1
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Ghosh S, Dantuluri S, Jacewicz A, Sanchez AM, Abdullahu L, Damha MJ, Schwer B, Shuman S. Characterization of tRNA splicing enzymes RNA ligase and tRNA 2'-phosphotransferase from the pathogenic fungi Mucorales. RNA 2024; 30:367-380. [PMID: 38238085 PMCID: PMC10946426 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079911.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Fungal Trl1 is an essential trifunctional tRNA splicing enzyme that heals and seals tRNA exons with 2',3'-cyclic-PO4 and 5'-OH ends. Trl1 is composed of C-terminal cyclic phosphodiesterase and central polynucleotide kinase end-healing domains that generate the 3'-OH,2'-PO4 and 5'-PO4 termini required for sealing by an N-terminal ATP-dependent ligase domain. Trl1 enzymes are present in many human fungal pathogens and are promising targets for antifungal drug discovery because their domain structures and biochemical mechanisms are unique compared to the mammalian RtcB-type tRNA splicing enzyme. Here we report that Mucorales species (deemed high-priority human pathogens by WHO) elaborate a noncanonical tRNA splicing apparatus in which a monofunctional RNA ligase enzyme is encoded separately from any end-healing enzymes. We show that Mucor circinelloides RNA ligase (MciRNL) is active in tRNA splicing in vivo in budding yeast in lieu of the Trl1 ligase domain. Biochemical and kinetic characterization of recombinant MciRNL underscores its requirement for a 2'-PO4 terminus in the end-joining reaction, whereby the 2'-PO4 enhances the rates of RNA 5'-adenylylation (step 2) and phosphodiester synthesis (step 3) by ∼125-fold and ∼6200-fold, respectively. In the canonical fungal tRNA splicing pathway, the splice junction 2'-PO4 installed by RNA ligase is removed by a dedicated NAD+-dependent RNA 2'-phosphotransferase Tpt1. Here we identify and affirm by genetic complementation in yeast the biological activity of Tpt1 orthologs from three Mucorales species. Recombinant M. circinelloides Tpt1 has vigorous NAD+-dependent RNA 2'-phosphotransferase activity in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreya Ghosh
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Swathi Dantuluri
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Agata Jacewicz
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Ana M Sanchez
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA
- Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Leonora Abdullahu
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A0B8, Canada
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A0B8, Canada
| | - Beate Schwer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Stewart Shuman
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA
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2
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Víšková P, Ištvánková E, Ryneš J, Džatko Š, Loja T, Živković ML, Rigo R, El-Khoury R, Serrano-Chacón I, Damha MJ, González C, Mergny JL, Foldynová-Trantírková S, Trantírek L. In-cell NMR suggests that DNA i-motif levels are strongly depleted in living human cells. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1992. [PMID: 38443388 PMCID: PMC10914786 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46221-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
I-Motifs (iM) are non-canonical DNA structures potentially forming in the accessible, single-stranded, cytosine-rich genomic regions with regulatory roles. Chromatin, protein interactions, and intracellular properties seem to govern iM formation at sites with i-motif formation propensity (iMFPS) in human cells, yet their specific contributions remain unclear. Using in-cell NMR with oligonucleotide iMFPS models, we monitor iM-associated structural equilibria in asynchronous and cell cycle-synchronized HeLa cells at 37 °C. Our findings show that iMFPS displaying pHT < 7 under reference in vitro conditions occur predominantly in unfolded states in cells, while those with pHT > 7 appear as a mix of folded and unfolded states depending on the cell cycle phase. Comparing these results with previous data obtained using an iM-specific antibody (iMab) reveals that cell cycle-dependent iM formation has a dual origin, and iM formation concerns only a tiny fraction (possibly 1%) of genomic sites with iM formation propensity. We propose a comprehensive model aligning observations from iMab and in-cell NMR and enabling the identification of iMFPS capable of adopting iM structures under physiological conditions in living human cells. Our results suggest that many iMFPS may have biological roles linked to their unfolded states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavlína Víšková
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Masaryk University, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Ištvánková
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Masaryk University, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Ryneš
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Šimon Džatko
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Centre for Advanced Materials Application, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 11, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Tomáš Loja
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Lenarčič Živković
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Slovenian NMR Centre, National Institute of Chemistry, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Riccardo Rigo
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences Department, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Roberto El-Khoury
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A0B8, Canada
| | - Israel Serrano-Chacón
- Instituto de Química Física 'Blas Cabrera', CSIC, C/Serrano 119, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A0B8, Canada
| | - Carlos González
- Instituto de Química Física 'Blas Cabrera', CSIC, C/Serrano 119, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jean-Louis Mergny
- Institute of Biophysics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, 612 00, Czech Republic
- Laboratoire d'Optique & Biosciences, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Inserm, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, 91120, France
| | - Silvie Foldynová-Trantírková
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Institute of Biophysics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, 612 00, Czech Republic.
| | - Lukáš Trantírek
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
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3
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Engelbeen S, O'Reilly D, Van De Vijver D, Verhaart I, van Putten M, Hariharan V, Hassler M, Khvorova A, Damha MJ, Aartsma-Rus A. Challenges of Assessing Exon 53 Skipping of the Human DMD Transcript with Locked Nucleic Acid-Modified Antisense Oligonucleotides in a Mouse Model for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Nucleic Acid Ther 2023; 33:348-360. [PMID: 38010230 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2023.0038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotide (AON)-mediated exon skipping is a promising therapeutic approach for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients to restore dystrophin expression by reframing the disrupted open reading frame of the DMD transcript. However, the treatment efficacy of the already conditionally approved AONs remains low. Aiming to optimize AON efficiency, we assessed exon 53 skipping of the DMD transcript with different chemically modified AONs, all with a phosphorothioate backbone: 2'-O-methyl (2'OMe), locked nucleic acid (LNA)-2'OMe, 2'-fluoro (FRNA), LNA-FRNA, αLNA-FRNA, and FANA-LNA-FRNA. Efficient exon 53 skipping was observed with the FRNA, LNA-FRNA, and LNA-2'OMe AONs in human control myoblast cultures. Weekly subcutaneous injections (50 mg/kg AON) for a duration of 6 weeks were well tolerated by hDMDdel52/mdx males. Treatment with the LNA-FRNA and LNA-2'OMe AONs resulted in pronounced exon 53 skip levels in skeletal muscles and heart up to 90%, but no dystrophin restoration was observed. This discrepancy was mainly ascribed to the strong binding nature of LNA modifications to RNA, thereby interfering with the amplification of the unskipped product resulting in artificial overamplification of the exon 53 skip product. Our study highlights that treatment effect on RNA and protein level should both be considered when assessing AON efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Engelbeen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel O'Reilly
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, RNA Therapeutics Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Davy Van De Vijver
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ingrid Verhaart
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Maaike van Putten
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Vignesh Hariharan
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, RNA Therapeutics Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Matthew Hassler
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, RNA Therapeutics Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anastasia Khvorova
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, RNA Therapeutics Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Annemieke Aartsma-Rus
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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4
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Clark NE, Katolik A, Gallant P, Welch A, Murphy E, Buerer L, Schorl C, Naik N, Naik MT, Holloway SP, Cano K, Weintraub ST, Howard KM, Hart PJ, Jogl G, Damha MJ, Fairbrother WG. Activation of human RNA lariat debranching enzyme Dbr1 by binding protein TTDN1 occurs though an intrinsically disordered C-terminal domain. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105100. [PMID: 37507019 PMCID: PMC10470207 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotic cells, the introns are excised from pre-mRNA by the spliceosome. These introns typically have a lariat configuration due to the 2'-5' phosphodiester bond between an internal branched residue and the 5' terminus of the RNA. The only enzyme known to selectively hydrolyze the 2'-5' linkage of these lariats is the RNA lariat debranching enzyme Dbr1. In humans, Dbr1 is involved in processes such as class-switch recombination of immunoglobulin genes, and its dysfunction is implicated in viral encephalitis, HIV, ALS, and cancer. However, mechanistic details of precisely how Dbr1 affects these processes are missing. Here we show that human Dbr1 contains a disordered C-terminal domain through sequence analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance. This domain stabilizes Dbr1 in vitro by reducing aggregation but is dispensable for debranching activity. We establish that Dbr1 requires Fe2+ for efficient catalysis and demonstrate that the noncatalytic protein Drn1 and the uncharacterized protein trichothiodystrophy nonphotosensitive 1 directly bind to Dbr1. We demonstrate addition of trichothiodystrophy nonphotosensitive 1 to in vitro debranching reactions increases the catalytic efficiency of human Dbr1 19-fold but has no effect on the activity of Dbr1 from the amoeba Entamoeba histolytica, which lacks a disordered C-terminal domain. Finally, we systematically examine how the identity of the branchpoint nucleotide affects debranching rates. These findings describe new aspects of Dbr1 function in humans and further clarify how Dbr1 contributes to human health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel E Clark
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
| | - Adam Katolik
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Pascal Gallant
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anastasia Welch
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Eileen Murphy
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Luke Buerer
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Christoph Schorl
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Nandita Naik
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Mandar T Naik
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Stephen P Holloway
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Kristin Cano
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Susan T Weintraub
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Katherine M Howard
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
| | - P John Hart
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Gerwald Jogl
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - William G Fairbrother
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
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5
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Kaviani S, Fakih HH, Asohan J, Katolik A, Damha MJ, Sleiman HF. Sequence-Controlled Spherical Nucleic Acids: Gene Silencing, Encapsulation, and Cellular Uptake. Nucleic Acid Ther 2023; 33:265-276. [PMID: 37196168 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2022.0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) can predictably alter RNA processing and control protein expression; however, challenges in the delivery of these therapeutics to specific tissues, poor cellular uptake, and endosomal escape have impeded progress in translating these agents into the clinic. Spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) are nanoparticles with a DNA external shell and a hydrophobic core that arise from the self-assembly of ASO strands conjugated to hydrophobic polymers. SNAs have recently shown significant promise as vehicles for improving the efficacy of ASO cellular uptake and gene silencing. However, to date, no studies have investigated the effect of the hydrophobic polymer sequence on the biological properties of SNAs. In this study, we created a library of ASO conjugates by covalently attaching polymers with linear or branched [dodecanediol phosphate] units and systematically varying polymer sequence and composition. We show that these parameters can significantly impact encapsulation efficiency, gene silencing activity, SNA stability, and cellular uptake, thus outlining optimized polymer architectures for gene silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Kaviani
