1
|
Markovitsi D. Processes triggered in guanine quadruplexes by direct absorption of UV radiation: From fundamental studies toward optoelectronic biosensors. Photochem Photobiol 2024; 100:262-274. [PMID: 37365765 DOI: 10.1111/php.13826] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Guanine quadruplexes (GQs) are four-stranded DNA/RNA structures exhibiting an important polymorphism. During the past two decades, their study by time-resolved spectroscopy, from femtoseconds to milliseconds, associated to computational methods, shed light on the primary processes occurring when they absorb UV radiation. Quite recently, their utilization in label-free and dye-free biosensors was explored by a few groups. In view of such developments, this review discusses the outcomes of the fundamental studies that could contribute to the design of future optoelectronic biosensors using fluorescence or charge carriers stemming directly from GQs, without mediation of other molecules, as it is the currently the case. It explains how the excited state relaxation influences both the fluorescence intensity and the efficiency of low-energy photoionization, occurring via a complex mechanism. The corresponding quantum yields, determined with excitation at 266/267 nm, fall in the range of (3.0-9.5) × 10-4 and (3.2-9.2) × 10-3 , respectively. These values, significantly higher than the corresponding values found for duplexes, depend strongly on certain structural factors (molecularity, metal cations, peripheral bases, number of tetrads …) which intervene in the relaxation process. Accordingly, these features can be tuned to optimize the desired signal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dimitra Markovitsi
- CNRS, Institut de Chimie Physique, UMR8000, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Balanikas E, Gustavsson T, Markovitsi D. Fluorescence of Bimolecular Guanine Quadruplexes: From Femtoseconds to Nanoseconds. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:172-179. [PMID: 36577031 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c07647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The paper deals with the fluorescence of guanine quadruplexes (G4) formed by association of two DNA strands d(GGGGTTTTGGGG) in the presence of K+ cations, noted as OXY/K+ in reference to the protozoon Oxytricha nova, whose telomere contains TTTTGGGG repeats. They were studied by steady-state and time-resolved techniques, time-correlated single photon counting, and fluorescence upconversion. The maximum of the OXY/K+ fluorescence spectrum is located at 334 nm, and the quantum yield is 5.8 × 10-4. About 75% of the photons are emitted before 100 ps and stem from ππ* states, possibly with a small contribution of charge transfer. Time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy measurements indicate that ultrafast (<330 fs) excitation transfer, due to internal conversion among exciton states, is more efficient in OXY/K+ compared to previously studied G4 structures. This is attributed to the arrangement of the peripheral thymines in two diagonal loops with restricted mobility, facilitating the interaction among them and with guanines. Thymines should also be responsible for a weak intensity excimer/exciplex emission band, peaking at 445 nm. Finally, the longest living fluorescence component (∼2.1 ns) is observed at the blue side of the spectrum. So far, high-energy long-lived emitting states had been reported only for double-stranded structures but not for G4.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Gustavsson
- CEA, CNRS, LIDYL, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Dimitra Markovitsi
- CEA, CNRS, LIDYL, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,CNRS, Institut de Chimie Physique, UMR8000, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Avagliano D, Lorini E, González L. Sampling effects in quantum mechanical/molecular mechanics trajectory surface hopping non-adiabatic dynamics. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2022; 380:20200381. [PMID: 35341304 PMCID: PMC8958275 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2020.0381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The impact of different initial conditions in non-adiabatic trajectory surface hopping dynamics within a hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanics scheme is investigated. The influence of a quantum sampling, based on a Wigner distribution, a fully thermal sampling, based on classical molecular dynamics, and a quantum sampled system, but thermally equilibrated with the environment, is investigated on the relaxation dynamics of solvated fulvene after light irradiation. We find that the decay from the first singlet excited state to the ground state shows high dependency on the initial condition and simulation parameters. The three sampling methods lead to different distributions of initial geometries and momenta, which then affect the fate of the excited state dynamics. We evaluated both the effect of sampling geometries and momenta, analysing how the ultrafast decay of fulvene changes accordingly. The results are expected to be of interest to decide how to initialize non-adiabatic dynamics in the presence of the environment. This article is part of the theme issue 'Chemistry without the Born-Oppenheimer approximation'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Davide Avagliano
