Roles of the amino group of purine bases in the thermodynamic stability of DNA base pairing

2,6-diaminopurine (Z)-containing toehold probes improve genotyping sensitivity

2,6-diaminopurine (Z), a naturally occurring noncanonical nucleotide base found in bacteriophages, enhances DNA hybridization by forming three hydrogen bonds with thymine (T). These distinct biochemical characteristics make it particularly valuable in applications that rely on the thermodynamics of DNA hybridization. However, the practical use of Z-containing oligos is limited by their high production cost and the challenges associated with their synthesis. Here, we developed an efficient and cost-effective approach to synthesize Z-containing oligos of high quality based on an isothermal strand displacement reaction. These newly synthesized Z-oligos are then employed as toehold-blockers in an isothermal genotyping assay designed to detect rare single nucleotide variations (SNV). When compared with their counterparts containing the standard adenine (A) base, the Z-containing blockers significantly enhance the accuracy of identifying SNV. Overall, our innovative methodology in the synthesis of Z-containing oligos, which can also be used to incorporate other unconventional and unnatural bases into oligonucleotides, is anticipated to be adopted for diverse applications, including genotyping, biosensing, and gene therapy.

DNA Strand Displacement with Base Pair Stabilizers: Purine-2,6-Diamine and 8-Aza-7-Bromo-7-Deazapurine-2,6-Diamine Oligonucleotides Invade Canonical DNA and New Fluorescent Pyrene Click Sensors Monitor the Reaction

Purine-2,6-diamine and 8-aza-7-deaza-7-bromopurine-2,6-diamine 2'-deoxyribonucleosides (1 and 2) were implemented in isothermal DNA strand displacement reactions. Nucleoside 1 is a weak stabilizer of dA-dT base pairs, nucleoside 2 evokes strong stabilization. Strand displacement reactions used single-stranded invaders with single and multiple incorporations of stabilizers. Displacement is driven by negative enthalpy changes between target and displaced duplex. Toeholds are not required. Two new environmental sensitive fluorescent pyrene sensors were developed to monitor the progress of displacement reactions. Pyrene was connected to the nucleobase in the invader or to a dendritic linker in the output strand. Both new sensors were constructed by click chemistry; phosphoramidites and oligonucleotides were prepared. Sensors show monomer or excimer emission. Fluorescence intensity changes when the displacement reaction progresses. Our work demonstrates that strand displacement with base pair stabilizers is applicable to DNA, RNA and to related biopolymers with applications in chemical biology, nanotechnology and medicinal diagnostics.

Systematically Modulating Aptamer Affinity and Specificity by Guanosine-to-Inosine Substitution

Aptamers are widely used in small molecule detection applications due to their specificity, stability, and cost effectiveness. One key challenge in utilizing aptamers in sensors is matching the binding affinity of the aptamer to the desired concentration range for analyte detection. The most common methods for modulating affinity have inherent limitations, such as the likelihood of drastic changes in aptamer folding. Here, we propose that substituting guanosine for inosine at specific locations in the aptamer sequence provides a less perturbative approach to modulating affinity. Inosine is a naturally occurring nucleotide that results from hydrolytic deamination of adenosine, and like guanine, it base pairs with cytosine. Using the well-studied cocaine binding aptamer, we systematically replaced guanosine with inosine and were able to generate sequences having a range of binding affinities from 230 nM to 80 μM. Interestingly, we found that these substitutions could also modulate the specificity of the aptamers, leading to a range of binding affinities for structurally related analytes. Analysis of folding stability via melting temperature shows that, as expected, aptamer structure is impacted by guanosine-to-inosine substitutions. The ability to tune binding affinity and specificity through guanosine-to-inosine substitution provides a convenient and reliable approach for rapidly generating aptamers for diverse biosensing applications.

The 2-Amino Group of 8-Aza-7-deaza-7-bromopurine-2,6-diamine and Purine-2,6-diamine as Stabilizer for the Adenine-Thymine Base Pair in Heterochiral DNA with Strands in Anomeric Configuration

Stabilization of DNA is beneficial for many applications in the fields of DNA therapeutics, diagnostics, and materials science. Now, this phenomenon is studied on heterochiral DNA, an autonomous DNA recognition system with complementary strands in α-D and β-D configuration showing parallel strand orientation. The 12-mer heterochiral duplexes were constructed from anomeric (α/β-D) oligonucleotide single-strands. Purine-2,6-diamine and 8-aza-7-deaza-7-bromopurine-2,6-diamine 2'-deoxyribonucleosides having the capability to form tridentate base pairs with dT were used to strengthen the stability of the dA-dT base pair. Tm data and thermodynamic values obtained from UV melting profiles indicated that the 8-aza-7-deaza 2'-deoxyribonucleoside decorated with a bromo substituent is so far the most efficient stabilizer for heterochiral DNA. Compared with that, the stabilizing effect of the purine-2,6-diamine 2'-deoxyribonucleoside is low. Global changes of helix structures were identified by circular dichroism (CD) spectra during melting.