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Hassan H Fakih
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jathavan Asohan
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Adam Katolik
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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6
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Buerer L, Clark NE, Welch A, Duan C, Taggart AJ, Townley BA, Wang J, Soemedi R, Rong S, Lin CL, Zeng Y, Katolik A, Staley JP, Damha MJ, Mosammaparast N, Fairbrother WG. The debranching enzyme Dbr1 regulates lariat turnover and intron splicing. Res Sq 2023:rs.3.rs-2931976. [PMID: 37398028 PMCID: PMC10312976 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2931976/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
The majority of genic transcription is intronic. Introns are removed by splicing as branched lariat RNAs which require rapid recycling. The branch site is recognized during splicing catalysis and later debranched by Dbr1 in the rate-limiting step of lariat turnover. Through generation of the first viable DBR1 knockout cell line, we find the predominantly nuclear Dbr1 enzyme to encode the sole debranching activity in human cells. Dbr1 preferentially debranches substrates that contain canonical U2 binding motifs, suggesting that branchsites discovered through sequencing do not necessarily represent those favored by the spliceosome. We find that Dbr1 also exhibits specificity for particular 5' splice site sequences. We identify Dbr1 interactors through co-immunoprecipitation mass spectroscopy. We present a mechanistic model for Dbr1 recruitment to the branchpoint through the intron-binding protein AQR. In addition to a 20-fold increase in lariats, Dbr1 depletion increases exon skipping. Using ADAR fusions to timestamp lariats, we demonstrate a defect in spliceosome recycling. In the absence of Dbr1, spliceosomal components remain associated with the lariat for a longer period of time. As splicing is co-transcriptional, slower recycling increases the likelihood that downstream exons will be available for exon skipping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Buerer
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Nathaniel E. Clark
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Anastasia Welch
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Chaorui Duan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Allison J. Taggart
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Brittany A. Townley
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Center for Genome Integrity, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Rachel Soemedi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Stephen Rong
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Chien-Ling Lin
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Yi Zeng
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Adam Katolik
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Jonathan P. Staley
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Masad J. Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Nima Mosammaparast
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Center for Genome Integrity, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - William G. Fairbrother
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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7
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Sudhakar S, Barkau CL, Chilamkurthy R, Barber HM, Pater AA, Moran SD, Damha MJ, Pradeepkumar PI, Gagnon KT. Binding to the conserved and stably folded guide RNA pseudoknot induces Cas12a conformational changes during ribonucleoprotein assembly. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:104700. [PMID: 37059184 PMCID: PMC10200996 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) comprise one or more RNA and protein molecules that interact to form a stable complex, which commonly involves conformational changes in the more flexible RNA components. Here, we propose that Cas12a RNP assembly with its cognate CRISPR RNA (crRNA) guide instead proceeds primarily through Cas12a conformational changes during binding to more stable, prefolded crRNA 5' pseudoknot handles. Phylogenetic reconstructions and sequence and structure alignments revealed that the Cas12a proteins are divergent in sequence and structure while the crRNA 5' repeat region, which folds into a pseudoknot and anchors binding to Cas12a, is highly conserved. Molecular dynamics simulations of three Cas12a proteins and their cognate guides revealed substantial flexibility for unbound apo-Cas12a. In contrast, crRNA 5' pseudoknots were predicted to be stable and independently folded. Limited trypsin hydrolysis, differential scanning fluorimetry, thermal denaturation, and CD analyses supported conformational changes of Cas12a during RNP assembly and an independently folded crRNA 5' pseudoknot. This RNP assembly mechanism may be rationalized by evolutionary pressure to conserve CRISPR loci repeat sequence, and therefore guide RNA structure, to maintain function across all phases of the CRISPR defense mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sruthi Sudhakar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Christopher L Barkau
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA
| | - Ramadevi Chilamkurthy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA
| | - Halle M Barber
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Adrian A Pater
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA
| | - Sean D Moran
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - P I Pradeepkumar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India.
| | - Keith T Gagnon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA.
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8
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Lachance‐Brais C, Rammal M, Asohan J, Katolik A, Luo X, Saliba D, Jonderian A, Damha MJ, Harrington MJ, Sleiman HF. Small Molecule-Templated DNA Hydrogel with Record Stiffness Integrates and Releases DNA Nanostructures and Gene Silencing Nucleic Acids. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2023; 10:e2205713. [PMID: 36752390 PMCID: PMC10131789 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202205713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hydrogels are a unique class of programmable, biocompatible materials able to respond to complex stimuli, making them valuable in drug delivery, analyte detection, cell growth, and shape-memory materials. However, unmodified DNA hydrogels in the literature are very soft, rarely reaching a storage modulus of 103 Pa, and they lack functionality, limiting their applications. Here, a DNA/small-molecule motif to create stiff hydrogels from unmodified DNA, reaching 105 Pa in storage modulus is used. The motif consists of an interaction between polyadenine and cyanuric acid-which has 3-thymine like faces-into multimicrometer supramolecular fibers. The mechanical properties of these hydrogels are readily tuned, they are self-healing and thixotropic. They integrate a high density of small, nontoxic molecules, and are functionalized simply by varying the molecule sidechain. They respond to three independent stimuli, including a small molecule stimulus. These stimuli are used to integrate and release DNA wireframe and DNA origami nanostructures within the hydrogel. The hydrogel is applied as an injectable delivery vector, releasing an antisense oligonucleotide in cells, and increasing its gene silencing efficacy. This work provides tunable, stimuli-responsive, exceptionally stiff all-DNA hydrogels from simple sequences, extending these materials' capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mostafa Rammal
- Department of ChemistryMcGill University801 Sherbrooke St WMontrealH3A 0B8Canada
| | - Jathavan Asohan
- Department of ChemistryMcGill University801 Sherbrooke St WMontrealH3A 0B8Canada
| | - Adam Katolik
- Department of ChemistryMcGill University801 Sherbrooke St WMontrealH3A 0B8Canada
| | - Xin Luo
- Department of ChemistryMcGill University801 Sherbrooke St WMontrealH3A 0B8Canada
| | - Daniel Saliba
- Department of ChemistryMcGill University801 Sherbrooke St WMontrealH3A 0B8Canada
| | - Antranik Jonderian
- Department of ChemistryMcGill University801 Sherbrooke St WMontrealH3A 0B8Canada
| | - Masad J. Damha
- Department of ChemistryMcGill University801 Sherbrooke St WMontrealH3A 0B8Canada
| | | | - Hanadi F. Sleiman
- Department of ChemistryMcGill University801 Sherbrooke St WMontrealH3A 0B8Canada
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9
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El-Khoury R, Damha MJ. End-ligation can dramatically stabilize i-motifs at neutral pH. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:3715-3718. [PMID: 36883338 DOI: 10.1039/d2cc07063d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Stabilizing i-motif structures at neutral pH and physiological temperature remains a major challenge. Here, we demonstrate the use of chemical end-ligation to stabilize intramolecular i-motifs at both acidic and neutral pH. We also demonstrate that combining 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoroarabinocytidine substitutions and end-ligation results in an i-motif with an unparalleled thermal stability of 54 °C at neutral pH. Overall, the ligated i-motifs presented herein may be used in screens for selective i-motif ligands and proteins and could find important applications in nanotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto El-Khoury
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montréal, H3A0B8, Canada.
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montréal, H3A0B8, Canada.
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10
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Clark NE, Katolik A, Welch A, Schorl C, Holloway SP, Schuermann JP, Hart PJ, Taylor AB, Damha MJ, Fairbrother WG. Crystal Structure of the RNA Lariat Debranching Enzyme Dbr1 with Hydrolyzed Phosphorothioate RNA Product. Biochemistry 2022; 61:2933-2939. [PMID: 36484984 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The RNA lariat debranching enzyme is the sole enzyme responsible for hydrolyzing the 2'-5' phosphodiester bond in RNA lariats produced by the spliceosome. Here, we test the ability of Dbr1 to hydrolyze branched RNAs (bRNAs) that contain a 2'-5'-phosphorothioate linkage, a modification commonly used to resist degradation. We attempted to cocrystallize a phosphorothioate-branched RNA (PS-bRNA) with wild-type Entamoeba histolytica Dbr1 (EhDbr1) but observed in-crystal hydrolysis of the phosphorothioate bond. The crystal structure revealed EhDbr1 in a product-bound state, with the hydrolyzed 2'-5' fragment of the PS-bRNA mimicking the binding mode of the native bRNA substrate. These findings suggest that product inhibition may contribute to the kinetic mechanism of Dbr1. We show that Dbr1 enzymes cleave phosphorothioate linkages at rates ∼10,000-fold more slowly than native phosphate linkages. This new product-bound crystal structure offers atomic details, which can aid inhibitor design. Dbr1 inhibitors could be therapeutic or investigative compounds for human diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cancer, and viral encephalitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel E. Clark
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02891, United States
| | - Adam Katolik
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Anastasia Welch
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02891, United States
| | - Christoph Schorl
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02891, United States
| | - Stephen P. Holloway
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas 78229, United States
| | - Jonathan P. Schuermann
- Northeastern Collaborative Access Team, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - P. John Hart
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas 78229, United States
| | - Alexander B. Taylor
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas 78229, United States
| | - Masad J. Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - William G. Fairbrother
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02891, United States
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11
