Nucleoside analogue substitutions in the trinucleotide DNA template recognition sequence 3'-(CTG)-5' and their effects on the activity of bacteriophage T7 primase

Bacteriophage T7 primase catalyzes the synthesis of the oligoribonucleotides pppACC(C/A) and pppACAC from the single-stranded DNA template sites 3'-d[CTGG(G/T)]-5' and 3'-(CTGTG)-5', respectively. The 3'-terminal deoxycytidine residue is conserved but noncoding. A series of nucleoside analogues have been prepared and incorporated into the conserved 3'-d(CTG)-5' site, and the effects of these analogue templates on T7 primase activity have been examined. The nucleosides employed include a novel pyrimidine derivative, 2-amino-5-(beta-2-deoxy-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)pyridine (d2APy), whose synthesis is described. Template sites containing d2APy in place of the cryptic dC support oligoribonucleotide synthesis whereas those containing 3-deaza-2'-deoxycytidine (dc(3)C) and 5-methyl-6-oxo-2'-deoxycytidine (dm(5ox)C) substitutions do not, suggesting that the N3 nitrogen of cytidine is used for a critical interaction by the enzyme. Recognition sites containing 4-amino-1-(beta-2-deoxy-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)-5-methyl-2,6[1H, 3H]-pyrimidione (dm(3)2P) or 2'-deoxyuridine (dU) substitutions for dT support oligoribonucleotide synthesis whereas those containing 5-methyl-4-pyrimidinone 2'-deoxyriboside (d(2H)T) substitutions do not, suggesting the importance of Watson-Crick interactions at this template residue. Template sites containing 7-deaza-2'-deoxyguanosine (dc(7)G) or 2'-deoxyinosine (dI) in place of dG support oligoribonucleotide synthesis. The reduced extent to which dc(7)G is successful within the template suggests a primase-DNA interaction. Inhibition studies suggest that the primase enzyme binds "null" substrates but cannot initiate RNA synthesis.     

Oligonucleotides incorporating 7-(aminoalkynyl)-7-deaza-2'-deoxyguanosines: duplex stability and phosphodiester hydrolysis by exonucleases

Oligonucleotides containing 7-(omega-aminoalkyn-1-yl)-7-deaza-2'-deoxyguanosines (1a-c) were investigated regarding their thermal stability (T(m) values) as well as their phosphodiester hydrolysis catalyzed by exonucleases. Those derivatives are suitable for the labeling of nucleic acid constituents as well as for the postlabeling of DNA. For this, the phosphoramidites 7a,c (obtained from the nucleoside 1a,b), protected by an isobutyryl group at the 2-amino group and a phthaloyl residue at the side-chain amino function, were synthesized. Using compounds 7a,c together with the phosphoramidite of 1c in solid-phase synthesis, a series of self-complementary and non-self-complementary oligonucleotides were prepared and characterized by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. A comparison of the T(m) values of the modified oligomers shows that the thermal stability of the duplexes decreases with the length of the nucleobase 7-(omega-aminoalkyn-1-yl) side chain. Exonucleolytic cleavage of oligonucleotide single strands incorporating either the 7-(3-aminopropyn-1-yl)- or the 7-(4-aminobutyn-1-yl)-substituted nucleosides 1a or 1b, respectively, reveals that 3' --> 5' specific snake venom phosphodiesterase liberates 1a 5'-monophosphate but not the methylene-extended 1b 5'-monophosphate. On the contrary, the 5' --> 3' specific bovine spleen exonuclease is able to cleave off single 1a and 1b 3'-monophosphate residues; its action is, however, terminated in the case of oligonucleotides containing two consecutive 1a or 1b nucleotide units.     

Sequence composition effects on the stabilities of triple helix formation by oligonucleotides containing N7-deoxyguanosine.

