Collision-induced dissociation of homodimeric and heterodimeric radical cations of 9-methylguanine and 9-methyl-8-oxoguanine: correlation between intra-base pair proton transfer originating from the N1-H at a Watson-Crick edge and non-statistical dissociation

It has been shown previously in protonated, deprotonated and ionized guanine-cytosine base pairs that intra-base pair proton transfer from the N1-H at the Watson-Crick edge of guanine to the complementary nucleobase prompts non-statistical dissociation of the base-pair system, and the dissociation of a proton-transferred base-pair structure is kinetically more favored than that of the starting, conventional base-pair structure. However, the fundamental chemistry underlying this anomalous and intriguing kinetics has not been completely revealed, which warrants the examination of more base-pair systems in different structural contexts in order to derive a generalized base-pair structure-kinetics correlation. The purpose of the present work is to expand the investigation to the non-canonical homodimeric and heterodimeric radical cations of 9-methylguanine (9MG) and 9-methyl-8-oxoguanine (9MOG), i.e., [9MG·9MG]˙⁺, [9MOG·9MG]˙⁺ and [9MOG·9MOG]˙⁺. Experimentally, collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry coupled with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source was used for the formation of base-pair radical cations, followed by detection of dissociation product ions and cross sections in the collisions with Xe gas under single ion-molecule collision conditions and as a function of the center-of-mass collision energy. Computationally, density functional theory and coupled cluster theory were used to calculate and identify probable base-pair structures and intra-base pair proton transfer and hydrogen transfer reactions, followed by kinetics modeling to explore the properties of dissociation transition states and kinetic factors. The significance of this work is twofold: it provides insight into base-pair opening kinetics in three biologically-important, non-canonical systems upon oxidative and ionization damage; and it links non-statistical dissociation to intra-base pair proton-transfer originating from the N1-H at the Watson-Crick edge of 8-oxoguanine, enhancing understanding towards the base-pair fragmentation assisted by proton transfer.

Experimental and theoretical assessment of protonated Hoogsteen 9-methylguanine-1-methylcytosine base-pair dissociation: kinetics within a statistical reaction framework

We investigated the collision-induced dissociation (CID) reactions of a protonated Hoogsteen 9-methylguanine-1-methylcytosine base pair (HG-[9MG·1MC + H]+), which aims to address the mystery of the literature reported "anomaly" in product ion distributions and compare the kinetics of a Hoogsteen base pair with its Watson-Crick isomer WC-[9MG·1MC + H]+ (reported recently by Sun et al.; Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2020, 22, 24986). Product ion cross sections and branching ratios were measured as a function of center-of-mass collision energy using guided-ion beam tandem mass spectrometry, from which base-pair dissociation energies were determined. Product structures and energetics were assessed using various theories, of which the composite DLPNO-CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ//ωB97XD/6-311++G(d,p) was adopted as the best-performing method for constructing a reaction potential energy surface. The statistical Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus theory was found to provide a useful framework for rationalizing the dominating abundance of [1MC + H]+ over [9MG + H]+ in the fragment ions of HG-[9MG·1MC + H]+. The kinetics analysis proved the necessity for incorporating into kinetics modeling not only the static properties of reaction minima and transition states but more importantly, the kinetics of individual base-pair conformers that have formed in collisional activation. The analysis also pinpointed the origin of the statistical kinetics of HG-[9MG·1MC + H]+vs. the non-statistical behavior of WC-[9MG·1MC + H]+ in terms of their distinctively different intra-base-pair hydrogen-bonds and consequently the absence of proton transfer between the N1 position of 9MG and the N3' of 1MC in the Hoogsteen base pair. Finally, the Hoogsteen base pair was examined in the presence of a water ligand, i.e., HG-[9MG·1MC + H]+·H2O. Besides the same type of base-pair dissociation as detected in dry HG-[9MG·1MC + H]+, secondary methanol elimination was observed via the SN2 reaction of water with nucleobase methyl groups.

