conformational distribution for the systems. Simulations with a short ds-DNA duplex suggest nWCF (P1 and O) as the predominant structures, whereas long ds-DNA duplex simulations indicate almost equal populations of WCF, nWCFP1, nWCFO. DS-DN in the terminal position is found to be more flexible with occasional mispairing and fraying. Overall, these results suggest flexibility and dynamical conformational change of the UBP as well as indicate varied conformational distribution irrespective of starting orientation of the UBP and length og DNA strand.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tanay Debnath
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, Dallas, USA.
| | - G Andrés Cisneros
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, Dallas, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, Dallas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Gajarsky M, Stadlbauer P, Sponer J, Cucchiarini A, Dobrovolna M, Brazda V, Mergny JL, Trantirek L, Lenarcic Zivkovic M. DNA Quadruplex Structure with a Unique Cation Dependency. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202313226. [PMID: 38143239 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202313226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
DNA quadruplex structures provide an additional layer of regulatory control in genome maintenance and gene expression and are widely used in nanotechnology. We report the discovery of an unprecedented tetrastranded structure formed from a native G-rich DNA sequence originating from the telomeric region of Caenorhabditis elegans. The structure is defined by multiple properties that distinguish it from all other known DNA quadruplexes. Most notably, the formation of a stable so-called KNa-quadruplex (KNaQ) requires concurrent coordination of K+ and Na+ ions at two distinct binding sites. This structure provides novel insight into G-rich DNA folding under ionic conditions relevant to eukaryotic cell physiology and the structural evolution of telomeric DNA. It highlights the differences between the structural organization of human and nematode telomeric DNA, which should be considered when using C. elegans as a model in telomere biology, particularly in drug screening applications. Additionally, the absence/presence of KNaQ motifs in the host/parasite introduces an intriguing possibility of exploiting the KNaQ fold as a plausible antiparasitic drug target. The structure's unique shape and ion dependency and the possibility of controlling its folding by using low-molecular-weight ligands can be used for the design or discovery of novel recognition DNA elements and sensors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Gajarsky
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
- Current address: Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Petr Stadlbauer
- Institute of Biophysics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Kralovopolska 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Sponer
- Institute of Biophysics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Kralovopolska 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Anne Cucchiarini
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, Inserm, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Michaela Dobrovolna
- Institute of Biophysics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Kralovopolska 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, Purkynova 464, 61200, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vaclav Brazda
- Institute of Biophysics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Kralovopolska 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, Purkynova 464, 61200, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jean-Louis Mergny
- Institute of Biophysics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Kralovopolska 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, Inserm, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Lukas Trantirek
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Lenarcic Zivkovic
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
- Slovenian NMR Centre, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Ahmed AA, Chen S, Roman-Escorza M, Angell R, Oxenford S, McConville M, Barton N, Sunose M, Neidle D, Haider S, Arshad T, Neidle S. Structure-activity relationships for the G-quadruplex-targeting experimental drug QN-302 and two analogues probed with comparative transcriptome profiling and molecular modeling. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3447. [PMID: 38342953 PMCID: PMC10859377 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54080-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The tetrasubstituted naphthalene diimide compound QN-302 binds to G-quadruplex (G4) DNA structures. It shows high potency in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells and inhibits the transcription of cancer-related genes in these cells and in PDAC animal models. It is currently in Phase 1a clinical evaluation as an anticancer drug. A study of structure-activity relationships of QN-302 and two related analogues (CM03 and SOP1247) is reported here. These have been probed using comparisons of transcriptional profiles from whole-genome RNA-seq analyses, together with molecular modelling and molecular dynamics simulations. Compounds CM03 and SOP1247 differ by the presence of a methoxy substituent in the latter: these two compounds have closely similar transcriptional profiles. Whereas QN-302 (with an additional benzyl-pyrrolidine group), although also showing down-regulatory effects in the same cancer-related pathways, has effects on distinct genes, for example in the hedgehog pathway. This distinctive pattern of genes affected by QN-302 is hypothesized to contribute to its superior potency compared to CM03 and SOP1247. Its enhanced ability to stabilize G4 structures has been attributed to its benzyl-pyrrolidine substituent fitting into and filling most of the space in a G4 groove compared to the hydrogen atom in CM03 or the methoxy group substituent in SOP1247.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Abdullah Ahmed
- The School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, WC1N 1AX, UK
- Now at Guy's Cancer Centre, Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Shuang Chen
- The School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, WC1N 1AX, UK
| | | | - Richard Angell
- The School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, WC1N 1AX, UK
- Now at Medicines Discovery Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Sally Oxenford
- The School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, WC1N 1AX, UK
- Now at Artios Ltd, Cambridge, CB22 3FH, UK
| | | | | | - Mihiro Sunose
- Sygnature Discovery Ltd, BioCity, Nottingham, NG1 1GR, UK
| | - Dan Neidle
- Tax Policy Associates, London, EC1R 0ET, UK
| | - Shozeb Haider
- The School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Tariq Arshad
- Qualigen Therapeutics Inc, Carlsbad, CA, 92011, USA
| | - Stephen Neidle