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Clark NE, Katolik A, Taggart AJ, Buerer L, Holloway SP, Miller N, Phillips JD, Farrell CP, Damha MJ, Fairbrother WG. Metal content and kinetic properties of yeast RNA lariat debranching enzyme Dbr1. RNA 2022; 28:927-936. [PMID: 35459748 PMCID: PMC9202583 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079159.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In eukaryotic cells, intron lariats produced by the spliceosome contain a 2'5' phosphodiester linkage. The RNA lariat debranching enzyme, Dbr1, is the only enzyme known to hydrolyze this bond. Dbr1 is a member of the metallophosphoesterase (MPE) family of enzymes, and recent X-ray crystal structures and biochemistry data demonstrate that Dbr1 from Entamoeba histolytica uses combinations of Mn2+, Zn2+, and Fe2+ as enzymatic cofactors. Here, we examine the kinetic properties and metal dependence of the Dbr1 homolog from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yDbr1). Elemental analysis measured stoichiometric quantities of Fe and Zn in yDbr1 purified following heterologous expression E. coli We analyzed the ability of Fe2+, Zn2+, and Mn2+ to reconstitute activity in metal-free apoenzyme. Purified yDbr1 was highly active, turning over substrate at 5.6 sec-1, and apo-yDbr1 reconstituted with Fe2+ was the most active species, turning over at 9.2 sec-1 We treated human lymphoblastoid cells with the iron-chelator deferoxamine and measured a twofold increase in cellular lariats. These data suggest that Fe is an important biological cofactor for Dbr1 enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel E Clark
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA
| | - Adam Katolik
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Allison J Taggart
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA
- Raytheon BBN Technologies, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Luke Buerer
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA
| | - Stephen P Holloway
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas 78229, USA
| | - Nathaniel Miller
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - John D Phillips
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132, USA
| | - Colin P Farrell
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132, USA
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - William G Fairbrother
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA
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12
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Jana SK, Harikrishna S, Sudhakar S, El-Khoury R, Pradeepkumar PI, Damha MJ. Nucleoside Analogues with a Seven-Membered Sugar Ring: Synthesis and Structural Compatibility in DNA-RNA Hybrids. J Org Chem 2022; 87:2367-2379. [PMID: 35133166 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.1c02254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Herein we describe results on the pairing properties of synthetic DNA and RNA oligonucleotides that contain nucleotide analogues with a 7-membered sugar ring (oxepane nucleotides). Specifically, we describe the stereoselective synthesis of a set of three oxepane thymine nucleosides (OxT), their conversion to phosphoramidite derivatives, and their use in solid-phase synthesis to yield chimeric OxT-DNA and OxT-RNA strands. The different regioisomeric OxT phosphoramidites allowed for positional variations of the phosphate bridge and assessment of duplex stability when the oxepane nucleotides were incorporated in dsDNA, dsRNA, and DNA-RNA hybrids. Little to no destabilization was observed when two of the three regioisomeric OxT units were incorporated in the DNA strand of DNA-RNA hybrids, a remarkable result considering the dramatically different structure of oxepanes in comparison to 2'-deoxynucleosides. Extensive molecular modeling and dynamics studies further revealed the various structural features responsible for the tolerance of both OxT modifications in DNA-RNA duplexes, such as base-base stacking and sugar-phosphate H-bond interactions. These studies suggest that oxepane nucleotide analogues may find applications in synthetic biology, where synthetic oligonucleotides can be used to create new tools for biotechnology and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunit Kumar Jana
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - S Harikrishna
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Sruthi Sudhakar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Roberto El-Khoury
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - P I Pradeepkumar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
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13
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Abstract
After decades overcoming difficult problems, antisense oligonucleotide (ASO), duplex RNA (siRNA), and messenger RNA (mRNA) nucleic acid therapeutic strategies are finally demonstrating clinical benefits. This success presents new challenges. What goals remain for basic research? Will there be an explosion of clinical applications that benefit many patients with different diseases, or will success be restricted to diseases that are ideal for the application of current technologies? The aim of this perspective is to describe a selection of the major goals for the next decade.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R. Corey
- Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.,Address correspondence to: David R. Corey, PhD, Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6001 Forest Park Road, Dallas, TX 75390-9041, USA
| | - Masad J. Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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14
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Ageely EA, Chilamkurthy R, Jana S, Abdullahu L, O'Reilly D, Jensik PJ, Damha MJ, Gagnon KT. Gene editing with CRISPR-Cas12a guides possessing ribose-modified pseudoknot handles. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6591. [PMID: 34782635 PMCID: PMC8593028 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26989-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas12a is a leading technology for development of model organisms, therapeutics, and diagnostics. These applications could benefit from chemical modifications that stabilize or tune enzyme properties. Here we chemically modify ribonucleotides of the AsCas12a CRISPR RNA 5' handle, a pseudoknot structure that mediates binding to Cas12a. Gene editing in human cells required retention of several native RNA residues corresponding to predicted 2'-hydroxyl contacts. Replacing these RNA residues with a variety of ribose-modified nucleotides revealed 2'-hydroxyl sensitivity. Modified 5' pseudoknots with as little as six out of nineteen RNA residues, with phosphorothioate linkages at remaining RNA positions, yielded heavily modified pseudoknots with robust cell-based editing. High trans activity was usually preserved with cis activity. We show that the 5' pseudoknot can tolerate near complete modification when design is guided by structural and chemical compatibility. Rules for modification of the 5' pseudoknot should accelerate therapeutic development and be valuable for CRISPR-Cas12a diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman A Ageely
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Ramadevi Chilamkurthy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Sunit Jana
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Daniel O'Reilly
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Philip J Jensik
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Keith T Gagnon
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA.
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15
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Barkau CL, O'Reilly D, Eddington SB, Damha MJ, Gagnon KT. Small nucleic acids and the path to the clinic for anti-CRISPR. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 189:114492. [PMID: 33647260 PMCID: PMC8725204 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR-based therapeutics have entered clinical trials but no methods to inhibit Cas enzymes have been demonstrated in a clinical setting. The ability to inhibit CRISPR-based gene editing or gene targeting drugs should be considered a critical step in establishing safety standards for many CRISPR-Cas therapeutics. Inhibitors can act as a failsafe or as an adjuvant to reduce off-target effects in patients. In this review we discuss the need for clinical inhibition of CRISPR-Cas systems and three existing inhibitor technologies: anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins, small molecule Cas inhibitors, and small nucleic acid-based CRISPR inhibitors, CRISPR SNuBs. Due to their unique properties and the recent successes of other nucleic acid-based therapeutics, CRISPR SNuBs appear poised for clinical application in the near-term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Barkau
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
| | - Daniel O'Reilly
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Seth B Eddington
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Keith T Gagnon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA.
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16
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Abstract
This Account highlights the structural features that render 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-arabinonucleic acid (FANA) an ideal tool for mimicking DNA secondary structures and probing biomolecular interactions relevant to chemical biology.The high binding affinity of FANA to DNA and RNA has had implications in therapeutics. FANA can hybridize to complementary RNA, resulting in a predominant A-form helix stabilized by a network of 2'F-H8(purine) pseudohydrogen bonding interactions. We have shown that FANA/RNA hybrids are substrates of RNase H and Ago2, both implicated in the mechanism of action of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and siRNA, respectvely. This knowledge has helped us study the conformational preferences of ASOs and siRNA as well as crRNA in CRISPR-associated Cas9, thereby revealing structural features crucial to biochemical activity.Additionally, FANA is of particular use in stabilizing noncanonical DNA structures. For instance, we have taken advantage of the anti N-glycosidic bond conformation of FANA monomers to induce a parallel topology in telomeric G-quadruplexes. Subsequent single-molecule FRET studies elucidated the mechanism by which these parallel G-quadruplexes are recognized and extended by telomerase. Similarly, we have utilized FANA to stabilize elusive telomeric i-motifs in the presence of concomitant parallel G-quadruplexes and under physiological conditions, thereby reinforcing their potential relevance to telomere biology. In another study, we adapted microarray technology and used FANA substitutions to enhance the binding affinity of the G-quadruplex thrombin-binding aptamer to its thrombin target.Finally, we discovered that DNA polymerases can synthesize FANA strands from DNA templates. On the basis of this property, other groups demonstrated that FANA, like DNA, can store hereditary information. They did so by engineering polymerases to efficiently transfer genetic information from DNA to FANA and retrieve it back into DNA. Subsequent studies showed that FANA could be evolved to acquire ribozyme-like endonuclease or ligase activity and to form high-affinity aptamers.Overall, the implications of these studies are remarkable because they promise a deeper understanding of human biochemistry for innovative therapeutic avenues. This Account summarizes past achievements and provides an outlook for inspiring the increased use of FANA in biological applications and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto El-Khoury
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Masad J. Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
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17
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Dantuluri S, Schwer B, Abdullahu L, Damha MJ, Shuman S. Activity and substrate specificity of Candida, Aspergillus, and Coccidioides Tpt1: essential tRNA splicing enzymes and potential anti-fungal targets. RNA 2021; 27:rna.078660.120. [PMID: 33509912 PMCID: PMC8051265 DOI: 10.1261/rna.078660.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The enzyme Tpt1 is an essential agent of fungal tRNA splicing that removes an internal RNA 2'-PO4 generated by fungal tRNA ligase. Tpt1 performs a two-step reaction in which: (i) the 2'-PO4 attacks NAD+ to form an RNA-2'-phospho-(ADP-ribose) intermediate; and (ii) transesterification of the ADP-ribose O2'' to the RNA 2'-phosphodiester yields 2'-OH RNA and ADP-ribose-1'',2''-cyclic phosphate. Because Tpt1 does not participate in metazoan tRNA splicing, and Tpt1 knockout has no apparent impact on mammalian physiology, Tpt1 is considered a potential anti-fungal drug target. Here we characterize Tpt1 enzymes from four human fungal pathogens: Coccidioides immitis, the agent of Valley Fever; Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans, which cause invasive, often fatal, infections in immunocompromised hosts; and Candida auris, an emerging pathogen that is resistant to current therapies. All four pathogen Tpt1s were active in vivo in complementing a lethal Saccharomyces cerevisiae tpt1∆ mutation and in vitro in NAD+-dependent conversion of a 2'-PO4 to a 2'-OH. The fungal Tpt1s utilized nicotinamide hypoxanthine dinucleotide as a substrate in lieu of NAD+, albeit with much lower affinity, whereas nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide was ineffective. Fungal Tpt1s efficiently removed an internal ribonucleotide 2'-phosphate from an otherwise all-DNA substrate. Replacement of an RNA ribose-2'-PO4 nucleotide with arabinose-2'-PO4 diminished enzyme specific activity by ≥2000-fold and selectively slowed step 2 of the reaction pathway, resulting in transient accumulation of an ara-2'-phospho-ADP-ribosylated intermediate. Our results implicate the 2'-PO4 ribonucleotide as the principal determinant of fungal Tpt1 nucleic acid substrate specificity.