Is non-statistical dissociation a general feature of guanine–cytosine base-pair ions? Collision-induced dissociation of a protonated 9-methylguanine–1-methylcytosine Watson–Crick base pair, and comparison with its deprotonated and radical cation analogues

Non-statistical dissociation of a protonated guanine–cytosine Watson–Crick base pair.

Deprotonated guanine·cytosine and 9-methylguanine·cytosine base pairs and their "non-statistical" kinetics: a combined guided-ion beam and computational study

We report a guided-ion beam mass spectrometric study on collision-induced dissociation (CID) of deprotonated guanine(G)·cytosine(C) base pairs and their 9-methylguanine (9MG) analogue with Xe, including measurements of product cross sections as a function of collision energy and determination of dissociation thresholds. DFT, RI-MP2 and DLPNO-CCSD(T) calculations and Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) modeling were performed to elucidate structures and kinetics. The experiment and theoretical study have provided considerable insight into tautomerization, intra-base-pair proton transfer and dissociation of deprotonated G·C and 9MG·C. In contrast to the previously reported lowest-energy deprotonated base pair structure G·[C-H1]^- that consists of H-bonded neutral guanine and N1-deprotonated cytosine, we found that proton transfer from guanine N1 to cytosine N3 within G·[C-H1]^- (or 9MG·[C-H1]^-) leads to another slightly more stable conformer denoted as G·[C-H1]^-_PT1 (or 9MG·[C-H1]^-_PT1). The conventional (non-proton-transferred) and the proton-transferred conformers are close in energy and interconvert quickly, but they can be distinguished by dissociation products. The conventional structure dissociates into deprotonated cytosine and neutral guanine, while the other dissociates into deprotonated guanine and neutral cytosine. The two dissociation asymptotes have similar threshold energies, but surprisingly the CID product mass spectra of deprotonated G·C and 9MG·C are both overwhelmingly dominated by deprotonated G or 9MG, with their branching ratios greater than RRKM predictions by one to two orders of magnitude. The proton-transferred structures of deprotonated base pairs and the "unexpected" non-statistical kinetics provide new leads for understanding purine-pyrimidine interactions, forming rare nucleobase tautomers, and base pair opening.

Influence of Coupling and Embedding Schemes on QM Size Convergence in QM/MM Approaches for the Example of a Proton Transfer in DNA

The influence of embedding and coupling schemes on the convergence of the QM size in the QM/MM approach is investigated for the transfer of a proton in a DNA base pair. We find that the embedding scheme (mechanical or electrostatic) has a much greater impact on the convergence behavior than the coupling scheme (additive QM/MM or subtractive ONIOM). To achieve size convergence, QM regions with up to 6000 atoms are necessary for pure QM or mechanical embedding. In contrast, electrostatic embedding converges faster: for the example of the transfer of a proton between DNA base pairs, we recommend including at least five base pairs and 5 Å of solvent (including counterions) into the QM region, i.e., a total of 1150 atoms.

Exposing the G-quadruplex to electric fields: the role played by telomeres in the propagation of DNA errors

We use quantum calculations to assess the impact of external electric fields on the stability of G-quadruplex, a key structure in telomere functionality.

The effect of sequence on the ionization of guanine in DNA

The accurate estimation of the ionization energies and understanding the nature of the ionized states of the nucleic acid bases (NABs) are crucial to the understanding of the DNA damage mechanism. The vertical ionization energy (VIE) of guanine is the lowest among the NABs and the ionization energies are strongly affected by the environment, such as solvation and characteristics of nearby NABs. Therefore, we investigate the sequence dependence of the VIEs of guanine in B-DNA. We use the equation of motion coupled cluster method for the estimation of ionization potential with single and double excitations (EOM-IP-CCSD) and density functional theory with dispersion corrected ωB97x-D for the estimation of VIEs. A significant amount of non-additivity or cooperativity, directly proportional to charge delocalization, is noticed in the change in VIE due to the interaction with the nearby NABs. While the change in VIE due to base pairing originates predominantly from charge-dipole interactions, stacking between base pairs is a more complicated balance of dispersion and charge-dipole interactions as well as stabilization due to the delocalization of the positive charge. The long range interactions are however dominated by 1/r(3) distance dependence which shows the major role played by charge-dipole interactions. The extent of localization of positive holes on guanine is also estimated for various sequences.