- The School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, WC1N 1AX, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Flores S, Malý M, Hrebík D, Plevka P, Černý J. Are kuravirus capsid diameters quantized? The first all-atom genome tracing method for double-stranded DNA viruses. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:e12. [PMID: 38084886 PMCID: PMC10853797 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1153] [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: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The revolution in cryo-electron microscopy has resulted in unprecedented power to resolve large macromolecular complexes including viruses. Many methods exist to explain density corresponding to proteins and thus entire protein capsids have been solved at the all-atom level. However methods for nucleic acids lag behind, and no all-atom viral double-stranded DNA genomes have been published at all. We here present a method which exploits the spiral winding patterns of DNA in icosahedral capsids. The method quickly generates shells of DNA wound in user-specified, idealized spherical or cylindrical spirals. For transition regions, the method allows guided semiflexible fitting. For the kuravirus SU10, our method explains most of the density in a semiautomated fashion. The results suggest rules for DNA turns in the end caps under which two discrete parameters determine the capsid inner diameter. We suggest that other kuraviruses viruses may follow the same winding scheme, producing a discrete rather than continuous spectrum of capsid inner diameters. Our software may be used to explain the published density maps of other double-stranded DNA viruses and uncover their genome packaging principles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Coulbourn Flores
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Ulls Väg 26, Uppsala, and Stockholm University, Tomtebodavägen 23A, Solna, Sweden
| | - Michal Malý
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prumyslova 595, Vestec 25250, Czech Republic
| | - Dominik Hrebík
- Central European Institute of Technology, Kamenice 753/5, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Plevka
- Central European Institute of Technology, Kamenice 753/5, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Černý
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prumyslova 595, Vestec 25250, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Dohnalová H, Seifert M, Matoušková E, Klein M, Papini FS, Lipfert J, Dulin D, Lankaš F. Temperature-Dependent Twist of Double-Stranded RNA Probed by Magnetic Tweezer Experiments and Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:664-675. [PMID: 38197365 PMCID: PMC10823466 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c06280] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
RNA plays critical roles in the transmission and regulation of genetic information and is increasingly used in biomedical and biotechnological applications. Functional RNAs contain extended double-stranded regions, and the structure of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) has been revealed at high resolution. However, the dependence of the properties of the RNA double helix on environmental effects, notably temperature, is still poorly understood. Here, we use single-molecule magnetic tweezer measurements to determine the dependence of the dsRNA twist on temperature. We find that dsRNA unwinds with increasing temperature, even more than DNA, with ΔTwRNA = -14.4 ± 0.7°/(°C·kbp), compared to ΔTwDNA = -11.0 ± 1.2°/(°C·kbp). All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using a range of nucleic acid force fields, ion parameters, and water models correctly predict that dsRNA unwinds with rising temperature but significantly underestimate the magnitude of the effect. These MD data, together with additional MD simulations involving DNA and DNA-RNA hybrid duplexes, reveal a linear correlation between the twist temperature decrease and the helical rise, in line with DNA but at variance with RNA experimental data. We speculate that this discrepancy might be caused by some unknown bias in the RNA force fields tested or by as yet undiscovered transient alternative structures in the RNA duplex. Our results provide a baseline to model more complex RNA assemblies and to test and develop new parametrizations for RNA simulations. They may also inspire physical models of the temperature-dependent dsRNA structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hana Dohnalová
- Department
of Informatics and Chemistry, University
of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Praha
6, Czech Republic
| | - Mona Seifert
- Junior
Research Group 2, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Cauerstr. 3, Erlangen 91058, Germany
| | - Eva Matoušková
- Department
of Informatics and Chemistry, University
of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Praha
6, Czech Republic
| | - Misha Klein
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy and LaserLaB Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Flávia S. Papini
- Junior
Research Group 2, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Cauerstr. 3, Erlangen 91058, Germany
| | - Jan Lipfert
- Soft
Condensed Matter and Biophysics, Department of Physics and Debye Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CC, The Netherlands
| | - David Dulin
- Junior
Research Group 2, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Cauerstr. 3, Erlangen 91058, Germany
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy and LaserLaB Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Filip Lankaš
- Department
of Informatics and Chemistry, University
of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Praha
6, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Love O, Winkler L, Cheatham TE. van der Waals Parameter Scanning with Amber Nucleic Acid Force Fields: Revisiting Means to Better Capture the RNA/DNA Structure through MD. J Chem Theory Comput 2024; 20:625-643. [PMID: 38157247 PMCID: PMC10809421 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c01164] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulations can be used in combination with experimental techniques to uncover the intricacies of biomolecular structure, dynamics, and the resulting interactions. However, many noncanonical nucleic acid structures have proven to be challenging to replicate in accurate agreement with experimental data, often attributed to known force field deficiencies. A common force field criticism is the handling of van der Waals (vdW) parameters, which have not been updated since the regular use of Ewald's methods became routine. This work dives into the effects of minute vdW radii shifts on RNA tetranucleotide, B-DNA, and Z-DNA model systems described by commonly used Amber force fields. Using multidimensional replica exchange molecular dynamics (M-REMD), the GACC RNA tetranucleotide demonstrated changes in the structural distribution between the NMR minor and anomalous structure populations based on the O2' vdW radii scanning. However, no significant change in the NMR Major conformation population was observed. There were minimal changes in the B-DNA structure but there were more substantial improvements in Z-DNA structural descriptions, specifically with the Tumuc1 force field. This occurred with both LJbb vdW radii adjustments and incorporation of the CUFIX nonbonded parameter modifications. Though the limited vdW modifications tested did not provide a universal fix to the challenge of simulating the various known nucleic acid structures, they do provide direction and a greater understanding for future force field development efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas E. Cheatham
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry,