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18
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Fakih HH, Katolik A, Malek-Adamian E, Fakhoury JJ, Kaviani S, Damha MJ, Sleiman HF. Design and enhanced gene silencing activity of spherical 2'-fluoroarabinose nucleic acids (FANA-SNAs). Chem Sci 2021; 12:2993-3003. [PMID: 34164068 PMCID: PMC8179377 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc06645a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug delivery vectors for nucleic acid therapeutics (NATs) face significant barriers for translation into the clinic. Spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) – nanoparticles with an exterior shell made up of DNA strands and a hydrophobic interior – have recently shown great potential as vehicles to improve the biodistribution and efficacy of NATs. To date, SNA design has not taken advantage of the powerful chemical modifications available to NATs. Here, we modify SNAs with 2′-deoxy-2′-fluoro-d-arabinonucleic acid (FANA-SNA), and show increased stability, enhanced gene silencing potency and unaided uptake (gymnosis) as compared to free FANA. By varying the spacer region between the nucleic acid strand and the attached hydrophobic polymer, we show that a cleavable DNA based spacer is essential for maximum activity. This design feature will be important when implementing functionalized nucleic acids into nanostructures for gene silencing. The modularity of the FANA-SNA was demonstrated by silencing two different targets. Transfection-free delivery was superior for the modified SNA compared to the free FANA oligonucleotide. Optimizing FANA modified spherical nucleic acids (FANA-SNAs) for highly efficient delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan H Fakih
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University Montreal Quebec H3A 0B8 Canada
| | - Adam Katolik
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University Montreal Quebec H3A 0B8 Canada
| | | | - Johans J Fakhoury
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University Montreal Quebec H3A 0B8 Canada
| | - Sepideh Kaviani
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University Montreal Quebec H3A 0B8 Canada
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University Montreal Quebec H3A 0B8 Canada
| | - Hanadi F Sleiman
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University Montreal Quebec H3A 0B8 Canada
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19
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Abstract
While Nature harnesses RNA and DNA to store, read and write genetic information, the inherent programmability, synthetic accessibility and wide functionality of these nucleic acids make them attractive tools for use in a vast array of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke K. McKenzie
- Institut Pasteur
- Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry
- Laboratory for Bioorganic Chemistry of Nucleic Acids
- CNRS UMR3523
- 75724 Paris Cedex 15
| | | | | | | | - Marcel Hollenstein
- Institut Pasteur
- Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry
- Laboratory for Bioorganic Chemistry of Nucleic Acids
- CNRS UMR3523
- 75724 Paris Cedex 15
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20
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Habibian M, Harikrishna S, Fakhoury J, Barton M, Ageely EA, Cencic R, Fakih HH, Katolik A, Takahashi M, Rossi J, Pelletier J, Gagnon KT, Pradeepkumar PI, Damha MJ. Effect of 2'-5'/3'-5' phosphodiester linkage heterogeneity on RNA interference. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:4643-4657. [PMID: 32282904 PMCID: PMC7229817 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We report on the synthesis of siRNAs containing both 2′-5′- and 3′-5′-internucleotide linkages and their effects on siRNA structure, function, and interaction with RNAi proteins. Screening of these siRNAs against their corresponding mRNA targets showed that 2′-5′ linkages were well tolerated in the sense strand, but only at a few positions in the antisense strand. Extensive modification of the antisense strand minimally affected 5′-phosphorylation of the siRNA by kinases, however, it negatively affected siRNA loading into human AGO2. Modelling and molecular dynamics simulations were fully consistent with these findings. Furthermore, our studies indicated that the presence of a single 5′p-rN1-(2′-5′)-N2 unit in the antisense strand does not alter the ‘clover leaf’ bend and sugar puckers that are critical for anchoring the 5′-phosphate to Ago 2 MID domain. Importantly, 2′-5′-linkages had the added benefit of abrogating immune-stimulatory activity of siRNAs. Together, these results demonstrate that 2′-5′/3′-5′-modified siRNAs, when properly designed, can offer an efficient new class of siRNAs with diminished immune-stimulatory responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Habibian
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - S Harikrishna
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Johans Fakhoury
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Maria Barton
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Eman A Ageely
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Regina Cencic
- Department of Biochemistry and Goodman Cancer Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Hassan H Fakih
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Adam Katolik
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Mayumi Takahashi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - John Rossi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Jerry Pelletier
- Department of Biochemistry and Goodman Cancer Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Keith T Gagnon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, USA.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - P I Pradeepkumar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
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21
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Paudel BP, Moye AL, Abou Assi H, El-Khoury R, Cohen SB, Holien JK, Birrento ML, Samosorn S, Intharapichai K, Tomlinson CG, Teulade-Fichou MP, González C, Beck JL, Damha MJ, van Oijen AM, Bryan TM. A mechanism for the extension and unfolding of parallel telomeric G-quadruplexes by human telomerase at single-molecule resolution. eLife 2020; 9:56428. [PMID: 32723475 PMCID: PMC7426096 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeric G-quadruplexes (G4) were long believed to form a protective structure at telomeres, preventing their extension by the ribonucleoprotein telomerase. Contrary to this belief, we have previously demonstrated that parallel-stranded conformations of telomeric G4 can be extended by human and ciliate telomerase. However, a mechanistic understanding of the interaction of telomerase with structured DNA remained elusive. Here, we use single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) microscopy and bulk-phase enzymology to propose a mechanism for the resolution and extension of parallel G4 by telomerase. Binding is initiated by the RNA template of telomerase interacting with the G-quadruplex; nucleotide addition then proceeds to the end of the RNA template. It is only through the large conformational change of translocation following synthesis that the G-quadruplex structure is completely unfolded to a linear product. Surprisingly, parallel G4 stabilization with either small molecule ligands or by chemical modification does not always inhibit G4 unfolding and extension by telomerase. These data reveal that telomerase is a parallel G-quadruplex resolvase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bishnu P Paudel
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Illawara Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Aaron Lavel Moye
- Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Hala Abou Assi
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Scott B Cohen
- Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Jessica K Holien
- School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Monica L Birrento
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Illawara Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Siritron Samosorn
- Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kamthorn Intharapichai
- Department of Biobased Materials Science, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - Marie-Paule Teulade-Fichou
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Orsay, France.,Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Carlos González
- Instituto de Química Física 'Rocasolano', CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jennifer L Beck
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Illawara Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Antoine M van Oijen
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Illawara Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Tracy M Bryan
- Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
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22
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Affiliation(s)
- James D. Thorpe
- Department of ChemistryMcGill University 801 Sherbrooke Street West Montreal QC H3A 0B8 Canada
| | - Daniel O'Reilly
- Department of ChemistryMcGill University 801 Sherbrooke Street West Montreal QC H3A 0B8 Canada
| | - Tomislav Friščić
- Department of ChemistryMcGill University 801 Sherbrooke Street West Montreal QC H3A 0B8 Canada
| | - Masad J. Damha
- Department of ChemistryMcGill University 801 Sherbrooke Street West Montreal QC H3A 0B8 Canada
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23
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Abstract
We demonstrate the first mechanochemical synthesis of DNA fragments by ball milling, enabling the synthesis of oligomers of controllable sequence and length using multi-step, one-pot reactions, without bulk solvent or the need to isolate intermediates. Mechanochemistry allowed for coupling of phosphoramidite monomers to the 5'-hydroxyl group of nucleosides, iodine/water oxidation of the resulting phosphite triester linkage, and removal of the 5'-dimethoxytrityl (DMTr) protecting group in situ in good yields (up to 60 % over three steps) to produce DNA dimers in a one-pot manner. H-Phosphonate chemistry under milling conditions enabled coupling and protection of the H-phosphonate linkage, as well as removal of the 5'-DMTr protecting group in situ, enabling a one-pot process with good yields (up to 65 % over three steps, or ca. 87 % per step). Sulfurization of the internucleotide linkage was possible using elemental sulfur (S8) or sulfur transfer reagents, yielding the target DNA phosphorothioate dimers in good yield (up to 80 % over two steps). This work opens the door to creation of solvent-free synthesis methodologies for DNA and RNA therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Thorpe
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Daniel O'Reilly
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Tomislav Friščić
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H3A 0B8, Canada
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24
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Dantuluri S, Abdullahu L, Munir A, Katolik A, Damha MJ, Shuman S. Substrate analogs that trap the 2'-phospho-ADP-ribosylated RNA intermediate of the Tpt1 (tRNA 2'-phosphotransferase) reaction pathway. RNA 2020; 26:373-381. [PMID: 31932322 PMCID: PMC7075268 DOI: 10.1261/rna.074377.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The enzyme Tpt1 removes an internal RNA 2'-PO4 via a two-step reaction in which: (i) the 2'-PO4 attacks NAD+ to form an RNA-2'-phospho-(ADP-ribose) intermediate and nicotinamide; and (ii) transesterification of the ADP-ribose O2″ to the RNA 2'-phosphodiester yields 2'-OH RNA and ADP-ribose-1″,2″-cyclic phosphate. Because step 2 is much faster than step 1, the ADP-ribosylated RNA intermediate is virtually undetectable under normal circumstances. Here, by testing chemically modified nucleic acid substrates for activity with bacterial Tpt1 enzymes, we find that replacement of the ribose-2'-PO4 nucleotide with arabinose-2'-PO4 selectively slows step 2 of the reaction pathway and results in the transient accumulation of high levels of the reaction intermediate. We report that replacing the NMN ribose of NAD+ with 2'-fluoroarabinose (thereby eliminating the ribose O2″ nucleophile) results in durable trapping of RNA-2'-phospho-(ADP-fluoroarabinose) as a "dead-end" product of step 1. Tpt1 enzymes from diverse taxa differ in their capacity to use ara-2″F-NAD+ as a substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swathi Dantuluri
- Molecular Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Leonora Abdullahu
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A0B8, Canada
| | - Annum Munir
- Molecular Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Adam Katolik
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A0B8, Canada
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A0B8, Canada
| | - Stewart Shuman
- Molecular Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
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25
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26