A nonnatural nucleoside, 7-(2-deoxy-beta-D-erythro-pento-furanosyl)-guanine (d7G), mimics protonated cytosine and specifically binds GC base pairs within a pyrimidine - purine - pyrimidine triple helix. The differences in association constants (KT) determined by quantitative footprint titration experiments at neutral pH reveal dramatic sequence composition effects on the energetics of triple helix formation by oligonucleotides containing d7G. Purine tracts of sequence composition 5'-d(AAAAAGAGAGAGAGA)-3' are bound by oligonucleotide 5'-d(TTTTT7GT7GT7GT7GT7GT)-3' three orders of magnitude less strongly than by 5'-d(TTTTTmCTmCTmCTmCTmCT)-3' (KT = 1.5 x 10(6) M(-1) and KT > or = 3 x 10(9) M(-1) respectively). Conversely, purine tracts of sequence composition 5'-d(AAAAGAAAAGGGGGGA)-3' are bound by oligonucleotide 5'-d(TTTTmCTTTT7G7G7G7G7G7GT)-3' five orders of magnitude more strongly than by 5'-d(TTTTmCTTTTmCmCmCmCmCT)-3' (KT > or = 3 x 10(9) M(-1) and KT < 5 x 10(4) M(-1) respectively). The complementary nature of d7G and mC expands the repertoire of G-rich sequences which may be targeted by triple helix formation.     

Quadruplex and pentaplex self-assemblies of oligonucleotides containing short runs of 8-aza-7-deaza-2'-deoxyisoguanosine or 2'-deoxyisoguanosine.

Oligonucleotides containing 8-aza-7-deaza-2'-deoxyisoguanosine (4) were investigated regarding their self-assembly in aqueous solution. The aggregation of 4 was compared with that of oligonucleotides containing 2'-deoxyisoguanosine (2b) and 2'-deoxyguanosine (1b). For this purpose the phosphoramidite of 4 was synthesized which was protected by a dibutylaminomethylidene residue at the amino group and a diphenylcarbamoyl residue at the 2-oxo function. Solid-phase synthesis furnished oligonucleotide containing short runs of the nucleoside 4. The self-assembly of the oligonucleotide 5'-d(T(4)4(4)T2) was studied by ion-exchange chromatography. The formation of a pentaplex was observed in the presence of Cs+, while a tetraplex is formed when the counter ion is Na+ or Rb+. The cation selectivity of the oligonucleotide 5'-d(T(4)4(4)T2) was found to be different from the parent 5'-d(T(4)isoG(4)T2) which was forming the tetraplex as well as a pentaplex in aq RbCl solution.     

Enhancing the stability of oligonucleotide duplexes. The effect of adding 1-(2'-deoxy-beta-d-ribofuranosyl)-5-nitroindole

We studied the properties of DNA duplexes containing 5-nitroindole (N) in one of the chains. We synthesized 8-membered oligos with N at the 5' or at the 3' end: 5'-d(NXGACCGTC)-3' or 5'-d(GACCGTCXN)-3', where X is one of the four natural bases, making all four kinds of oligos with and without N. We also prepared 11-membered oligos complementary to the above octanucleotides: 5'-d(TGACGGTCYZT)-3' and 5'-d(TZYGACGGTCT)-3', where Y and Z are A, G, C, or T. The stability of duplexes obtained with these oligos was assessed by melting, and the thermodynamic parameters delta H, delta S, and Tm were calculated. Comparison of the melting curves for modified and nonmodified duplexes demonstrated that the presence of N at the 5' end of one chain raises the Tm by 6.6 degrees C on average; if N is at the 3' end of the same chain, the Tm increases by about 3 degrees C.     

Repair of oligodeoxyribonucleotides by O(6)-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase

Activity of the DNA repair protein O(6)-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) is an important source of tumor cell resistance to alkylating agents. AGT inhibitors may prove useful in enhancing chemotherapy. AGT is inactivated by reacting stoichiometrically with O(6)-benzylguanine (b(6)G), which is currently in clinical trials for this purpose. Short oligodeoxyribonucleotides containing a central b(6)G are more potent inactivators of AGT than b(6)G. We examined whether human AGT could react with oligodeoxyribonucleotides containing multiple b(6)G residues. The single-stranded 7-mer 5'-d[T(b(6)G)(5)G]-3' was an excellent AGT substrate with all five b(6)G adducts repaired although one adduct was repaired much more slowly. The highly b(6)G-resistant Y158H and P140K AGT mutants were also inactivated by 5'-d[T(b(6)G)(5)G]-3'. Studies with 7-mers containing a single b(6)G adduct showed that 5'-d[TGGGG(b(6)G)G]-3' was more poorly repaired by wild-type AGT than 5'-d[T(b(6)G)GGGGG]-3' and 5'-d[TGG(b(6)G)GGG]-3' and was even less repairable by mutants Y158H and P140K. This positional effect was unaffected by interchanging the terminal 5'- or 3'-nucleotides and was also observed with single-stranded 16-mer oligodeoxyribonucleotides containing O(6)-methylguanine, where a minimum of four nucleotides 3' to the lesion was required for the most efficient repair. Annealing with the reverse complementary strands to produce double-stranded substrates increased the ability of AGT to repair adducts at all positions except at positions 2 and 15. Our results suggest that AGT recognizes the polarity of single-stranded DNA, with the best substrates having an adduct adjacent to the 5'-terminal residue. These findings will aid in designing novel AGT inhibitors that incorporate O(6)-alkylguanine adducts in oligodeoxyribonucleotide contexts.     