College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, 2000 East 30 South Skaggs 306, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Antolínez S, Jones PE, Phillips JC, Hadden-Perilla JA. AMBERff at Scale: Multimillion-Atom Simulations with AMBER Force Fields in NAMD. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:543-554. [PMID: 38176097 PMCID: PMC10806814 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01648] [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: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are an essential structural biology technique with increasing application to multimillion-atom systems, including viruses and cellular machinery. Classical MD simulations rely on parameter sets, such as the AMBER family of force fields (AMBERff), to accurately describe molecular motion. Here, we present an implementation of AMBERff for use in NAMD that overcomes previous limitations to enable high-performance, massively parallel simulations encompassing up to two billion atoms. Single-point potential energy comparisons and case studies on model systems demonstrate that the implementation produces results that are as accurate as running AMBERff in its native engine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Antolínez
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Peter Eugene Jones
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - James C. Phillips
- National
Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Jodi A. Hadden-Perilla
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Autiero I, Vitagliano L. Enhanced molecular dynamic simulation studies unravel long-range effects caused by sequence variations and partner binding in RNA aptamers. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2023; 34:102039. [PMID: 37869259 PMCID: PMC10585333 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.102039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsic flexibility and structural modularity are two common features of RNA molecules. Although functionally crucial, RNA plasticity often represents a major complication in high-resolution structural studies. To overcome this problem, RNAs may be rigidified through the complexation with high-affinity partners such as Fab molecules. This approach has been previously used to characterize the DIR2-aptamer. However, possible perturbations induced by the insertion of the Fab binding site on the DIR2-aptamer conformational properties were not investigated. Here, using enhanced molecular dynamics simulations, we compared the dynamics of the DIR2 aptamer holding the Fab binding site with that of the parental sequence. Our results suggest that the L2-loop modification for the Fab recognition leads to a significant increase in local flexibility that also affects the mobility of distant regions. The trajectories provide clear indications of the groups and the interactions mediating the dynamics transfer in DIR2. The effectiveness of our approach in addressing RNA flexibility was further corroborated by showing its ability to reproduce the most important events affecting the NF-κB RNA aptamer upon dissociation from the partner. Therefore, REMD analyses, a rarely adopted technique to unravel the structural/dynamical properties of aptamers, could efficiently complement experimental data guiding the rational design of nucleic acid therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ida Autiero
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Vitagliano
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Winkler L, Galindo-Murillo R, Cheatham TE. Assessment of A- to B- DNA Transitions Utilizing the Drude Polarizable Force Field. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:8955-8966. [PMID: 38014857 PMCID: PMC10720382 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c01002] [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: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
In addition to the well-characterized B-form of DNA, duplex DNA can adopt various conformations, such as A or Z-DNA. Though less common, these structures can be induced biologically through protein or ligand interactions or experimentally with niche environmental conditions, such as high salt concentrations or in mixed water-ethanol. Reproducing these alternate structures through molecular dynamics simulations in recent years has been quite challenging with the currently available force fields, simulation techniques, and time scales. In this study, the Drude polarizable force field is tested for its ability to facilitate transitions between A-DNA and B-DNA or maintain A-DNA. Though transitions away from B-DNA were observed in high concentrations of ethanol, the resulting structures had hybrid properties taken from both B-DNA and A-DNA structures. This was also true for A-DNA in ethanol, which lost some of the A-DNA properties that it was expected to maintain. When B-DNA was tested in high salt environments, the resulting B-DNA structures showed no distinguishable differences with the increasing salt concentrations tested. These results with the Drude FF and recent results with additive force fields suggest that at present the current additive and polarizable force fields do not facilitate a complete transition between B- to A-DNA conformations under the conditions simulated. At present, the Drude FF favors A-B DNA hybrid structures when simulated in nonphysiological conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Winkler
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, 2000 East 30 South Skaggs 306, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112,United States
| | - Rodrigo Galindo-Murillo
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
| | - Thomas E. Cheatham
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, 2000 East 30 South Skaggs 306, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112,United States
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Flauzino JMR, Nalepa MA, Chronopoulos DD, Šedajová V, Panáček D, Jakubec P, Kührová P, Pykal M, Banáš P, Panáček A, Bakandritsos A, Otyepka M. Click and Detect: Versatile Ampicillin Aptasensor Enabled by Click Chemistry on a Graphene-Alkyne Derivative. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2207216. [PMID: 36703534 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202207216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Tackling the current problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) requires fast, inexpensive, and effective methods for controlling and detecting antibiotics in diverse samples at the point of interest. Cost-effective, disposable, point-of-care electrochemical biosensors are a particularly attractive option. However, there is a need for conductive and versatile carbon-based materials and inks that enable effective bioconjugation under mild conditions for the development of robust, sensitive, and selective devices. This work describes a simple and fast methodology to construct an aptasensor based on a novel graphene derivative equipped with alkyne groups prepared via fluorographene chemistry. Using click chemistry, an aptamer is immobilized and used as a successful platform for the selective determination of ampicillin in real samples in the presence of interfering molecules. The electrochemical aptasensor displayed a detection limit of 1.36 nM, high selectivity among other antibiotics, the storage stability of 4 weeks, and is effective in real samples. Additionally, structural and docking simulations of the aptamer shed light on the ampicillin binding mechanism. The versatility of this platform opens up wide possibilities for constructing a new class of aptasensor based on disposable screen-printed carbon electrodes usable in point-of-care devices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José M R Flauzino
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Martin-Alex Nalepa
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Demetrios D Chronopoulos