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Lietard J, Damha MJ, Somoza MM. Large-Scale Photolithographic Synthesis of Chimeric DNA/RNA Hairpin Microarrays To Explore Sequence Specificity Landscapes of RNase HII Cleavage. Biochemistry 2019; 58:4389-4397. [PMID: 31631649 PMCID: PMC6838787 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Ribonuclease HII (RNase HII) is an essential endoribonuclease that binds to double-stranded DNA with RNA nucleotide incorporations and cleaves 5' of the ribonucleotide at RNA-DNA junctions. Thought to be present in all domains of life, RNase HII protects genomic integrity by initiating excision repair pathways that protect the encoded information from rapid degradation. There is sparse evidence that the enzyme cleaves some substrates better than others, but a large-scale study is missing. Such large-scale studies can be carried out on microarrays, and we employ chemical photolithography to synthesize very large combinatorial libraries of fluorescently labeled DNA/RNA chimeric sequences that self-anneal to form hairpin structures that are substrates for Escherichia coli RNase HII. The relative activity is determined by the loss of fluorescence upon cleavage. Each substrate includes a double-stranded 5 bp variable region with one to five consecutive ribonucleotide substitutions. We also examined the effect of all possible single and double mismatches, for a total of >9500 unique structures. Differences in cleavage efficiency indicate some level of substrate preference, and we identified the 5'-dC/rC-rA-dX-3' motif in well-cleaved substrates. The results significantly extend known patterns of RNase HII sequence specificity and serve as a template using large-scale photolithographic synthesis to comprehensively map landscapes of substrate specificity of nucleic acid-processing enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jory Lietard
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry , University of Vienna , Althanstraße 14 (UZA II) , 1090 Vienna , Austria
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry , McGill University , 801 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest , Montreal , QC H3A 0B8 , Canada
| | - Mark M Somoza
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry , University of Vienna , Althanstraße 14 (UZA II) , 1090 Vienna , Austria
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27
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Levi-Acobas F, Katolik A, Röthlisberger P, Cokelaer T, Sarac I, Damha MJ, Leumann CJ, Hollenstein M. Compatibility of 5-ethynyl-2'F-ANA UTP with in vitro selection for the generation of base-modified, nuclease resistant aptamers. Org Biomol Chem 2019; 17:8083-8087. [PMID: 31460550 DOI: 10.1039/c9ob01515a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
A modified nucleoside triphosphate bearing two modifications based on a 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-arabinofuranose sugar and a uracil nucleobase equipped with a C5-ethynyl moiety (5-ethynyl-2'F-ANA UTP) was synthesized. This nucleotide analog could enzymatically be incorporated into DNA oligonucleotides by primer extension and reverse transcribed to unmodified DNA. This nucleotide could be used in SELEX for the identification of high binding affinity and nuclease resistant aptamers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabienne Levi-Acobas
- Institut Pasteur, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Laboratory for Bioorganic Chemistry of Nucleic Acids, CNRS UMR 3523, 28, rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France. and Institut Pasteur, Department of Genome and Genetics, Paris, France
| | - Adam Katolik
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland and Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Rue Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Pascal Röthlisberger
- Institut Pasteur, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Laboratory for Bioorganic Chemistry of Nucleic Acids, CNRS UMR 3523, 28, rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France. and Institut Pasteur, Department of Genome and Genetics, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Cokelaer
- Institut Pasteur, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Department of Computational Biology, Institut Pasteur, USR 3756 CNRS, Paris, France and Institut Pasteur, Biomics Platform, C2RT, Paris, France
| | - Ivo Sarac
- Institut Pasteur, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Laboratory for Bioorganic Chemistry of Nucleic Acids, CNRS UMR 3523, 28, rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France. and Institut Pasteur, Department of Genome and Genetics, Paris, France
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Rue Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Christian J Leumann
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marcel Hollenstein
- Institut Pasteur, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Laboratory for Bioorganic Chemistry of Nucleic Acids, CNRS UMR 3523, 28, rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France. and Institut Pasteur, Department of Genome and Genetics, Paris, France
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28
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O'Reilly D, Kartje ZJ, Ageely EA, Malek-Adamian E, Habibian M, Schofield A, Barkau CL, Rohilla KJ, DeRossett LB, Weigle AT, Damha MJ, Gagnon KT. Extensive CRISPR RNA modification reveals chemical compatibility and structure-activity relationships for Cas9 biochemical activity. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:546-558. [PMID: 30517736 PMCID: PMC6344873 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky1214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat) endonucleases are at the forefront of biotechnology, synthetic biology and gene editing. Methods for controlling enzyme properties promise to improve existing applications and enable new technologies. CRISPR enzymes rely on RNA cofactors to guide catalysis. Therefore, chemical modification of the guide RNA can be used to characterize structure-activity relationships within CRISPR ribonucleoprotein (RNP) enzymes and identify compatible chemistries for controlling activity. Here, we introduce chemical modifications to the sugar–phosphate backbone of Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 CRISPR RNA (crRNA) to probe chemical and structural requirements. Ribose sugars that promoted or accommodated A-form helical architecture in and around the crRNA ‘seed’ region were tolerated best. A wider range of modifications were acceptable outside of the seed, especially D-2′-deoxyribose, and we exploited this property to facilitate exploration of greater chemical diversity within the seed. 2′-fluoro was the most compatible modification whereas bulkier O-methyl sugar modifications were less tolerated. Activity trends could be rationalized for selected crRNAs using RNP stability and DNA target binding experiments. Cas9 activity in vitro tolerated most chemical modifications at predicted 2′-hydroxyl contact positions, whereas editing activity in cells was much less tolerant. The biochemical principles of chemical modification identified here will guide CRISPR-Cas9 engineering and enable new or improved applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel O'Reilly
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Zachary J Kartje
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, USA
| | - Eman A Ageely
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, USA
| | - Elise Malek-Adamian
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Maryam Habibian
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Annabelle Schofield
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Christopher L Barkau
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, USA
| | - Kushal J Rohilla
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, USA
| | - Lauren B DeRossett
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, USA
| | - Austin T Weigle
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, USA
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Keith T Gagnon
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, USA.,Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, USA
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29
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Habibian M, Yahyaee-Anzahaee M, Lucic M, Moroz E, Martín-Pintado N, Di Giovanni LD, Leroux JC, Hall J, González C, Damha MJ. Structural properties and gene-silencing activity of chemically modified DNA-RNA hybrids with parallel orientation. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:1614-1623. [PMID: 29373740 PMCID: PMC5829573 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
We report, herein, a new class of RNAi trigger molecules based on the unconventional parallel hybridization of two oligonucleotide chains. We have prepared and studied several parallel stranded (ps) duplexes, in which the parallel orientation is achieved through incorporation of isoguanine and isocytosine to form reverse Watson-Crick base pairs in ps-DNA:DNA, ps-DNA:RNA, ps-(DNA-2'F-ANA):RNA, and ps-DNA:2'F-RNA duplexes. The formation of these duplexes was confirmed by UV melting experiments, FRET and CD studies. In addition, NMR structural studies were conducted on a ps-DNA:RNA hybrid for the first time. Finally, we provide evidence for the unprecedented finding that ps-DNA:RNA and ps-DNA:2'F-RNA hybrids can engage the RNAi pathway to silence gene expression in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Habibian
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Maryam Yahyaee-Anzahaee
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Matije Lucic
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elena Moroz
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nerea Martín-Pintado
- Instituto de Química Física 'Rocasolano', CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Logan Dante Di Giovanni
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Jean-Christophe Leroux
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan Hall
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Carlos González
- Instituto de Química Física 'Rocasolano', CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
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30
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Takahashi M, Li H, Zhou J, Chomchan P, Aishwarya V, Damha MJ, Rossi JJ. Dual Mechanisms of Action of Self-Delivering, Anti-HIV-1 FANA Oligonucleotides as a Potential New Approach to HIV Therapy. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 2019; 17:615-625. [PMID: 31394430 PMCID: PMC6695270 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2019.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Currently, the most effective and durable therapeutic option for HIV-1 infection is combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Although cART is powerful and can delay viral evolution of drug resistance for decades, it is associated with limitations, including an inability to eradicate the virus and a potential for adverse effects. Therefore, it is imperative to discover new HIV therapeutic modalities. In this study, we designed, characterized, and evaluated the in vitro potency of 2′-deoxy-2′-fluoroarabinonucleotide (FANA) modified antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) targeting highly conserved regions in the HIV-1 genome. Carrier-free cellular internalization of FANA ASOs resulted in strong suppression of HIV-1 replication in HIV-1-infected human primary cells. In vitro mechanistic studies suggested that the inhibitory effect of FANA ASOs can be attributed to RNase H1 activation and steric hindrance of dimerization. Using 5′-RACE PCR and sequencing analysis, we confirmed the presence of human RNase H1-mediated target RNA cleavage products in cells treated with FANA ASOs. We observed no overt cytotoxicity or immune responses upon FANA ASO treatment. Together, our results strongly suggest that FANA ASOs hold great promise for antiretroviral therapy. The dual ability of FANA ASOs to target RNA by recruiting RNase H1 and/or sterically blocking RNA dimerization further enhances their therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayumi Takahashi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA
| | - Haitang Li
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA
| | - Jiehua Zhou
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA
| | - Pritsana Chomchan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA
| | | | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - John J Rossi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA; Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Science, Beckman Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.
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31
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Munir A, Abdullahu L, Banerjee A, Damha MJ, Shuman S. NAD +-dependent RNA terminal 2' and 3' phosphomonoesterase activity of a subset of Tpt1 enzymes. RNA 2019; 25:783-792. [PMID: 31019096 PMCID: PMC6573784 DOI: 10.1261/rna.071142.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The enzyme Tpt1 removes the 2'-PO4 at the splice junction generated by fungal tRNA ligase; it does so via a two-step reaction in which (i) the internal RNA 2'-PO4 attacks NAD+ to form an RNA-2'-phospho-ADP-ribosyl intermediate; and (ii) transesterification of the ribose O2″ to the 2'-phosphodiester yields 2'-OH RNA and ADP-ribose-1″,2″-cyclic phosphate products. The role that Tpt1 enzymes play in taxa that have no fungal-type RNA ligase remains obscure. An attractive prospect is that Tpt1 enzymes might catalyze reactions other than internal RNA 2'-PO4 removal, via their unique NAD+-dependent transferase mechanism. This study extends the repertoire of the Tpt1 enzyme family to include the NAD+-dependent conversion of RNA terminal 2' and 3' monophosphate ends to 2'-OH and 3'-OH ends, respectively. The salient finding is that different Tpt1 enzymes vary in their capacity and positional specificity for terminal phosphate removal. Clostridium thermocellum and Aeropyrum pernix Tpt1 proteins are active on 2'-PO4 and 3'-PO4 ends, with a 2.4- to 2.6-fold kinetic preference for the 2'-PO4 The accumulation of a terminal 3'-phospho-ADP-ribosylated RNA intermediate during the 3'-phosphotransferase reaction suggests that the geometry of the 3'-p-ADPR adduct is not optimal for the ensuing transesterification step. Chaetomium thermophilum Tpt1 acts specifically on a terminal 2'-PO4 end and not with a 3'-PO4 In contrast, Runella slithyformis Tpt1 and human Tpt1 are ineffective in removing either a 2'-PO4 or 3'-PO4 end.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annum Munir
- Molecular Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Leonora Abdullahu
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A0B8