Parallel double stranded helices and the tertiary structure of nucleic acids

Thermal denaturation of four oligonucleotides, viz. 3'-d(AT)5pO(CH2)6Opd(AT)5-3'(par(AT], 3'-d(AT)5pO(CH2)6Opd(AT)5-5'(anti(AT],3'-d(A)10pO(CH2) 6Op(T)10-3'(par(A-T], and 3'-d(A)10pO(CH2)6Opd(T)10-5' (anti(A-T], was studied in 0.01 M phosphate buffer, pH 7, in the presence of 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 M NaCl. All the oligomers were found to exist at a lower temperature (0 to 20 degrees C) as complexes composed either of two oligomer molecules (a canonical duplex) or of more oligomer molecules whereas, at a higher temperature (30 to 70 degrees C), they formed hairpins with a parallel (par(AT) and par(A-T] or antiparallel (anti(AT) and anti(A-T) orientation of the chains. Melting curves (A260(T] were used to calculate thermodynamic parameters for the formation of hairpins and "low-temperature" duplexes. Experiments on ethidium bromide binding to the oligonucleotides have shown that the oligomer anti(A-T) exists, at a low ionic strength, as a four stranded complex ("quadruplex") contains two antiparallel helices, d(A).d(T), which have a parallel orientation and are bound to one another owing to the formation of additional hydrogen bonds between nucleic acid bases. The possible biological function of quadruplexes is discussed.     

金顶侧耳化学成分的研究

对榆黄蘑的化学成分进行了研究,从子实体中分离和鉴定出D-甘露醇、麦角甾醇、1-癸醇、5-氧代-L-脯氨酸甲酯、5,10-二乙氧基-2,3,7,8-四氢化-1H,6H-联吡咯-[1,2-a;1,2-d]吡嗪、邻苯二甲酸二丁酯和环戊-1,2-二酮等物质。并采用高效薄层析和高效液相色谱两种方法证明了洛伐他汀在金顶侧耳中的存在。     

Oligonucleotides Incorporating 7-(Aminoalkyn-1-yl)-7-deaza-2′-deoxyguanosines: Duplex Stability and Phosphodiester Hydrolysis by Exonucleases

Abstract

Self-complementary {[5′-d(G-C)₄]₂} and non-selfcomplementary oligonucleotides [5′-d(TAG GTC AAT ACT) ? 3′-d(ATC CAG TTA TGA)] containing 7-(ω-aminoalkyn-1-yl)-7-deaza-2′-deoxyguanosines (1a–c) (1) and 7-deaza-2′-deoxyguanosine instead of dG were studied regarding their thermal stability as well as their phosphodiester hydrolysis by either 3′ → 5′- or 5′ → 3′ – phosphodi esterase studied by MALDI-TOF MS.     

Insertion of dNTPs opposite the 1,N2-propanodeoxyguanosine adduct by Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 DNA polymerase IV