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Šedajová
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - David Panáček
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Jakubec
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Kührová
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Pykal
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Banáš
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Aleš Panáček
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, 771 46, Czech Republic
| | - Aristides Bakandritsos
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic
- Nanotechnology Centre, Centre of Energy and Environmental Technologies, VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 2172/15, 708 00, Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Otyepka
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic
- IT4Innovations, VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 2172/15, Ostrava-Poruba, 708 00, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Mlýnský V, Kührová P, Stadlbauer P, Krepl M, Otyepka M, Banáš P, Šponer J. Simple Adjustment of Intranucleotide Base-Phosphate Interaction in the OL3 AMBER Force Field Improves RNA Simulations. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:8423-8433. [PMID: 37944118 PMCID: PMC10687871 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations represent an established tool to study RNA molecules. The outcome of MD studies depends, however, on the quality of the force field (ff). Here we suggest a correction for the widely used AMBER OL3 ff by adding a simple adjustment of the nonbonded parameters. The reparameterization of the Lennard-Jones potential for the -H8···O5'- and -H6···O5'- atom pairs addresses an intranucleotide steric clash occurring in the type 0 base-phosphate interaction (0BPh). The nonbonded fix (NBfix) modification of 0BPh interactions (NBfix0BPh modification) was tuned via a reweighting approach and subsequently tested using an extensive set of standard and enhanced sampling simulations of both unstructured and folded RNA motifs. The modification corrects minor but visible intranucleotide clash for the anti nucleobase conformation. We observed that structural ensembles of small RNA benchmark motifs simulated with the NBfix0BPh modification provide better agreement with experiments. No side effects of the modification were observed in standard simulations of larger structured RNA motifs. We suggest that the combination of OL3 RNA ff and NBfix0BPh modification is a viable option to improve RNA MD simulations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vojtěch Mlýnský
- Institute
of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 612 00, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Kührová
- Institute
of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 612 00, Czech Republic
- Czech
Advanced Technology and Research Institute, CATRIN, Křížkovského 511/8, Olomouc 779 00, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Stadlbauer
- Institute
of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 612 00, Czech Republic
- Czech
Advanced Technology and Research Institute, CATRIN, Křížkovského 511/8, Olomouc 779 00, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Krepl
- Institute
of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 612 00, Czech Republic
- Czech
Advanced Technology and Research Institute, CATRIN, Křížkovského 511/8, Olomouc 779 00, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Otyepka
- Czech
Advanced Technology and Research Institute, CATRIN, Křížkovského 511/8, Olomouc 779 00, Czech Republic
- IT4Innovations, VSB−Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 2172/15, Ostrava-Poruba 708 00, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Banáš
- Institute
of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 612 00, Czech Republic
- Czech
Advanced Technology and Research Institute, CATRIN, Křížkovského 511/8, Olomouc 779 00, Czech Republic
- IT4Innovations, VSB−Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 2172/15, Ostrava-Poruba 708 00, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Šponer
- Institute
of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 612 00, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Larson GW, Windsor PK, Smithwick E, Shi K, Aihara H, Rama Damodaran A, Bhagi-Damodaran A. Understanding ATP Binding to DosS Catalytic Domain with a Short ATP-Lid. Biochemistry 2023; 62:3283-3292. [PMID: 37905955 PMCID: PMC11152246 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00306] [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] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
DosS is a heme-containing histidine kinase that triggers dormancy transformation inMycobacterium tuberculosis. Sequence comparison of the catalytic ATP-binding (CA) domain of DosS to other well-studied histidine kinases reveals a short ATP-lid. This feature has been thought to block binding of ATP to DosS's CA domain in the absence of interactions with DosS's dimerization and histidine phospho-transfer (DHp) domain. Here, we use a combination of computational modeling, structural biology, and biophysical studies to re-examine ATP-binding modalities in DosS. We show that the closed-lid conformation observed in crystal structures of DosS CA is caused by the presence of Zn2+ in the ATP binding pocket that coordinates with Glu537 on the ATP-lid. Furthermore, circular dichroism studies and comparisons of DosS CA's crystal structure with its AlphaFold model and homologous DesK reveal that residues 503-507 that appear as a random coil in the Zn2+-coordinated crystal structure are in fact part of the N-box α helix needed for efficient ATP binding. Such random-coil transformation of an N-box α helix turn and the closed-lid conformation are both artifacts arising from large millimolar Zn2+ concentrations used in DosS CA crystallization buffers. In contrast, in the absence of Zn2+, the short ATP-lid of DosS CA has significant conformational flexibility and can effectively bind AMP-PNP (Kd = 53 ± 13 μM), a non-hydrolyzable ATP analog. Furthermore, the nucleotide affinity remains unchanged when CA is conjugated to the DHp domain (Kd = 51 ± 6 μM). In all, our findings reveal that the short ATP-lid of DosS CA does not hinder ATP binding and provide insights that extend to 2988 homologous bacterial proteins containing such ATP-lids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Grant W Larson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Peter K Windsor
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Elizabeth Smithwick
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Ke Shi
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Hideki Aihara
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Anoop Rama Damodaran
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Ambika Bhagi-Damodaran