A novel conception for spontaneous transversions caused by homo-pyrimidine DNA mismatches: a QM/QTAIM highlight

We have firstly shown that the T·T(w) and C·C(w) DNA mismatches with wobble (w) geometry stay in slow tautomeric equilibrium with short T·T*(WC) and C·C*(WC) Watson-Crick (WC) mispairs. These non-dissociative tautomeric rearrangements are controlled by the plane-symmetric, highly stable, highly polar and zwitterionic transition states. The obtained results allow us to understand in what way the T·T(w) and C·C(w) mismatches acquire enzymatically competent T·T*(WC) and C·C*(WC) conformations directly in the hydrophobic recognition pocket of a high-fidelity DNA-polymerase, thereby producing thermodynamically non-equilibrium spontaneous transversions. The simplest numerical estimation of the frequency ratio of the TT to CC spontaneous transversions satisfactorily agrees with experimental data.

New structural hypostases of the A·T and G·C Watson–Crick DNA base pairs caused by their mutagenic tautomerisation in a wobble manner: a QM/QTAIM prediction

Our investigation reveals the hitherto unknown ability of the canonical Watson–Crick DNA base pairs to switch into wobble mismatches with mutagenic tautomers, clarifying the nature of genome instability.

DNA spontaneous mutation and its role in the evolution of GC-content: assessing the impact of the genetic sequence

We use theoretical tools to investigate the possible role played by a DNA sequence in the base pair tautomerization phenomena.

Assessing the importance of proton transfer reactions in DNA

Although engineered by millions of years of evolution, the cellular machinery is not flawless, and errors regularly appear during DNA replication. The subsequent alteration of the stored genetic message results in a mutation and might be the starting point of important health disorders. The question therefore is what causes DNA mutations? All living organisms are constantly exposed to a number of external agents such as free radicals and to radiation, which may lead to induced mutations. There are also mutations happening without invoking the action of any exogenous element, the so-called spontaneous mutations. The former can be partially controlled by avoiding exposure to high-risk environments, while the latter are more intriguing because their origin is unclear and difficult to determine. As noted by Watson and Crick when they first discovered the DNA structure, the correct replication of DNA rests on the assumption that the base pairs remain in their most stable, canonical form. However, protons along the interbase hydrogen-bond network are not static entities. They can in fact interchange their positions in DNA bases through proton transfer (PT) reactions before strands unwind, giving rise to noncanonical structures defined as rare tautomers. The importance of these rare tautomers was also cleverly anticipated by Watson and Crick and some years later claimed by Löwdin to be a source of spontaneous mutations. In Watson and Crick's words: "It would be of interest to know the precise difference in free energy between the various tautomeric forms under physiological conditions." Unfortunately, rare tautomeric forms are very difficult to detect, so no direct and accurate free energy measure has been discerned. In contrast, theoretical chemistry is making good progress toward the quantification of PT reactions in DNA and their biological consequences. This Account touches upon the theoretical studies devoted to appraising the importance of rare tautomers as promoters of spontaneous mutations. We focus in particular on the crucial role played by the biological environment on DNA stability. It has now been demonstrated that valuable macroscopic predictions require not only highly accurate theories but also refined chemical models. Hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) simulations performed on short but complete DNA sequence fragments emerge in this context as the most adequate tools. In addition, these methods can be used to quantify the effect of different external agents on the PT tautomeric equilibria and, eventually, to conveniently handle them. This is the case for the possible alteration of the naturally observed mutation rate by exposure to intense electric fields. Theoretical predictions envision in this respect promising applications of ultrashort electric pulses in medicine to selectively modify the mutated/canonical ratio in DNA.