| | - Ankan Banerjee
- Molecular Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A0B8
| | - Stewart Shuman
- Molecular Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
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32
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Abou Assi H, Garavís M, González C, Damha MJ. i-Motif DNA: structural features and significance to cell biology. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:8038-8056. [PMID: 30124962 PMCID: PMC6144788 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The i-motif represents a paradigmatic example of the wide structural versatility of nucleic acids. In remarkable contrast to duplex DNA, i-motifs are four-stranded DNA structures held together by hemi- protonated and intercalated cytosine base pairs (C:C+). First observed 25 years ago, and considered by many as a mere structural oddity, interest in and discussion on the biological role of i-motifs have grown dramatically in recent years. In this review we focus on structural aspects of i-motif formation, the factors leading to its stabilization and recent studies describing the possible role of i-motifs in fundamental biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hala Abou Assi
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Miguel Garavís
- Instituto de Química Física 'Rocasolano', CSIC, C/Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos González
- Instituto de Química Física 'Rocasolano', CSIC, C/Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
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33
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Barkau CL, O'Reilly D, Rohilla KJ, Damha MJ, Gagnon KT. Rationally Designed Anti-CRISPR Nucleic Acid Inhibitors of CRISPR-Cas9. Nucleic Acid Ther 2019; 29:136-147. [PMID: 30990769 PMCID: PMC6555185 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2018.0758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) RNAs and their associated effector (Cas) enzymes are being developed into promising therapeutics to treat disease. However, CRISPR-Cas enzymes might produce unwanted gene editing or dangerous side effects. Drug-like molecules that can inactivate CRISPR-Cas enzymes could help facilitate safer therapeutic development. Based on the requirement of guide RNA and target DNA interaction by Cas enzymes, we rationally designed small nucleic acid-based inhibitors (SNuBs) of Streptococcus pyogenes (Sp) Cas9. Inhibitors were initially designed as 2'-O-methyl-modified oligonucleotides that bound the CRISPR RNA guide sequence (anti-guide) or repeat sequence (anti-tracr), or DNA oligonucleotides that bound the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM)-interaction domain (anti-PAM) of SpCas9. Coupling anti-PAM and anti-tracr modules together was synergistic and resulted in high binding affinity and efficient inhibition of Cas9 DNA cleavage activity. Incorporating 2'F-RNA and locked nucleic acid nucleotides into the anti-tracr module resulted in greater inhibition as well as dose-dependent suppression of gene editing in human cells. CRISPR SNuBs provide a platform for rational design of CRISPR-Cas enzyme inhibitors that should translate to other CRISPR effector enzymes and enable better control over CRISPR-based applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L. Barkau
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois
| | - Daniel O'Reilly
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Kushal J. Rohilla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois
| | - Masad J. Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Keith T. Gagnon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois
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34
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Malek-Adamian E, Fakhoury J, Arnold AE, Martínez-Montero S, Shoichet MS, Damha MJ. Effect of Sugar 2',4'-Modifications on Gene Silencing Activity of siRNA Duplexes. Nucleic Acid Ther 2019; 29:187-194. [PMID: 31084536 PMCID: PMC6686699 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2019.0792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we explore the effect of a library of 2′-, 4′-, and 2′,4′-modified uridine nucleosides and their impact on silencing firefly luciferase and on down-regulated in renal cell carcinoma (DRR) gene targets. The modifications studied were 2′-F-ribose, 2′-F-arabinose, 2′-OMe-ribose, 2′-F,4′-OMe-ribose, 2′-F,4′-OMe-arabinose, and 2′-OMe,4′-F-ribose. We found that 2′,4′-modifications are well tolerated within A-form RNA duplexes, leading to virtually no change in melting temperature as assessed by UV thermal melting. The impact of the dual (2′,4′) modification was assessed by comparing gene silencing ability to 2′- or 4′- (singly) modified siRNA counterparts. siRNAs with (2′,4′)-modified overhangs generally outperformed the native siRNA as well as siRNAs with a 2′- or 4′-modified overhang, suggesting that 2′,4′-modified nucleotides interact favorably with Argonaute protein's PAZ domain. Among the most active siRNAs were those with 2′-F,4′-OMe-ribose or 2′-F,4′-OMe-arabinose at the overhangs. When modifications were placed at both overhangs and internal positions, a duplex with the 2′-F (internal) and 2′-F,4′-OMe (overhang) combination was found to be the most potent, followed by the duplex with 2′-OMe (internal) and 2′,4′-diOMe (overhang) modifications. Given the nuclease resistance exhibited by 2′,4′-modified siRNAs, particularly when the modification is placed at or near the overhangs, these findings may allow the creation of superior siRNAs for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Johans Fakhoury
- 1Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Amy E Arnold
- 2Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Molly S Shoichet
- 2Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,3Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,4Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Masad J Damha
- 1Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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35
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Banerjee A, Munir A, Abdullahu L, Damha MJ, Goldgur Y, Shuman S. Structure of tRNA splicing enzyme Tpt1 illuminates the mechanism of RNA 2'-PO 4 recognition and ADP-ribosylation. Nat Commun 2019; 10:218. [PMID: 30644400 PMCID: PMC6333775 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-08211-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Tpt1 is an essential agent of fungal tRNA splicing that removes the 2′-PO4 at the splice junction generated by fungal tRNA ligase. Tpt1 catalyzes a unique two-step reaction whereby the 2′-PO4 attacks NAD+ to form an RNA-2′-phospho-ADP-ribosyl intermediate that undergoes transesterification to yield 2′-OH RNA and ADP-ribose-1″,2″-cyclic phosphate products. Because Tpt1 is inessential in exemplary bacterial and mammalian taxa, Tpt1 is seen as an attractive antifungal target. Here we report a 1.4 Å crystal structure of Tpt1 in a product-mimetic complex with ADP-ribose-1″-phosphate in the NAD+ site and pAp in the RNA site. The structure reveals how Tpt1 recognizes a 2′-PO4 RNA splice junction and the mechanism of RNA phospho-ADP-ribosylation. This study also provides evidence that a bacterium has an endogenous phosphorylated substrate with which Tpt1 reacts. Tpt1 catalyzes the final essential step in yeast tRNA splicing and is a potential antifungal target. Here the authors provide structural insights into how Tpt1 recognizes a 2’-PO4 RNA splice junction and the mechanism of RNA phospho-ADP-ribosylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankan Banerjee
- Molecular Biology and Structural Biology Programs, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Annum Munir
- Molecular Biology and Structural Biology Programs, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Leonora Abdullahu
- Chemistry Department, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A0B8, Canada
| | - Masad J Damha
- Chemistry Department, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A0B8, Canada
| | - Yehuda Goldgur
- Molecular Biology and Structural Biology Programs, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Stewart Shuman
- Molecular Biology and Structural Biology Programs, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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36
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Abstract
While high-density DNA microarrays have been available for over three decades, the synthesis of equivalent RNA microarrays has proven intractable until now. Herein we describe the first in situ synthesis of mixed-based, high-density RNA microarrays using photolithography and light-sensitive RNA phosphoramidites. With coupling efficiencies comparable to those of DNA monomers, RNA oligonucleotides at least 30 nucleotides long can now efficiently be prepared using modified phosphoramidite chemistry. A two-step deprotection route unmasks the phosphodiester, the exocyclic amines and the 2' hydroxyl. Hybridization and enzymatic assays validate the quality and the identity of the surface-bound RNA. We show that high-density is feasible by synthesizing a complex RNA permutation library with 262144 unique sequences. We also introduce DNA/RNA chimeric microarrays and explore their applications by mapping the sequence specificity of RNase HII.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jory Lietard
- Institute of Inorganic ChemistryFaculty of ChemistryUniversity of ViennaAlthanstraße 14, UZA II1090ViennaAustria
| | - Dominik Ameur
- Institute of Inorganic ChemistryFaculty of ChemistryUniversity of ViennaAlthanstraße 14, UZA II1090ViennaAustria
| | - Masad J. Damha
- Department of ChemistryMcGill University801 Rue Sherbrooke OMontréalQC H3A 0B8Canada
| | - Mark M. Somoza
- Institute of Inorganic ChemistryFaculty of ChemistryUniversity of ViennaAlthanstraße 14, UZA II1090ViennaAustria
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37
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Affiliation(s)
- Jory Lietard
- Institute für Anorganische ChemieFakultät für ChemieUniversität Wien Althanstraße 14, UZA II 1090 Wien Österreich
| | - Dominik Ameur
- Institute für Anorganische ChemieFakultät für ChemieUniversität Wien Althanstraße 14, UZA II 1090 Wien Österreich
| | - Masad J. Damha
- Department of ChemistryMcGill University 801 Rue Sherbrooke O Montréal QC H3A 0B8 Kanada
| | - Mark M. Somoza
- Institute für Anorganische ChemieFakultät für ChemieUniversität Wien Althanstraße 14, UZA II 1090 Wien Österreich
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38
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O'Reilly D, Stein RS, Patrascu MB, Jana SK, Kurian J, Moitessier N, Damha MJ. Exploring Atypical Fluorine-Hydrogen Bonds and Their Effects on Nucleoside Conformations. Chemistry 2018; 24:16432-16439. [PMID: 30125398 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201803940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel O'Reilly
- Department of Chemistry; McGill University; Otto Maass Chemistry Bldg.; 801 Sherbrooke St. West Montreal QC, H3C0B8 Canada
| | - Robin S. Stein
- Department of Chemistry; McGill University; Otto Maass Chemistry Bldg.; 801 Sherbrooke St. West Montreal QC, H3C0B8 Canada
| | - Mihai Burai Patrascu
- Department of Chemistry; McGill University; Otto Maass Chemistry Bldg.; 801 Sherbrooke St. West Montreal QC, H3C0B8 Canada
| | - Sunit Kumar Jana
- Department of Chemistry; McGill University; Otto Maass Chemistry Bldg.; 801 Sherbrooke St. West Montreal QC, H3C0B8 Canada
| | - Jerry Kurian
- Department of Chemistry; McGill University; Otto Maass Chemistry Bldg.; 801 Sherbrooke St. West Montreal QC, H3C0B8 Canada
| | - Nicolas Moitessier
- Department of Chemistry; McGill University; Otto Maass Chemistry Bldg.; 801 Sherbrooke St. West Montreal QC, H3C0B8 Canada
| | - Masad J. Damha
- Department of Chemistry; McGill University; Otto Maass Chemistry Bldg.; 801 Sherbrooke St. West Montreal QC, H3C0B8 Canada
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39
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Shen X, Kilikevicius A, O'Reilly D, Prakash TP, Damha MJ, Rigo F, Corey DR. Activating frataxin expression by single-stranded siRNAs targeting the GAA repeat expansion. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 28:2850-2855. [PMID: 30076049 PMCID: PMC6129981 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder caused by reduced expression of the mitochondrial protein frataxin (FXN). The genetic cause of the disease is an expanded GAA repeat within the FXN gene. Agents that increase expression of FXN protein are a potential approach to therapy. We previously described anti-trinucleotide GAA duplex RNAs (dsRNAs) and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) that activate FXN protein expression in multiple patient derived cell lines. Here we test two distinct series of compounds for their ability to increase FXN expression. ASOs with butane linkers showed low potency, which is consistent with the low Tm values and suggesting that flexible conformation impairs activity. By contrast, single-stranded siRNAs (ss-siRNAs) that combine the strengths of dsRNA and ASO approaches had nanomolar potencies. ss-siRNAs provide an additional option for developing nucleic acid therapeutics to treat FRDA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiulong Shen
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, United States; Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, United States
| | - Audrius Kilikevicius
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, United States; Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, United States
| | - Daniel O'Reilly
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | | | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Frank Rigo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA 92010, United States
| | - David R Corey
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, United States; Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, United States.