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Hix MA, Walker AR. AutoParams: An Automated Web-Based Tool To Generate Force Field Parameters for Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:6293-6301. [PMID: 37773638 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Many research questions benefit from molecular dynamics simulations to observe the motions and conformations of molecules over time, which rely on force fields that describe sets of common molecules by category. With the increase of importance for large data sets used in machine learning and growing computational efficiency, the ability to rapidly create large numbers of force field inputs is of high importance. Unusual molecules, such as nucleotide analogues, functionalized carbohydrates, and modified amino acids, are difficult to describe consistently using standard force fields, requiring the development of custom parameters for each unique molecule. While these parameters may be created by individual users, the process can become time-consuming or may introduce errors that may not be immediately apparent. We present an open-source automated parameter generation service, AutoParams, which requires minimal input from the user and creates useful Amber force field parameter sets for most molecules, particularly those that combine molecular types (e.g., a carbohydrate functionalized with a benzene). We include hierarchical atom-typing logic that makes it straightforward to expand with additional force fields and settings, and options for creating monomers in polymers, such as functionalized amino acids. It can be straightforwardly linked to any charge generation program and currently has interfaces to Psi4, PsiRESP, and TeraChem. It is open source and is available via GitHub. It includes error checking and testing protocols to ensure the parameters will be sufficient for subsequent molecular dynamics simulations and streamlines the creation of force field databases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Hix
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202-3489, United States
| | - Alice R Walker
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202-3489, United States
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Lau MS, Hu Z, Zhao X, Tan YS, Liu J, Huang H, Yeo CJ, Leong HF, Grinchuk OV, Chan JK, Yan J, Tee WW. Transcriptional repression by a secondary DNA binding surface of DNA topoisomerase I safeguards against hypertranscription. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6464. [PMID: 37833256 PMCID: PMC10576097 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42078-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulation of global transcription output is important for normal development and disease, but little is known about the mechanisms involved. DNA topoisomerase I (TOP1) is an enzyme well-known for its role in relieving DNA supercoils for enabling transcription. Here, we report a non-enzymatic function of TOP1 that downregulates RNA synthesis. This function is dependent on specific DNA-interacting residues located on a conserved protein surface. A loss-of-function knock-in mutation on this surface, R548Q, is sufficient to cause hypertranscription and alter differentiation outcomes in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Hypertranscription in mESCs is accompanied by reduced TOP1 chromatin binding and change in genomic supercoiling. Notably, the mutation does not impact TOP1 enzymatic activity; rather, it diminishes TOP1-DNA binding and formation of compact protein-DNA structures. Thus, TOP1 exhibits opposing influences on transcription through distinct activities which are likely to be coordinated. This highlights TOP1 as a safeguard of appropriate total transcription levels in cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mei Sheng Lau
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Republic of Singapore.
| | - Zhenhua Hu
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Republic of Singapore
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Major Obstetric Diseases, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Higher Education Joint Laboratory of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaodan Zhao
- Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117551, Singapore
- Centre for Bioimaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117557, Singapore
| | - Yaw Sing Tan
- Bioinformatics Institute (BII), A*STAR, 30 Biopolis Street, Matrix, Singapore, 138671, Singapore
| | - Jinyue Liu
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), A*STAR, 60 Biopolis Street, Genome, Singapore, 138672, Singapore
| | - Hua Huang
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Electrophysiology Core Facility, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Clarisse Jingyi Yeo
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Hwei Fen Leong
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Oleg V Grinchuk
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Justin Kaixuan Chan
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Jie Yan
- Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117551, Singapore.
- Centre for Bioimaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117557, Singapore.
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117411, Singapore.
| | - Wee-Wei Tee
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Republic of Singapore.
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- NUS Centre for Cancer Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Vianney YM, Schröder N, Jana J, Chojetzki G, Weisz K. Showcasing Different G-Quadruplex Folds of a G-Rich Sequence: Between Rule-Based Prediction and Butterfly Effect. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:22194-22205. [PMID: 37751488 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c08336] [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: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
In better understanding the interactions of G-quadruplexes in a cellular or noncellular environment, a reliable sequence-based prediction of their three-dimensional fold would be extremely useful, yet is often limited by their remarkable structural diversity. A G-rich sequence related to a promoter sequence of the PDGFR-β nuclease hypersensitivity element (NHE) comprises a G3-G3-G2-G4-G3 pattern of five G-runs with two to four G residues. Although the predominant formation of three-layered canonical G-quadruplexes with uninterrupted G-columns can be expected, minimal base substitutions in a non-G-tract domain were shown to guide folding into either a basket-type antiparallel quadruplex, a parallel-stranded quadruplex with an interrupted G-column, a quadruplex with a V-shaped loop, or a (3+1) hybrid quadruplex. A 3D NMR structure for each of the different folds was determined. Supported by thermodynamic profiling on additional sequence variants, formed topologies were rationalized by the identification and assessment of specific critical interactions of loop and overhang residues, giving valuable insights into their contribution to favor a particular conformer. The variability of such tertiary interactions, together with only small differences in quadruplex free energies, emphasizes current limits for a reliable sequence-dependent prediction of favored topologies from sequences with multiple irregularly positioned G-tracts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoanes Maria Vianney
- Institute of Biochemistry, Universität Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff Str. 4, D-17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Nina Schröder
- Institute of Biochemistry, Universität Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff Str. 4, D-17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jagannath Jana
- Institute of Biochemistry, Universität Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff Str. 4, D-17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Gregor Chojetzki
- Institute of Biochemistry, Universität Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff Str. 4, D-17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Klaus Weisz