Substituting Inosine for Guanosine in DNA: Structural and Dynamic Consequences

Inosine differs from the guanosine nucleoside only by the absence of the N2 amino group. Both nucleosides also have similar electrostatic potentials. Therefore, substituting I for G has been used to probe various properties of nucleic acids and to facilitate the interpretation of binding studies. In particular, the absence of the amino group permits the assessment of its importance in the binding of ligands to the minor groove of duplex DNA. It has been known for some time that an I-C base pair is of lower stability than a regular G-C base pair, which needs to be considered when making DNA constructs containing inosine. However, it is generally assumed that both base pairs are structurally highly similar. To test this assumption in an identical sequence environment, we have determined the fine structure of two hairpin DNA substrates that differ only in the substitution of an I-C base pair for a G-C base pair. The structures have been solved using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) restraints in conjunction with Mardigras and molecular dynamics. The structural data are complemented with thermodynamic and dynamic data to get a comprehensive evaluation of the consequences of G-C vs I-C base pair substitutions. Our data show a strong similarity in the structures of the hairpins, but a significant difference in the melting temperatures, T m. This difference is also reflected in the drastically decreased base pair lifetime of 7.4 milliseconds compared to the G-C base pair lifetime of 155 milliseconds. The substitution of I-C for G-C is to probe for specific effect due to the amino group is satisfactory, as long as the lowered thermal stability and the drastically increased local dynamics are considered.

The loss of a hydrogen bond: Thermodynamic contributions of a non-standard nucleotide

Non-standard nucleotides are ubiquitous in RNA. Thermodynamic studies with RNA duplexes containing non-standard nucleotides, whether incorporated naturally or chemically, can provide insight into the stability of Watson–Crick pairs and the role of specific functional groups in stabilizing a Watson–Crick pair. For example, an A-U, inosine•U and pseudouridine•A pair each form two hydrogen bonds. However, an RNA duplex containing a central I•U pair or central Ψ•A pair is 2.4 kcal/mol less stable or 1.7 kcal/mol more stable, respectively, than the corresponding duplex containing an A-U pair. In the non-standard nucleotide purine, hydrogen replaces the exocyclic amino group of A. This replacement results in a P•U pair containing only one hydrogen bond. Optical melting studies were performed with RNA duplexes containing P•U pairs adjacent to different nearest neighbors. The resulting thermodynamic parameters were compared to RNA duplexes containing A-U pairs in order to determine the contribution of the hydrogen bond involving the exocyclic amino group. Results indicate a loss of 1.78 kcal/mol, on average, when an internal P•U replaces A-U in an RNA duplex. This value is compared to the thermodynamics of a hydrogen bond determined by similar methods. Nearest neighbor parameters were derived for use in free energy and secondary structure prediction software.

Thermal Stability of RNA Structures with Bulky Cations in Mixed Aqueous Solutions

Bulky cations are used to develop nucleic-acid-based technologies for medical and technological applications in which nucleic acids function under nonaqueous conditions. In this study, the thermal stability of RNA structures was measured in the presence of various bulky cations in aqueous mixtures with organic solvents or polymer additives. The stability of oligonucleotide, transfer RNA, and polynucleotide structures was decreased in the presence of salts of tetrabutylammonium and tetrapentylammonium ions, and the stability and salt concentration dependences were dependent on cation sizes. The degree to which stability was dependent on salt concentration was correlated with reciprocals of the dielectric constants of mixed solutions, regardless of interactions between the cosolutes and RNA. Our results show that organic solvents affect the strength of electrostatic interactions between RNA and cations. Analysis of ion binding to RNA indicated greater enhancement of cation binding to RNA single strands than to duplexes in media with low dielectric constants. Furthermore, background bulky ions changed the dependence of RNA duplex stability on the concentration of metal ion salts. These unique properties of large tetraalkylammonium ions are useful for controlling the stability of RNA structures and its sensitivity to metal ion salts.

The structural stability and catalytic activity of DNA and RNA oligonucleotides in the presence of organic solvents

Organic solvents and apolar media are used in the studies of nucleic acids to modify the conformation and function of nucleic acids, to improve solubility of hydrophobic ligands, to construct molecular scaffolds for organic synthesis, and to study molecular crowding effects. Understanding how organic solvents affect nucleic acid interactions and identifying the factors that dominate solvent effects are important for the creation of oligonucleotide-based technologies. This review describes the structural and catalytic properties of DNA and RNA oligonucleotides in organic solutions and in aqueous solutions with organic cosolvents. There are several possible mechanisms underlying the effects of organic solvents on nucleic acid interactions. The reported results emphasize the significance of the osmotic pressure effect and the dielectric constant effect in addition to specific interactions with nucleic acid strands. This review will serve as a guide for the selection of solvent systems based on the purpose of the nucleic acid-based experiments.