1, N (2)-Propanodeoxyguanosine (PdG) is a stable structural analogue for the 3-(2'-deoxy-beta- d- erythro-pentofuranosyl)pyrimido[1,2-alpha]purin-10(3 H)-one (M 1dG) adduct derived from exposure of DNA to base propenals and to malondialdehyde. The structures of ternary polymerase-DNA-dNTP complexes for three template-primer DNA sequences were determined, with the Y-family Sulfolobus solfataricus DNA polymerase IV (Dpo4), at resolutions between 2.4 and 2.7 A. Three template 18-mer-primer 13-mer sequences, 5'-d(TCACXAAATCCTTCCCCC)-3'.5'-d(GGGGGAAGGATTT)-3' (template I), 5'-d(TCACXGAATCCTTCCCCC)-3'.5'-d(GGGGGAAGGATTC)-3' (template II), and 5'-d(TCATXGAATCCTTCCCCC)-3'.5'-d(GGGGGAAGGATTC)-3' (template III), where X is PdG, were analyzed. With templates I and II, diffracting ternary complexes including dGTP were obtained. The dGTP did not pair with PdG, but instead with the 5'-neighboring template dC, utilizing Watson-Crick geometry. Replication bypass experiments with the template-primer 5'-TCACXAAATCCTTACGAGCATCGCCCCC-3'.5'-GGGGGCGATGCTCGTAAGGATTT-3', where X is PdG, which includes PdG in the 5'-CXA-3' template sequence as in template I, showed that the Dpo4 polymerase inserted dGTP and dATP when challenged by the PdG adduct. For template III, in which the template sequence was 5'-TXG-3', a diffracting ternary complex including dATP was obtained. The dATP did not pair with PdG, but instead with the 5'-neighboring T, utilizing Watson-Crick geometry. Thus, all three ternary complexes were of the "type II" structure described for ternary complexes with native DNA [Ling, H., Boudsocq, F., Woodgate, R., and Yang, W. (2001) Cell 107, 91-102]. The PdG adduct remained in the anti conformation about the glycosyl bond in each of these threee ternary complexes. These results provide insight into how -1 frameshift mutations might be generated for the PdG adduct, a structural model for the exocylic M 1dG adduct formed by malondialdehyde.     

DNA sequence modulates the conformation of the food mutagen 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline in the recognition sequence of the NarI restriction enzyme

The conformations of C8-dG adducts of 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) positioned in the C-X1-G, G-X2-C, and C-X3-C contexts in the C-G1-G2-C-G3-C-C recognition sequence of the NarI restriction enzyme were compared, using the oligodeoxynucleotides 5'-d(CTCXGCGCCATC)-3'.5'-d(GATGGCGCCGAG)-3', 5'-d(CTCGXCGCCATC)-3'.5'-d(GATGGCGCCGAG)-3', and 5'-d(CTCGGCXCCATC)-3'.5'-d(GATGGCGCCGAG)-3' (X is the C8-dG adduct of IQ). These were the NarIIQ1, NarIIQ2, and NarIIQ3 duplexes, respectively. In each instance, the glycosyl torsion angle chi for the IQ-modified dG was in the syn conformation. The orientations of the IQ moieties were dependent upon the conformations of torsion angles alpha' [N9-C8-N(IQ)-C2(IQ)] and beta' [C8-N(IQ)-C2(IQ)-N3(IQ)], which were monitored by the patterns of 1H NOEs between the IQ moieties and the DNA in the three sequence contexts. The conformational states of IQ torsion angles alpha' and beta' were predicted from the refined structures of the three adducts obtained from restrained molecular dynamics calculations, utilizing simulated annealing protocols. For the NarIIQ1 and NarIIQ2 duplexes, the alpha' torsion angles were predicted to be -176 +/- 8 degrees and -160 +/- 8 degrees , respectively, whereas for the NarIIQ3 duplex, torsion angle alpha' was predicted to be 159 +/- 7 degrees . Likewise, for the NarIIQ1 and NarIIQ2 duplexes, the beta' torsion angles were predicted to be -152 +/- 8 degrees and -164 +/- 7 degrees , respectively, whereas for the NarIIQ3 duplex, torsion angle beta' was predicted to be -23 +/- 8 degrees . Consequently, the conformations of the IQ adduct in the NarIIQ1 and NarIIQ2 duplexes were similar, with the IQ methyl protons and IQ H4 and H5 protons facing outward in the minor groove, whereas in the NarIIQ3 duplex, the IQ methyl protons and the IQ H4 and H5 protons faced into the DNA duplex, facilitating the base-displaced intercalated orientation of the IQ moiety [Wang, F., Elmquist, C. E., Stover, J. S., Rizzo, C. J., and Stone, M. P. (2006) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128, 10085-10095]. In contrast, for the NarIIQ1 and NarIIQ2 duplexes, the IQ moiety remained in the minor groove. These sequence-dependent differences suggest that base-displaced intercalation of the IQ adduct is favored when both the 5'- and 3'-flanking nucleotides in the complementary strand are guanines. These conformational differences may correlate with sequence-dependent differences in translesion replication.     