- Institute of Biochemistry, Universität Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff Str. 4, D-17489 Greifswald, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Chen YT, Yang H, Chu JW. Mechanical codes of chemical-scale specificity in DNA motifs. Chem Sci 2023; 14:10155-10166. [PMID: 37772098 PMCID: PMC10529945 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc01671d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In gene transcription, certain sequences of double-stranded (ds)DNA play a vital role in nucleosome positioning and expression initiation. That dsDNA is deformed to various extents in these processes leads us to ask: Could the genomic DNA also have sequence specificity in its chemical-scale mechanical properties? We approach this question using statistical machine learning to determine the rigidity between DNA chemical moieties. What emerges for the polyA, polyG, TpA, and CpG sequences studied here is a unique trigram that contains the quantitative mechanical strengths between bases and along the backbone. In a way, such a sequence-dependent trigram could be viewed as a DNA mechanical code. Interestingly, we discover a compensatory competition between the axial base-stacking interaction and the transverse base-pairing interaction, and such a reciprocal relationship constitutes the most discriminating feature of the mechanical code. Our results also provide chemical-scale understanding for experimental observables. For example, the long polyA persistence length is shown to have strong base stacking while its complement (polyAc) exhibits high backbone rigidity. The mechanical code concept enables a direct reading of the physical interactions encoded in the sequence which, with further development, is expected to shed new light on DNA allostery and DNA-binding drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Tsao Chen
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hsinchu 30010 Taiwan Republic of China
| | - Haw Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University Princeton NJ 08544 USA
| | - Jhih-Wei Chu
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hsinchu 30010 Taiwan Republic of China
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Bioengineering, Center for Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio-devices (IDS2B), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hsinchu 30010 Taiwan Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Zhu Q, Wu Y, Zhao S, Cieplak P, Duan Y, Luo R. Streamlining and Optimizing Strategies of Electrostatic Parameterization. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:6353-6365. [PMID: 37676646 PMCID: PMC10530599 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Accurate characterization of electrostatic interactions is crucial in molecular simulation. Various methods and programs have been developed to obtain electrostatic parameters for additive or polarizable models to replicate electrostatic properties obtained from experimental measurements or theoretical calculations. Electrostatic potentials (ESPs), a set of physically well-defined observables from quantum mechanical (QM) calculations, are well suited for optimization efforts due to the ease of collecting a large amount of conformation-dependent data. However, a reliable set of QM ESP computed at an appropriate level of theory and atomic basis set is necessary. In addition, despite the recent development of the PyRESP program for electrostatic parameterizations of induced dipole-polarizable models, the time-consuming and error-prone input file preparation process has limited the widespread use of these protocols. This work aims to comprehensively evaluate the quality of QM ESPs derived by eight methods, including wave function methods such as Hartree-Fock (HF), second-order Møller-Plesset (MP2), and coupled cluster-singles and doubles (CCSD), as well as five hybrid density functional theory (DFT) methods, used in conjunction with 13 different basis sets. The highest theory levels CCSD/aug-cc-pV5Z (a5z) and MP2/aug-cc-pV5Z (a5z) were selected as benchmark data over two homemade data sets. The results show that the hybrid DFT method, ωB97X-D, combined with the aug-cc-pVTZ (a3z) basis set, performs well in reproducing ESPs while taking both accuracy and efficiency into consideration. Moreover, a flexible and user-friendly program called PyRESP_GEN was developed to streamline input file preparation. The restraining strengths, along with strategies for polarizable Gaussian multipole (pGM) model parameterizations, were also optimized. These findings and the program presented in this work facilitate the development and application of induced dipole-polarizable models, such as pGM models, for molecular simulations of both chemical and biological significance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Zhu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Yongxian Wu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Shiji Zhao
- Nurix Therapeutics, Inc., 1700 Owens St, Suite 205, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Piotr Cieplak
- SBP Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Yong Duan
- UC Davis Genome Center and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Ray Luo
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Fakharzadeh A, Qu J, Pan F, Sagui C, Roland C. Structure and Dynamics of DNA and RNA Double Helices Formed by d(CTG), d(GTC), r(CUG), and r(GUC) Trinucleotide Repeats and Associated DNA-RNA Hybrids. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:7907-7924. [PMID: 37681731 PMCID: PMC10519205 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c03538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 is the most frequent form of muscular dystrophy in adults caused by an abnormal expansion of the CTG trinucleotide. Both the expanded DNA and the expanded CUG RNA transcript can fold into hairpins. Co-transcriptional formation of stable RNA·DNA hybrids can also enhance the instability of repeat tracts. We performed molecular dynamics simulations of homoduplexes associated with the disease, d(CTG)n and r(CUG)n, and their corresponding r(CAG)n:d(CTG)n and r(CUG)n:d(CAG)n hybrids that can form under bidirectional transcription and of non-pathological d(GTC)n and d(GUC)n homoduplexes. We characterized their conformations, stability, and dynamics and found that the U·U and T·T mismatches are dynamic, favoring anti-anti conformations inside the helical core, followed by anti-syn and syn-syn conformations. For DNA, the secondary minima in the non-expanding d(GTC)n helices are deeper, wider, and longer-lived than those in d(CTG)n, which constitutes another biophysical factor further differentiating the expanding and non-expanding sequences. The hybrid helices are closer to A-RNA, with the A-T and A-U pairs forming two stable Watson-Crick hydrogen bonds. The neutralizing ion distribution around the non-canonical pairs is also described.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashkan Fakharzadeh
- Department
of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8202, USA
| | - Jing Qu
- Department
of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8202, USA
| | - Feng Pan
- Department
of Statistics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, USA
| | - Celeste Sagui
- Department
of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8202, USA
| | - Christopher Roland
- Department
