Detailed mechanism for photoinduced cytosine dimerization: a semiclassical dynamics simulation

CTCF binding modulates UV damage formation to promote mutation hot spots in melanoma

Somatic mutations in DNA-binding sites for CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) are significantly elevated in many cancers. Prior analysis has suggested that elevated mutation rates at CTCF-binding sites in skin cancers are a consequence of the CTCF-cohesin complex inhibiting repair of UV damage. Here, we show that CTCF binding modulates the formation of UV damage to induce mutation hot spots. Analysis of genome-wide CPD-seq data in UV-irradiated human cells indicates that formation of UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) is primarily suppressed by CTCF binding but elevated at specific locations within the CTCF motif. Locations of CPD hot spots in the CTCF-binding motif coincide with mutation hot spots in melanoma. A similar pattern of damage formation is observed at CTCF-binding sites in vitro, indicating that UV damage modulation is a direct consequence of CTCF binding. We show that CTCF interacts with binding sites containing UV damage and inhibits repair by a model repair enzyme in vitro. Structural analysis and molecular dynamic simulations reveal the molecular mechanism for how CTCF binding modulates CPD formation.

ETS transcription factors induce a unique UV damage signature that drives recurrent mutagenesis in melanoma

Recurrent mutations are frequently associated with transcription factor (TF) binding sites (TFBS) in melanoma, but the mechanism driving mutagenesis at TFBS is unclear. Here, we use a method called CPD-seq to map the distribution of UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) across the human genome at single nucleotide resolution. Our results indicate that CPD lesions are elevated at active TFBS, an effect that is primarily due to E26 transformation-specific (ETS) TFs. We show that ETS TFs induce a unique signature of CPD hotspots that are highly correlated with recurrent mutations in melanomas, despite high repair activity at these sites. ETS1 protein renders its DNA binding targets extremely susceptible to UV damage in vitro, due to binding-induced perturbations in the DNA structure that favor CPD formation. These findings define a mechanism responsible for recurrent mutations in melanoma and reveal that DNA binding by ETS TFs is inherently mutagenic in UV-exposed cells.

Many factors contribute to mutation hotspots in cancer cells. Here the authors map UV damage at single-nucleotide resolution across the human genome and find that binding sites of ETS transcription factors are especially prone to forming UV lesions, leading to mutation hotspots in melanoma.

Quantum Mechanical Studies on the Photophysics and the Photochemistry of Nucleic Acids and Nucleobases

The photophysics and photochemistry of DNA is of great importance due to the potential damage of the genetic code by UV light. Quantum mechanical studies have played a key role in interpretating the results of modern time-resolved pump-probe spectroscopy, and in elucidating the main photoactivated reactive paths. This review provides a concise, complete picture of the computational studies carried out, approximately, in the past decade. We start with an overview of the photophysics of the nucleobases in the gas phase and in solution. We discuss the proposed mechanisms for ultrafast decay to the ground state, that involve conical intersections, consider the role of triplet states, and analyze how the solvent modulates the photophysics. Then we move to larger systems, from dinucleotides to single- and double-stranded oligonucleotides. We focus on the possible role of charge transfer and delocalized or excitonic states in the photophysics of these systems and discuss the main photochemical paths. We finish with an outlook on the current challenges in the field and future directions of research.

Computational modeling of photoexcitation in DNA single and double strands

The photoexcitation of DNA strands triggers extremely complex photoinduced processes, which cannot be understood solely on the basis of the behavior of the nucleobase building blocks. Decisive factors in DNA oligomers and polymers include collective electronic effects, excitonic coupling, hydrogen-bonding interactions, local steric hindrance, charge transfer, and environmental and solvent effects. This chapter surveys recent theoretical and computational efforts to model real-world excited-state DNA strands using a variety of established and emerging theoretical methods. One central issue is the role of localized vs delocalized excitations and the extent to which they determine the nature and the temporal evolution of the initial photoexcitation in DNA strands.

Excited-state hydrogen atom abstraction initiates the photochemistry of β-2'-deoxycytidine

Understanding the effects of ultraviolet radiation on nucleotides in solution is an important step towards a comprehensive description of the photochemistry of nucleic acids and their constituents. Apart from having implications for mutagenesis and DNA photoprotection mechanisms, the photochemistry of cytidines is a central element in UV-assisted syntheses of pyrimidine nucleotides under prebiotically plausible conditions. In this contribution, we present UV-irradiation experiments of β-2'-deoxycytidine in aqueous solution involving H-D exchange followed by NMR spectroscopic analysis of the photoproducts. We further elucidate the outcome of these experiments by means of high-level quantum chemical calculations. In particular, we show that prolonged UV-irradiation of cytidine may lead to H-C1' hydrogen atom abstraction by the carbonyl oxygen atom of cytosine. This process may enable photoanomerisation and nucleobase loss, two previously unexplained photoreactions observed in pyrimidine nucleotides.