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Straße 17, A-1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Emilio Lorini
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Straße 17, A-1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Leticia González
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Straße 17, A-1180 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Research Platform on Accelerating Photoreaction Discovery, University of Vienna, Währinger Straße 17, A-1180 Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Milovanović B, Petković M, Etinski M. Alkaline earth cations binding mode tailors excited-state charge transfer properties of guanine quadruplex: A TDDFT study. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2022; 267:120584. [PMID: 34794899 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2021.120584] [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: 08/15/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Quadruplexes formed by nucleic acids and their derivates tend to chelate different monovalent and bivalent cations, which simultaneously affect their excited electronic states properties. Cation binding to every and every other cavity of the central ion channel could be exploited for tuning exited-state charge transfer properties. In this work we utilize set of descriptors constructed on the basis of the one-electron transition density matrix obtained using linear-response TDDFT to study excited states properties of four crystallized tetramolecular quadruplexes that chelate alkaline earth cations (Ca2+, Sr2+ and Ba2+). Here, we show that alkaline earth cations situated at adjacent vacancies promote existence of the nucleobase-metal charge separation (CS) states, contrary to the structures with cations that occupy every second available vacancy. We argued that stabilization of these CS states is due to the strong electric field that stabilizes d orbitals of the cations which accept an excited-electron. Moreover, CS content is increased and redshifted below the first bright transition when number of the chelated cations is increased. Hydration effects stabilized CS states and increased their relative content. We also identified electron detachment states in the broad energy range for the Ca2+ containing system. These findings are valuable for understanding and development of the novel nanostructures based on the quadruplex scaffold with adjustable optical properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Branislav Milovanović
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Physical Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Milena Petković
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Physical Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Mihajlo Etinski
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Physical Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, Belgrade, Serbia.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Asha H, Stadlbauer P, Martínez-Fernández L, Banáš P, Šponer J, Improta R, Esposito L. Early steps of oxidative damage in DNA quadruplexes are position-dependent: Quantum mechanical and molecular dynamics analysis of human telomeric sequence containing ionized guanine. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 194:882-894. [PMID: 34838862 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.11.143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Guanine radical cation (G•+) is a key intermediate in many oxidative processes occurring in nucleic acids. Here, by combining mixed Quantum Mechanical/Molecular Mechanics calculations and Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, we study how the structural behaviour of a tract GGG(TTAGGG)3 (hereafter Tel21) of the human telomeric sequence, folded in an antiparallel quadruple helix, changes when one of the G bases is ionized to G•+ (Tel21+). Once assessed that the electron-hole is localized on a single G, we perform MD simulations of twelve Tel21+ systems, differing in the position of G•+ in the sequence. When G•+ is located in the tetrad adjacent to the diagonal loop, we observe substantial structural rearrangements, which can decrease the electrostatic repulsion with the inner Na+ ions and increase the solvent exposed surface of G•+. Analysis of solvation patterns of G•+ provides new insights on the main reactions of G•+, i.e. the deprotonation at two different sites and hydration at the C8 atom, the first steps of the processes producing 8oxo-Guanine. We suggest the main structural determinants of the relative reactivity of each position and our conclusions, consistent with the available experimental trends, can help rationalizing the reactivity of other G-quadruplex topologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haritha Asha
- Istituto Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80136 Napoli, Italy
| | - Petr Stadlbauer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lara Martínez-Fernández
- Departamento de Quimica, Facultad de Ciencias and Institute for Advanced Research in Chemistry (IADCHEM), Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Campus de Excelencia UAM-CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pavel Banáš
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic; Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacký University, Křížkovského 8, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Roberto Improta
- Istituto Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80136 Napoli, Italy.