of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8202, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Zhang Q, Yang L, Wang K, Guo L, Ning H, Wang S, Gong Y. Terahertz waves regulate the mechanical unfolding of tau pre-mRNA hairpins. iScience 2023; 26:107572. [PMID: 37664616 PMCID: PMC10470126 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Intermolecular interactions, including hydrogen bonds, dominate the pairing and unpairing of nucleic acid chains in the transfer process of genetic information. The energy of THz waves just matches with the weak interactions, so THz waves may interact with biomolecules. Here, the dynamic effects of THz electromagnetic (EM) waves on the mechanical unfolding process of RNA hairpins (WT-30nt and its mutants, rHP, SARS-CoV-2, and SRV-1 SF206) are investigated using steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulations. The results show that THz waves can either promote the unfolding of the double helix of the RNA hairpin during the initial unfolding phase (4-21.8 THz) or significantly enhance (23.8 and 25.5 THz) or weaken (37.4 and 41.2 THz) its structural stability during unfolding. Our findings have important implications for applying THz waves to regulate dynamic deconvolution processes, such as gene replication, transcription, and translation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qin Zhang
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 611731, China
| | - Lixia Yang
- School of Physics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 611731, China
| | - Kaicheng Wang
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 611731, China
| | - Lianghao Guo
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 611731, China
| | - Hui Ning
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 611731, China
| | - Shaomeng Wang
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 611731, China
| | - Yubin Gong
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 611731, China
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Martínez Del Río J, López-Carrobles N, Mendieta-Moreno JI, Herrera-Chacón Ó, Sánchez-Ibáñez A, Mendieta J, Menéndez-Arias L. Charge Engineering of the Nucleic Acid Binding Cleft of a Thermostable HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Reveals Key Interactions and a Novel Mechanism of RNase H Inactivation. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168219. [PMID: 37536391 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168219] [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] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Coupled with PCR, reverse transcriptases (RTs) have been widely used for RNA detection and gene expression analysis. Increased thermostability and nucleic acid binding affinity are desirable RT properties to improve yields and sensitivity of these applications. The effects of amino acid substitutions in the RT RNase H domain were tested in an engineered HIV-1 group O RT, containing mutations K358R/A359G/S360A and devoid of RNase H activity due to the presence of E478Q (O3MQ RT). Twenty mutant RTs with Lys or Arg at positions interacting with the template-primer (i.e., at positions 473-477, 499-502 and 505) were obtained and characterized. Most of them produced significant amounts of cDNA at 37, 50 and 65 °C, as determined in RT-PCR reactions. However, a big loss of activity was observed with mutants A477K/R, S499K/R, V502K/R and Y505K/R, particularly at 65 °C. Binding affinity experiments confirmed that residues 477, 502 and 505 were less tolerant to mutations. Amino acid substitutions Q500K and Q500R produced a slight increase of cDNA synthesis efficiency at 50 and 65 °C, without altering the KD for model DNA/DNA and RNA/DNA heteroduplexes. Interestingly, molecular dynamics simulations predicted that those mutations inactivate the RNase H activity by altering the geometry of the catalytic site. Proof of this unexpected effect was obtained after introducing Q500K or Q500R in the wild-type HIV-1BH10 RT and mutant K358R/A359G/S360A RT. Our results reveal a novel mechanism of RNase H inactivation that preserves RT DNA binding and polymerization efficiency without substituting RNase H active site residues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javier Martínez Del Río
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Campus de Cantoblanco-UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nerea López-Carrobles
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Campus de Cantoblanco-UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Óscar Herrera-Chacón
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Campus de Cantoblanco-UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Adrián Sánchez-Ibáñez
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Campus de Cantoblanco-UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Mendieta
- Department of Biotechnology, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Menéndez-Arias
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Campus de Cantoblanco-UAM, Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Halder S, Thakur A, Keshry SS, Jana P, Karothia D, Das Jana I, Acevedo O, Swain RK, Mondal A, Chattopadhyay S, Jayaprakash V, Dev A. SELEX based aptamers with diagnostic and entry inhibitor therapeutic potential for SARS-CoV-2. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14560. [PMID: 37666993 PMCID: PMC10477244 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41885-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Frequent mutation and variable immunological protection against vaccination is a common feature for COVID-19 pandemic. Early detection and confinement remain key to controlling further spread of infection. In response, we have developed an aptamer-based system that possesses both diagnostic and therapeutic potential towards the virus. A random aptamer library (~ 1017 molecules) was screened using systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) and aptamer R was identified as a potent binder for the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain (RBD) using in vitro binding assay. Using a pseudotyped viral entry assay we have shown that aptamer R specifically inhibited the entry of a SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped virus in HEK293T-ACE2 cells but did not inhibit the entry of a Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) glycoprotein (G) pseudotyped virus, hence establishing its specificity towards SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The antiviral potential of aptamers R and J (same central sequence as R but lacking flanked primer regions) was tested and showed 95.4% and 82.5% inhibition, respectively, against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Finally, intermolecular interactions between the aptamers and the RBD domain were analyzed using in silico docking and molecular dynamics simulations that provided additional insight into the binding and inhibitory action of aptamers R and J.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sayanti Halder
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand, 835215, India
| | - Abhishek Thakur
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Supriya Suman Keshry
- Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751023, India
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Pradip Jana
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand, 835215, India
| | | | - Indrani Das Jana
- School of Bioscience, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India
| | - Orlando Acevedo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Rajeeb K Swain
- Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751023, India
| | - Arindam Mondal
- School of Bioscience, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India
| | | | - Venkatesan Jayaprakash
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand, 835215, India
| | - Abhimanyu Dev
