Synthesis and luminescence properties of a trinucleotide-europium(III) complex conjugate

Probing the Ion Binding Site in a DNA Holliday Junction Using Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET)

Holliday Junctions are critical DNA intermediates central to double strand break repair and homologous recombination. The junctions can adopt two general forms: open and stacked-X, which are induced by protein or ion binding. In this work, fluorescence spectroscopy, metal ion luminescence and thermodynamic measurements are used to elucidate the ion binding site and the mechanism of junction conformational change. Förster resonance energy transfer measurements of end-labeled junctions monitored junction conformation and ion binding affinity, and reported higher affinities for multi-valent ions. Thermodynamic measurements provided evidence for two classes of binding sites. The higher affinity ion-binding interaction is an enthalpy driven process with an apparent stoichiometry of 2.1 ± 0.2. As revealed by Eu(3+) luminescence, this binding class is homogeneous, and results in slight dehydration of the ion with one direct coordination site to the junction. Luminescence resonance energy transfer experiments confirmed the presence of two ions and indicated they are 6-7 Å apart. These findings are in good agreement with previous molecular dynamics simulations, which identified two symmetrical regions of high ion density in the center of stacked junctions. These results support a model in which site-specific binding of two ions in close proximity is required for folding of DNA Holliday junctions into the stacked-X conformation.

Pd(0)-Catalyzed methyl transfer on nucleosides and oligonucleotides, envisaged as a PET tracer

The methyl transfer reaction from activated monomethyltin, via a modified Stille coupling reaction, was studied under “ligandless” conditions on fully deprotected 5'-modified nucleosides and one dinucleotide. The reaction was optimized to proceed in a few minutes and quantitative yield, even under dilute conditions, thus affording a rapid and efficient new method for oligonucleotide labelling with carbon-11.

Oligonucleotide Labelling Using a Fluorogenic “Click” Reaction with a Hemicarboxonium Salt

Two fluorescent streptocyanine labelled oligonucleotides have been synthesized by a simple “click” reaction between a non-fluorescent hemicarboxonium salt and aminoalkyl functionalized thymidines within the oligonucleotide and their spectrophotometric properties have been studied.