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40
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Munir A, Abdullahu L, Damha MJ, Shuman S. Two-step mechanism and step-arrest mutants of Runella slithyformis NAD +-dependent tRNA 2'-phosphotransferase Tpt1. RNA 2018; 24:1144-1157. [PMID: 29884622 PMCID: PMC6097658 DOI: 10.1261/rna.067165.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Tpt1 catalyzes the transfer of an internal 2'-monophosphate moiety (2'-PO4) from a "branched" 2'-PO4 RNA splice junction to NAD+ to form a "clean" 2'-OH, 3'-5' phosphodiester junction, ADP-ribose 1″-2″ cyclic phosphate, and nicotinamide. First discovered as an essential component of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae tRNA splicing machinery, Tpt1 is widely distributed in nature, including in taxa that have no yeast-like RNA splicing system. Here we characterize the RslTpt1 protein from the bacterium Runella slithyformis, in which Tpt1 is encoded within a putative RNA repair gene cluster. We find that (i) expression of RslTpt1 in yeast complements a lethal tpt1Δ knockout, and (ii) purified recombinant RslTpt1 is a bona fide NAD+-dependent 2'-phosphotransferase capable of completely removing an internal 2'-phosphate from synthetic RNAs. The in vivo activity of RslTpt1 is abolished by alanine substitutions for conserved amino acids Arg16, His17, Arg64, and Arg119. The R64A, R119A, and H17A mutants accumulate high levels of a 2'-phospho-ADP-ribosylated RNA reaction intermediate (2'-P-ADPR, evanescent in the wild-type RslTpt1 reaction), which is converted slowly to a 2'-OH RNA product. The R16A mutant is 300-fold slower than wild-type RslTpt1 in forming the 2'-P-ADPR intermediate. Whereas wild-type RsTpt1 rapidly converts the isolated 2'-P-ADPR intermediate to 2'-OH product in the absence of NAD+, the H17A, R119A, R64A, and R16A mutant are slower by factors of 3, 33, 210, and 710, respectively. Our results identify active site constituents involved in the catalysis of step 1 and step 2 of the Tpt1 reaction pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annum Munir
- Molecular Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Leonora Abdullahu
- Chemistry Department, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A2A7, Canada
| | - Masad J Damha
- Chemistry Department, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A2A7, Canada
| | - Stewart Shuman
- Molecular Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
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41
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Malek-Adamian E, Patrascu MB, Jana SK, Martínez-Montero S, Moitessier N, Damha MJ. Adjusting the Structure of 2'-Modified Nucleosides and Oligonucleotides via C4'-α-F or C4'-α-OMe Substitution: Synthesis and Conformational Analysis. J Org Chem 2018; 83:9839-9849. [PMID: 29963864 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.8b01329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
We report the first syntheses of three nucleoside analogues, namely, 2',4'-diOMe-rU, 2'-OMe,4'-F-rU, and 2'-F,4'-OMe-araU, via stereoselective introduction of fluorine or methoxy functionalities at the C4'-α-position of a 4',5'-olefinic intermediate. Conformational analyses of these nucleosides and comparison to other previously reported 2',4'-disubstituted nucleoside analogues make it possible to evaluate the effect of fluorine and methoxy substitution on the sugar pucker, as assessed by NMR, X-ray diffraction, and computational methods. We found that C4'-α-F/OMe substituents reinforce the C3'-endo ( north) conformation of 2'-OMe-rU. Furthermore, the predominant C2'-endo ( south/ east) conformation of 2'-F-araU switches to C3'-endo upon introduction of these substituents at C4'. The nucleoside analogues were incorporated into DNA and RNA oligonucleotides via standard phosphoramidite chemistry, and their effects on the thermal stability of homo- and heteroduplexes were assessed via UV thermal melting experiments. We found that 4'-substituents can modulate the binding affinity of the parent 2'-modified oligomers, inducing a mildly destabilizing or stabilizing effect depending on the duplex type. This study expands the spectrum of oligonucleotide modifications available for rational design of oligonucleotide therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Malek-Adamian
- Department of Chemistry , McGill University , 801 Sherbrooke Street West , Montreal , Quebec , Canada H3A 0B8
| | - Mihai Burai Patrascu
- Department of Chemistry , McGill University , 801 Sherbrooke Street West , Montreal , Quebec , Canada H3A 0B8
| | - Sunit Kumar Jana
- Department of Chemistry , McGill University , 801 Sherbrooke Street West , Montreal , Quebec , Canada H3A 0B8
| | - Saúl Martínez-Montero
- Department of Chemistry , McGill University , 801 Sherbrooke Street West , Montreal , Quebec , Canada H3A 0B8
| | - Nicolas Moitessier
- Department of Chemistry , McGill University , 801 Sherbrooke Street West , Montreal , Quebec , Canada H3A 0B8
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry , McGill University , 801 Sherbrooke Street West , Montreal , Quebec , Canada H3A 0B8
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42
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Vlaho D, Damha MJ. Synthesis of Chimeric Oligonucleotides Having Modified Internucleotide Linkages via an Automated H-Phosphonate/Phosphoramidite Approach. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 73:e53. [PMID: 29927099 DOI: 10.1002/cpnc.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
This article describes an automated solid-phase approach for the synthesis of chimeric oligonucleotides containing phosphoramidate-modified internucleotide linkages. An optimized H-phosphonate synthetic cycle is combined with the commonly used phosphoramidite approach to obtain oligonucleotides comprising blocks having various types of internucleotide linkages. This article is specific to the synthesis of oligonucleotides having phosphoramidate modifications, but is adaptable to permit the incorporation of other modified linkages accessible through H-phosphonate diester intermediates. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Vlaho
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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43
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Arnold AE, Malek-Adamian E, Le PU, Meng A, Martínez-Montero S, Petrecca K, Damha MJ, Shoichet MS. Antibody-Antisense Oligonucleotide Conjugate Downregulates a Key Gene in Glioblastoma Stem Cells. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 2018; 11:518-527. [PMID: 29858087 PMCID: PMC5992475 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2018.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) are invasive, treatment-resistant brain cancer cells that express downregulated in renal cell carcinoma (DRR), also called FAM107A, a genetic driver of GSC invasion. We developed antibody-antisense oligonucleotide (AON) conjugates to target and reduce DRR/FAM107A expression. Specifically, we used antibodies against antigens expressed on the GSCs, such as CD44 and EphA2, conjugated to chemically modified AONs against DRR/FAM107A, which were designed as chimeras of DNA and 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-beta-D-arabinonucleic acid (FANA) for increased nuclease stability and mRNA affinity. We demonstrate that these therapeutic conjugates successfully internalize, accumulate, and reduce DRR/FAM107A expression in patient-derived GSCs. This is the first example of an antibody-antisense strategy against cancer stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E Arnold
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Elise Malek-Adamian
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Phuong U Le
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Anika Meng
- Division of Engineering Science, University of Toronto, 35 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Saúl Martínez-Montero
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Kevin Petrecca
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada.
| | - Molly S Shoichet
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada; Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E5, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G9, Canada.
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44
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Zhang SY, Clark NE, Freije CA, Pauwels E, Taggart A, Okada S, Mandel H, Garcia P, Ciancanelli MJ, Biran A, Lafaille FG, Tsumura M, Cobat A, Luo J, Volpi S, Zimmer B, Sakata S, Dinis A, Ohara O, Garcia Reino EJ, Dobbs K, Hasek M, Holloway SP, McCammon K, Hussong SA, DeRosa N, Van Skike CE, Katolik A, Lorenzo L, Hyodo M, Faria E, Halwani R, Fukuhara R, Smith GA, Galvan V, Damha MJ, Al-Muhsen S, Itan Y, Boeke JD, Notarangelo LD, Studer L, Kobayashi M, Diogo L, Fairbrother W, Abel L, Rosenberg B, Hart J, Etzioni A, Casanova JL. Inborn Errors of RNA Lariat Metabolism in Humans with Brainstem Viral Infection. Cell 2018; 172:952-965.e18. [PMID: 29474921 PMCID: PMC5886375 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Revised: 12/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Viruses that are typically benign sometimes invade the brainstem in otherwise healthy children. We report bi-allelic DBR1 mutations in unrelated patients from different ethnicities, each of whom had brainstem infection due to herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1), influenza virus, or norovirus. DBR1 encodes the only known RNA lariat debranching enzyme. We show that DBR1 expression is ubiquitous, but strongest in the spinal cord and brainstem. We also show that all DBR1 mutant alleles are severely hypomorphic, in terms of expression and function. The fibroblasts of DBR1-mutated patients contain higher RNA lariat levels than control cells, this difference becoming even more marked during HSV1 infection. Finally, we show that the patients' fibroblasts are highly susceptible to HSV1. RNA lariat accumulation and viral susceptibility are rescued by wild-type DBR1. Autosomal recessive, partial DBR1 deficiency underlies viral infection of the brainstem in humans through the disruption of tissue-specific and cell-intrinsic immunity to viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shen-Ying Zhang
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases,
Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA,Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch,
INSERM U1163, Paris 75015, France,Paris Descartes University, Imagine Institute, Paris 75015,
France
| | - Nathaniel E. Clark
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of
Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Catherine A. Freije
- Program in Immunogenomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
10065, USA
| | - Elodie Pauwels
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases,
Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Allison Taggart
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University,
Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Satoshi Okada
- Department of Pediatrics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of
Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
| | - Hanna Mandel
- Metabolic Unit, Ruth Children’s Hospital, Haifa 31096,
Israel,Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | - Paula Garcia
- Pediatric Hospital of Coimbra, Coimbra 3000-075, Portugal
| | - Michael J. Ciancanelli
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases,
Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Anat Biran
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases,
Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Fabien G. Lafaille
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases,
Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Miyuki Tsumura
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University,
Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Aurélie Cobat
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch,
INSERM U1163, Paris 75015, France,Paris Descartes University, Imagine Institute, Paris 75015,
France
| | - Jingchuan Luo
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, JHU School of
Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA,Institute for Systems Genetics, New York University Langone Medical
Center, New York 10016, NY, USA
| | - Stefano Volpi
- Department of Pediatrics, Giannina Gaslini Institute, Genoa 16100,
Italy
| | - Bastian Zimmer
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for
Cancer Research, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sonoko Sakata
- Department of Pediatrics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of
Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
| | - Alexandra Dinis
- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro
Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra 3000-075, Portugal
| | - Osamu Ohara
- Department of Technology Development, Kazusa DNA Research
Institute, Chiba 292-0818, Japan,Laboratory for Integrative Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative
Medical Sciences, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Eduardo J. Garcia Reino
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases,
Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kerry Dobbs
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892-1456,
USA
| | - Mary Hasek
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases,
Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Stephen P. Holloway
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of
Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Karen McCammon
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of
Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Stacy A. Hussong
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology and The Barshop
Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center
at San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Nicholas DeRosa
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology and The Barshop
Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center
at San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Candice E. Van Skike
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology and The Barshop
Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center
at San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Adam Katolik
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montréal
H3A0G4, Canada
| | - Lazaro Lorenzo
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch,
INSERM U1163, Paris 75015, France,Paris Descartes University, Imagine Institute, Paris 75015,
France
| | - Maki Hyodo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hiroshima University
Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
| | - Emilia Faria
- Immuno-Allergy Department, Hospital and University of Coimbra,
3000-075 Portugal
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Immunology Research Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, College
of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rie Fukuhara
- Department of Neonatology, Hiroshima Prefectural Hospital,
Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
| | - Gregory A. Smith
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University
Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Veronica Galvan
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology and The Barshop
Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center
at San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Masad J. Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montréal
H3A0G4, Canada
| | - Saleh Al-Muhsen
- Immunology Research Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, College
of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yuval Itan
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases,
Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA,The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn
School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA,Department of Genetics and Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at
Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Jef D. Boeke
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, JHU School of
Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Luigi D. Notarangelo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892-1456,
USA
| | - Lorenz Studer
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for
Cancer Research, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Masao Kobayashi
- Department of Pediatrics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of
Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
| | - Luisa Diogo
- Pediatric Hospital of Coimbra, Coimbra 3000-075, Portugal
| | - William Fairbrother
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University,
Providence, RI 02912, USA,Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute, Brown University,
Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Laurent Abel
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases,
Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA,Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch,
INSERM U1163, Paris 75015, France,Paris Descartes University, Imagine Institute, Paris 75015,
France
| | - Brad Rosenberg
- Program in Immunogenomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
10065, USA,Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - John Hart
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of
Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA,X-ray Crystallography Core Laboratory, University of Texas Health
Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA,Department of Veterans Affairs, South Texas Veterans Health Care
System, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Amos Etzioni
- Metabolic Unit, Ruth Children’s Hospital, Haifa 31096,
Israel,Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | - Jean-Laurent Casanova
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases,
Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA,Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch,
INSERM U1163, Paris 75015, France,Paris Descartes University, Imagine Institute, Paris 75015,
France,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA,Pediatric Immunology-Hematology Unit, Necker Hospital for Sick
Children, Paris 75015, France
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45
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Li L, Shen X, Liu Z, Norrbom M, Prakash TP, O'Reilly D, Sharma VK, Damha MJ, Watts JK, Rigo F, Corey DR. Activation of Frataxin Protein Expression by Antisense Oligonucleotides Targeting the Mutant Expanded Repeat. Nucleic Acid Ther 2018; 28:23-33. [PMID: 29341839 PMCID: PMC5790436 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2017.0703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Friedreich's Ataxia (FA) is an inherited neurologic disorder caused by an expanded GAA repeat within intron 1 of the frataxin (FXN) gene that reduces expression of FXN protein. Agents that increase expression of FXN have the potential to alleviate the disease. We previously reported that duplex RNAs (dsRNAs) and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) complementary to the GAA repeat could enhance expression of FXN protein. We now explore the potential of a diverse group of chemically modified dsRNAs and ASOs to define the breadth of repeat-targeted synthetic nucleic acids as a platform for therapeutic development for FA. ASOs and dsRNAs can activate FXN protein expression in FA patient-derived cell lines that possess varied numbers of GAA repeats. Increased FXN protein expression was achieved by ASOs incorporating diverse chemical modifications with low nanomolar potencies, suggesting substantial flexibility in choosing compounds for further chemical optimization and animal studies. Our data encourage further development of ASOs as agents to treat FA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liande Li
- 1 Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas , Dallas, Texas
- 2 Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas , Dallas, Texas
| | - Xiulong Shen
- 1 Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas , Dallas, Texas
- 2 Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas , Dallas, Texas
| | - Zhongtian Liu
- 1 Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas , Dallas, Texas
- 2 Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas , Dallas, Texas
| | | | | | - Daniel O'Reilly
- 4 Department of Chemistry, McGill University , Montreal, Canada
| | - Vivek K Sharma
- 5 RNA Therapeutics Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Masad J Damha
- 4 Department of Chemistry, McGill University , Montreal, Canada
| | - Jonathan K Watts
- 5 RNA Therapeutics Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Frank Rigo
- 3 Ionis Pharmaceuticals , Carlsbad, California
| | - David R Corey
- 1 Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas , Dallas, Texas
- 2 Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas , Dallas, Texas
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46
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Abou Assi H, Lin YC, Serrano I, González C, Damha MJ. Probing Synergistic Effects of DNA Methylation and 2′-β-Fluorination on i-Motif Stability. Chemistry 2017; 24:471-477. [PMID: 29096420 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201704591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hala Abou Assi
- Department of Chemistry; McGill University; 801 Sherbrooke St. West Montreal QC H3A 0B8 Canada
| | - Yu Chen Lin
- Department of Chemistry; McGill University; 801 Sherbrooke St. West Montreal QC H3A 0B8 Canada
| | - Israel Serrano
- Instituto de Química Física “Rocasolano”; CSIC; Serrano 119 28006 Madrid Spain
| | - Carlos González
- Instituto de Química Física “Rocasolano”; CSIC; Serrano 119 28006 Madrid Spain
| | - Masad J. Damha
- Department of Chemistry; McGill University; 801 Sherbrooke St. West Montreal QC H3A 0B8 Canada
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47
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Abou Assi H, El-Khoury R, González C, Damha MJ. 2'-Fluoroarabinonucleic acid modification traps G-quadruplex and i-motif structures in human telomeric DNA. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:11535-11546. [PMID: 29036537 PMCID: PMC5714228 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Human telomeres and promoter regions of genes fulfill a significant role in cellular aging and cancer. These regions comprise of guanine and cytosine-rich repeats, which under certain conditions can fold into G-quadruplex (G4) and i-motif structures, respectively. Herein, we use UV, circular dichroism and NMR spectroscopy to study several human telomeric sequences and demonstrate that G4/i-motif-duplex interconversion kinetics are slowed down dramatically by 2'-β-fluorination and the presence of G4/i-motif-duplex junctions. NMR-monitored kinetic experiments on 1:1 mixtures of native and modified C- and G-rich human telomeric sequences reveal that strand hybridization kinetics are controlled by G4 or i-motif unfolding. Furthermore, we provide NMR evidence for the formation of a hybrid complex containing G4 and i-motif structures proximal to a duplex DNA segment at neutral pH. While the presence of i-motif and G4 folds may be mutually exclusive in promoter genome sequences, our results suggest that they may co-exist transiently as intermediates in telomeric sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hala Abou Assi
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Roberto El-Khoury
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Carlos González
- Instituto de Química Física 'Rocasolano', CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
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48
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Vlaho D, Fakhoury JF, Damha MJ. Structural Studies and Gene Silencing Activity of siRNAs Containing Cationic Phosphoramidate Linkages. Nucleic Acid Ther 2017; 28:34-43. [PMID: 29195060 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2017.0702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
A series of siRNA duplexes containing cationic non-bridging 3',5'-linked phosphoramidate (PN) linkages was designed and synthesized using a combination of phosphoramidite and H-phosphonate chemistries. Modified oligonucleotides were assayed for their thermal stability, helical structure, and ability to modulate the expression of firefly luciferase. We demonstrate that PN modifications of siRNAs are, in general, minimally destabilizing with respect to duplex thermal stability; destabilization can be mitigated through the incorporation of 2'-modified RNA-like residues or PN conjugates containing ionizable pendant moieties. We also demonstrate that single cationic dimethylethylenediamine PN linkages have little effect on siRNA potency, whether located in the passenger or guide strand of the duplex. Highly modified siRNA passenger strands were further modified with up to four cationic PN linkages, with little effect on duplex potency or helical structure. We envision that PN modifications could be useful in the production of therapeutic siRNAs with optimal biological properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Vlaho
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University , Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University , Montreal, Canada
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49
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Assi HA, El-Khoury R, González C, Damha MJ. 2'-Fluoroarabinonucleic acid modification traps G-quadruplex and i-motif structures in human telomeric DNA. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:12055. [PMID: 29040679 PMCID: PMC5691350 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hala Abou Assi
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Roberto El-Khoury
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Carlos González
- Instituto de Química Física 'Rocasolano', CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
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50
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Malek-Adamian E, Guenther DC, Matsuda S, Martínez-Montero S, Zlatev I, Harp J, Burai Patrascu M, Foster DJ, Fakhoury J, Perkins L, Moitessier N, Manoharan RM, Taneja N, Bisbe A, Charisse K, Maier M, Rajeev KG, Egli M, Manoharan M, Damha MJ. 4'-C-Methoxy-2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro Modified Ribonucleotides Improve Metabolic Stability and Elicit Efficient RNAi-Mediated Gene Silencing. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:14542-14555. [PMID: 28937776 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b07582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
We designed novel 4'-modified 2'-deoxy-2'-fluorouridine (2'-F U) analogues with the aim to improve nuclease resistance and potency of therapeutic siRNAs by introducing 4'-C-methoxy (4'-OMe) as the alpha (C4'α) or beta (C4'β) epimers. The C4'α epimer was synthesized by a stereoselective route in six steps; however, both α and β epimers could be obtained by a nonstereoselective approach starting from 2'-F U. 1H NMR analysis and computational investigation of the α-epimer revealed that the 4'-OMe imparts a conformational bias toward the North-East sugar pucker, due to intramolecular hydrogen bonding and hyperconjugation effects. The α-epimer generally conceded similar thermal stability as unmodified nucleotides, whereas the β-epimer led to significant destabilization. Both 4'-OMe epimers conferred increased nuclease resistance, which can be explained by the close proximity between 4'-OMe substituent and the vicinal 5'- and 3'-phosphate group, as seen in the X-ray crystal structure of modified RNA. siRNAs containing several C4'α-epimer monomers in the sense or antisense strands triggered RNAi-mediated gene silencing with efficiencies comparable to that of 2'-F U.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Malek-Adamian
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University , 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Dale C Guenther
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals , 300 Third Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Shigeo Matsuda
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals , 300 Third Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Saúl Martínez-Montero
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University , 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Ivan Zlatev
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals , 300 Third Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Joel Harp
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University , Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Mihai Burai Patrascu
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University , 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Donald J Foster
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals , 300 Third Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Johans Fakhoury
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University , 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Lydia Perkins
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals , 300 Third Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Nicolas Moitessier
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University , 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Rajar M Manoharan
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals , 300 Third Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Nate Taneja
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals , 300 Third Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Anna Bisbe
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals , 300 Third Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Klaus Charisse
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals , 300 Third Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Martin Maier
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals , 300 Third Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | | | - Martin Egli
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University , Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Muthiah Manoharan
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals , 300 Third Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University , 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
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