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand, 835215, India.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Wang Q, Luo S, Xiong D, Xu X, Wang L, Duan L. Comprehensive analysis unveils altered binding kinetics of 5-/6-methylCytosine/adenine modifications in R2R3-DNA system. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:22941-22951. [PMID: 37593785 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp02544f] [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: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that DNA methylation is an important epigenetic marker. Two prominent forms are methylation of the C5 position of cytosine and methylation of the C6 position of adenine. Given the vital significance of DNA methylation, investigating the mechanisms that influence protein binding remains a compelling pursuit. This study used molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the binding patterns of R2R3 protein and four differentially methylated DNAs. The alanine scanning combined with interaction entropy method was used to identify key residues that respond to different methylation patterns. The order of protein binding ability to DNA is as follows: unmethylated DNA > A11 methylation (5'-A6mAC-3') (6m2A system) > A10 methylation (5'-6mAAC-3') (6m1A system) > both A10 and A11 methylation (5'-6mA6mAC-3') (6mAA system) > C12 methylation (5'-AA5mC-3') (5mC system). All methylation systems lead to the sixth α helix (H6) (residues D105 to L116) moving away from the binding interface, and in the 5mC and 6m1A systems, the third α helix (H3) (residues G54 to L65) exhibits a similar trend. When the positively charged amino acids in H3 and H6 move away from the binding interface, their electrostatic and van der Waals interactions with the negatively charged DNA are weakened. Structural changes induced by methylation contributed to the destabilization of the hydrogen bond network near the original binding site, except for the 6m2A system. Moreover, there is a positive correlation between the number of methylated sites and the probability of distorting the DNA structure. Our study explores how different methylation patterns affect binding and structural adaptability, and have implications for drug discovery and understanding diseases related to abnormal methylation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qihang Wang
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China.
| | - Song Luo
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China.
| | - Danyang Xiong
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China.
| | - Xiaole Xu
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China.
| | - Lizhi Wang
- College of Integrated Circuits, Ludong University, Yantai, 264025, China.
| | - Lili Duan
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Wang Q, Luo S, Xiong D, Xu X, Zhao X, Duan L. Quantitative investigation of the effects of DNA modifications and protein mutations on MeCP2-MBD-DNA interactions. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 247:125690. [PMID: 37423448 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation as an important epigenetic marker, has gained attention for the significance of three oxidative modifications (hydroxymethyl-C (hmC), formyl-C (fC), and carboxyl-C (caC)). Mutations occurring in the methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD) of MeCP2 result in Rett. However, uncertainties persist regarding DNA modification and MBD mutation-induced interaction changes. Here, molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate the underlying mechanisms behind changes due to different modifications of DNA and MBD mutations. Alanine scanning combined with the interaction entropy method was employed to accurately evaluate the binding free energy. The results show that MBD has the strongest binding ability for mCDNA, followed by caC, hmC, and fCDNA, with the weakest binding ability observed for CDNA. Further analysis revealed that mC modification induces DNA bending, causing residues R91 and R162 closer to the DNA. This proximity enhances van der Waals and electrostatic interactions. Conversely, the caC/hmC and fC modifications lead to two loop regions (near K112 and K130) closer to DNA, respectively. Furthermore, DNA modifications promote the formation of stable hydrogen bond networks, however mutations in the MBD significantly reduce the binding free energy. This study provides detailed insight into the effects of DNA modifications and MBD mutations on binding ability. It emphasizes the necessity for research and development of targeted Rett compounds that induce conformational compatibility between MBD and DNA, enhancing the stability and strength of their interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qihang Wang
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Song Luo
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Danyang Xiong
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Xiaole Xu
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhao
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Lili Duan
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Stadlbauer P, Mlýnský V, Krepl M, Šponer J. Complexity of Guanine Quadruplex Unfolding Pathways Revealed by Atomistic Pulling Simulations. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:4716-4731. [PMID: 37458574 PMCID: PMC10428220 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00171] [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: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Guanine quadruplexes (GQs) are non-canonical nucleic acid structures involved in many biological processes. GQs formed in single-stranded regions often need to be unwound by cellular machinery, so their mechanochemical properties are important. Here, we performed steered molecular dynamics simulations of human telomeric GQs to study their unfolding. We examined four pulling regimes, including a very slow setup with pulling velocity and force load accessible to high-speed atomic force microscopy. We identified multiple factors affecting the unfolding mechanism, i.e.,: (i) the more the direction of force was perpendicular to the GQ channel axis (determined by GQ topology), the more the base unzipping mechanism happened, (ii) the more parallel the direction of force was, GQ opening and cross-like GQs were more likely to occur, (iii) strand slippage mechanism was possible for GQs with an all-anti pattern in a strand, and (iv) slower pulling velocity led to richer structural dynamics with sampling of more intermediates and partial refolding events. We also identified that a GQ may eventually unfold after a force drop under forces smaller than those that the GQ withstood before the drop. Finally, we found out that different unfolding intermediates could have very similar chain end-to-end distances, which reveals some limitations of structural interpretations of single-molecule spectroscopic data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Petr Stadlbauer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech
Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 612 00, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Mlýnský
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech
Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 612 00, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Krepl
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech
Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 612 00, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech
Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 612 00, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|