A bridging water anchors the tethered 5-(3-aminopropyl)-2'-deoxyuridine amine in the DNA major groove proximate to the N+2 C.G base pair: implications for formation of interstrand 5'-GNC-3' cross-links by nitrogen mustards

Site-specific insertion of 5-(3-aminopropyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (Z3dU) and 7-deaza-dG into the Dickerson-Drew dodecamers 5'-d(C (1)G (2)C (3)G (4)A (5)A (6)T (7)T (8)C (9) Z (10)C (11)G (12))-3'.5'-d(C (13)G (14)C (15)G (16)A (17)A (18)T (19)T (20)C (21) Z (22)C (23)G (24))-3' (named DDD (Z10)) and 5'-d(C (1)G (2)C (3)G (4)A (5)A (6)T (7) X (8)C (9) Z (10)C (11)G (12))-3'.5'-d(C (13)G (14)C (15)G (16)A (17)A (18)T (19) X (20)C (21) Z (22)C (23)G (24))-3' (named DDD (2+Z10)) (X = Z3dU; Z = 7-deaza-dG) suggests a mechanism underlying the formation of interstrand N+2 DNA cross-links by nitrogen mustards, e.g., melphalan and mechlorethamine. Analysis of the DDD (2+Z10) duplex reveals that the tethered cations at base pairs A (5).X (20) and X (8).A (17) extend within the major groove in the 3'-direction, toward conserved Mg (2+) binding sites located adjacent to N+2 base pairs C (3).Z (22) and Z (10).C (15). Bridging waters located between the tethered amines and either Z (10) or Z (22) O (6) stabilize the tethered cations and allow interactions with the N + 2 base pairs without DNA bending. Incorporation of 7-deaza-dG into the DDD (2+Z10) duplex weakens but does not eliminate electrostatic interactions between tethered amines and Z (10) O (6) and Z (22) O (6). The results suggest a mechanism by which tethered N7-dG aziridinium ions, the active species involved in formation of interstrand 5'-GNC-3' cross-links by nitrogen mustards, modify the electrostatics of the major groove and position the aziridinium ions proximate to the major groove edge of the N+2 C.G base pair, facilitating interstrand cross-linking.     

Minor groove hydration of DNA in aqueous solution: sequence-dependent next neighbor effect of the hydration lifetimes in d(TTAA)2 segments measured by NMR spectroscopy.

The hydration in the minor groove of double stranded DNA fragments containing the sequences 5'-dTTAAT, 5'-dTTAAC, 5'-dTTAAA and 5'-dTTAAG was investigated by studying the decanucleotide duplex d(GCATTAATGC)2 and the singly cross-linked decameric duplexes 5'-d(GCATTAACGC)-3'-linker-5'-d(GCGTTAATGC)-3' and 5'-d(GCCTTAAAGC)-3'-linker-5'-d(GCTTTAAGGC)-3' by NMR spectroscopy. The linker employed consisted of six ethyleneglycol units. The hydration water was detected by NOEs between water and DNA protons in NOESY and ROESY spectra. NOE-NOESY and ROE-NOESY experiments were used to filter out intense exchange cross-peaks and to observe water-DNA NOEs with sugar 1' protons. Positive NOESY cross-peaks corresponding to residence times longer than approximately 0.5 ns were observed for 2H resonances of the central adenine residues in the duplex containing the sequences 5'-dTTAAT and 5'-dTTAAC, but not in the duplex containing the sequences 5'-dTTAAA and 5'-dTTAAG. In all nucleotide sequences studied here, the hydration water in the minor groove is significantly more mobile at both ends of the AT-rich inner segments, as indicated by very weak or negative water-A 2H NOESY cross-peaks. No positive NOESY cross-peaks were detected with the G 1'H and C 1'H resonances, indicating that the minor groove hydration water near GC base pairs is kinetically less restrained than for AT-rich DNA segments. Kinetically stabilized minor groove hydration water was manifested by positive NOESY cross-peaks with both A 2H and 1'H signals of the 5'-dTTAA segment in d(GCATTAATGC)2. More rigid hydration water was detected near T4 in d(GCATTAATGC)2 as compared with 5'-d(GCATTAACGC)-3'-linker-5'-d(GCGTTAATGC)-3', although the sequences differ only in a single base pair. This illustrates the high sensitivity of water-DNA NOEs towards small conformational differences.     

Synthesis of a novel C-nucleoside, 2-amino-7-(2-deoxy-beta-D-erythro- pentofuranosyl)-3H,5H-pyrrolo-[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-one (2'-deoxy-9-deazaguanosine).