| | - Luciana Esposito
- Istituto Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80136 Napoli, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Balanikas E, Martinez-Fernandez L, Improta R, Podbevšek P, Baldacchino G, Markovitsi D. The Structural Duality of Nucleobases in Guanine Quadruplexes Controls Their Low-Energy Photoionization. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:8309-8313. [PMID: 34428044 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c01846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Guanine quadruplexes are four-stranded DNA/RNA structures composed of a guanine core (vertically stacked guanine tetrads) and peripheral groups (dangling ends and/or loops). Such a dual structural arrangement of the nucleobases favors their photoionization at energies significantly lower than the guanine ionization potential. This effect is important with respect to the oxidative DNA damage and for applications in the field of optoelectronics. Photoionization quantum yields, determined at 266 nm by nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, strongly depend on both the type and position of the peripheral nucleobases. The highest value (1.5 × 10-2) is found for the tetramolecular structure (AG4A)4 in which adenines are intermittently stacked on the adjacent guanine tetrads, as determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Quantum chemistry calculations show that peripheral nucleobases interfere in a key step preceding electron ejection: charge separation, initiated by the population of charge transfer states during the relaxation of electronic excited states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lara Martinez-Fernandez
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias and Institute for Advanced Research in Chemistry (IADCHEM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus de Excelencia UAM-CSIC, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Improta
- Istituto Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Mezzocannone 16, I-80134 Napoli, Italy
| | - Peter Podbevšek
- Slovenian NMR Center, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gérard Baldacchino
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, LIDYL, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Dimitra Markovitsi
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, LIDYL, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Libera V, Andreeva EA, Martel A, Thureau A, Longo M, Petrillo C, Paciaroni A, Schirò G, Comez L. Porphyrin Binding and Irradiation Promote G-Quadruplex DNA Dimeric Structure. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:8096-8102. [PMID: 34406777 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c01840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Nucleic acid sequences rich in guanines can organize into noncanonical DNA G-quadruplexes (G4s) of variable size. The design of small molecules stabilizing the structure of G4s is a rapidly growing area for the development of novel anticancer therapeutic strategies and bottom-up nanotechnologies. Among a multitude of binders, porphyrins are very attractive due to their light activation that can make them valuable conformational regulators of G4s. Here, a structure-based strategy, integrating complementary probes, is employed to study the interaction between TMPyP4 porphyrin and a 22-base human telomeric sequence (Tel22) before and after irradiation with blue light. Porphyrin binding is discovered to promote Tel22 dimerization, while light irradiation of the Tel22-TMPyP4 complex controls dimer fraction. Such a change in quaternary structure is found to be strictly correlated with modifications at the secondary structure level, thus providing an unprecedented link between the degree of dimerization and the underlying conformational changes in G4s.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Libera
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Geologia, Università di Perugia, Via Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
- Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- CNR-IOM c/o Dipartimento di Fisica e Geologia, Università di Perugia, Via Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Elena A Andreeva
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Anne Martel
- Institut Laue-Langevin, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Aurelien Thureau
- Swing Beamline, Synchrotron SOLEIL, 91192 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Marialucia Longo
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science at Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum, Lichtenbergstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Caterina Petrillo
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Geologia, Università di Perugia, Via Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Alessandro Paciaroni
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Geologia, Università di Perugia, Via Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Giorgio Schirò
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Lucia Comez
- CNR-IOM c/o Dipartimento di Fisica e Geologia, Università di Perugia, Via Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Hanczyc P, Rajchel-Mieldzioć P, Feng B, Fita P. Identification of Thioflavin T Binding Modes to DNA: A Structure-Specific Molecular Probe for Lasing Applications. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:5436-5442. [PMID: 34080857 PMCID: PMC8280760 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c01254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The binding mechanism of thioflavin T (ThT) to DNA was studied using polarized light spectroscopy and fluorescence-based techniques in solutions and in solid films. Linear dichroism measurements showed that ThT binds to DNA duplex by intercalation. Time-resolved fluorescence studies revealed a second binding mode which is the external binding to the DNA phosphate groups. Both binding modes represent the nonspecific type of interactions. The studies were complemented with the analysis of short oligonucleotides having DNA cavities. The results indicate that the interplay between three binding modes-intercalation, external binding, and binding inside DNA cavities-determines the effective fluorescence quantum yield of the dye in the DNA structures. External binding was found to be responsible for fluorescence quenching because of energy transfer between intercalated and externally bound molecules. Finally, amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) was successfully generated in the ThT-stained films and used for detecting different DNA structures. ASE measurements show that ThT-stained DNA structures can be used for designing bioderived microlasers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P. Hanczyc
- Institute
of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - P. Rajchel-Mieldzioć
- Institute
of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - B. Feng
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers
University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - P. Fita
- Institute
of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|