Computational reference data for the photochemistry of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers

The cis-syn cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer is one of the major classes of carcinogenic UV-induced DNA photoproducts. In this work, diverse high-level quantum-chemical methods were used to determine the spectroscopic properties of neutral (singlet and triplet) and charged (cation and anion) species of thymine dimers. Maps of potential energy, charge distribution, electron affinity, and ionization potential of the thymidine dimers were computed along the two dimerization coordinates for neutral and charged species, as well as for the singlet excited state. This set of data aims at providing consistent results computed with the same methods as for photodamage and repair. Based on these results, several different photo-, heat-, and charge-induced mechanisms of dimerization and repair are characterized and discussed. Additionally, a new stable dimer with methylmethylidene-hexahydropyrimidine structure was found in the S0 state.

Thymine dimer splitting in the T<>T-G trinucleotide model system: a semiclassical dynamics and TD-DFT study

The mechanism leading to bond cleavage of a thymine-thymine cyclobutane dimer (T<>T) in a model system consisting of the dimer flanked by guanine trinucleotide was studied using semiclassical dynamics simulation. Pulsed laser excitation of the guanine molecule is found to cause electron transfer from the guanine molecule to the dimer, which then dissociates via sequential cleavage of the C5C5' and C6C6' bonds. Subsequently, electrons transfer back to the guanine molecule as the dimer splits into two monomers. The splitting of the cyclobutane dimer was found to be in the femtosecond time scale.

Photoinduced processes in nucleic acids

Photoinduced processes in nucleic acids are phenomena of fundamental interest in diverse fields, from prebiotic studies, through medical research on carcinogenesis, to the development of bioorganic photodevices. In this contribution we survey many aspects of the research across the boundaries. Starting from a historical background, where the main milestones are identified, we review the main findings of the physical-chemical research of photoinduced processes on several types of nucleic-acid fragments, from monomers to duplexes. We also discuss a number of different issues which are still under debate.

Photophysics and photochemistry of thymine deoxy-dinucleotide in water: a PCM/TD-DFT quantum mechanical study

We here report a fully quantum mechanical study of the main photochemical and photophysical decay routes in aqueous solution of thymine deoxy-dinucleotide (TpT(-) and TpTNa) and of its analogue locked in C3-endo puckering, characterizing five different representative backbone conformers and discussing the chemical physical effects modulating the yield of the different photoproducts. Our approach is based on time-dependent DFT calculations, using the last generation M052X functional, whereas solvent effects are included by means of the polarizable continuum model. Especially when at least one of the sugars adopts C3-endo puckering, a barrierless path on the bright ππ* excitons leads to the S(1)/S(0) crossing region corresponding to the formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer. Charge transfer excited states involving the transfer of an electron from the 5' Thy toward the 3' Thy are involved in the formation of the oxetane intermediate in the path leading to 6-4 pyrimidine pyrimidinone adducts. A non-negligible energy barrier is associated with this latter pathway, which is possible only when one of the two nucleotides adopts C2-endo puckering. Monomer-like decay pathways, involving ππ* or nπ* excited states localized on a single base, are shown to be operative also for loosely stacked bases.

Electronic excited states responsible for dimer formation upon UV absorption directly by thymine strands: joint experimental and theoretical study

The study addresses interconnected issues related to two major types of cycloadditions between adjacent thymines in DNA leading to cyclobutane dimers (T<>Ts) and (6-4) adducts. Experimental results are obtained for the single strand (dT)(20) by steady-state and time-resolved optical spectroscopy, as well as by HPLC coupled to mass spectrometry. Calculations are carried out for the dinucleoside monophosphate in water using the TD-M052X method and including the polarizable continuum model; the reliability of TD-M052X is checked against CASPT2 calculations regarding the behavior of two stacked thymines in the gas phase. It is shown that irradiation at the main absorption band leads to cyclobutane dimers (T<>Ts) and (6-4) adducts via different electronic excited states. T<>Ts are formed via (1)ππ* excitons; [2 + 2] dimerization proceeds along a barrierless path, in line with the constant quantum yield (0.05) with the irradiation wavelength, the contribution of the (3)ππ* state to this reaction being less than 10%. The formation of oxetane, the reaction intermediate leading to (6-4) adducts, occurs via charge transfer excited states involving two stacked thymines, whose fingerprint is detected in the fluorescence spectra; it involves an energy barrier explaining the important decrease in the quantum yield of (6-4) adducts with the irradiation wavelength.