A synthesis of the C-nucleoside, 2-amino-7-(2-deoxy-beta-D-erythro- pentofuranosyl)-3H,5H-pyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-one (9-deaza-2'-deoxyguanosine) was achieved starting from 2-amino-6-methyl-3H-pyrimidin-4-one (5) and methyl 2-deoxy-3,5-di-O-(p-nitrobenzoyl)-D-erythro-pento-furanoside (11). The anomeric configuration of the C-nucleoside was established by 1H NMR, NOEDS and ROESY. This C-nucleoside did not inhibit the growth of T-cell lymphoma cells.     

Intercalation of the (-)-(1R,2S,3R, 4S)-N6-[1-benz[a]anthracenyl]-2'-deoxyadenosyl adduct in an oligodeoxynucleotide containing the human N-ras codon 61 sequence

The solution structure of the (-)-(1R,2S,3R,4S)-N6-[1-(1,2,3, 4-tetrahydroxy-benz[a]anthracenyl)]-2'-deoxyadenosyl adduct at X6 of 5'-d(CGGACXAGAAG)-3'.5'-d(CTTCTTGTCCG)-3', incorporating codons 60, 61(italic), and 62 of the human N-ras protooncogene, was determined. This adduct results from the trans opening of 1S,2R,3R,4S-1, 2-epoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-benz[a]anthracenyl-3,4-diol by the exocyclic N6 of adenine. Molecular dynamics simulations were restrained by 509 NOEs from 1H NMR. The precision of the refined structures was monitored by pairwise root-mean-square deviations which were <1.2 A; accuracy was measured by complete relaxation matrix calculations, which yielded a sixth root R factor of 9.1 x 10(-)2 at 250 ms. The refined structure was a right-handed duplex, in which the benz[a]anthracene moiety intercalated from the major groove between C5.G18 and R,S,R,SA6.T17. In this orientation, the saturated ring of BA was oriented in the major groove of the duplex, with the aromatic rings inserted into the duplex such that the terminal ring of BA threaded the duplex and faced toward the minor groove direction. The duplex suffered localized distortion at and immediately adjacent to the adduct site, evidenced by the increased rise of 8.8 A as compared to the value of 3.5 A normally observed for B-DNA between base pairs C5.G18 and R,S,R,SA6.T17. These two base pairs also buckled in opposite directions away from the intercalated BA moiety. The refined structure was similar to the (-)-(7S,8R,9S,10R)-N6-[10-(7,8,9, 10)-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrenyl)]-2'-deoxyadenosyl adduct of corresponding stereochemistry at X6 of the same oligodeoxynucleotide [Zegar, I. S., Kim, S. J., Johansen, T. N., Horton, P. J., Harris, C. M., Harris, T. M., and Stone, M. P. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 6212-6224]. Both adducts intercalated toward the 5'-direction from the site of adduction. The similarities in solution structures were reflected in similar biological responses, when repair-deficient AB2480 Escherichia coli were transformed with M13mp7L2 DNA site-specifically modified with these two adducts.     

Induction of parallel human telomeric G-quadruplex structures by Sr(2+)

Human telomeric DNA forms G-quadruplex secondary structures, which can inhibit telomerase activity and are targets for anti-cancer drugs. Here we show that Sr(2+) can induce human telomeric DNA to form both inter- and intramolecular structures having characteristics consistent with G-quadruplexes. Unlike Na(+) or K(+), Sr(2+) facilitated intermolecular structure formation for oligonucleotides with 2 to 5 5'-d(TTAGGG)-3' repeats. Longer 5'-d(TTAGGG)-3' oligonucleotides formed exclusively intramolecular structures. Altering the 5'-d(TTAGGG)-3' to 5'-d(TTAGAG)-3' in the 1st, 3rd, or 4th repeats of 5'-d(TTAGGG)(4)-3' stabilized the formation of intermolecular structures. However, a more compact, intramolecular structure was still observed when the 2nd repeat was altered. Circular dichroism spectroscopy results suggest that the structures were parallel-stranded, distinguishing them from similar DNA sequences in Na(+) and K(+). This study shows that Sr(2+), promotes parallel-stranded, inter- and intramolecular G-quadruplexes that can serve as models to study DNA substrate recognition by telomerase.     

Hoogsteen vs. Watson-Crick base pairing: incorporation of 2-substituted adenine- and 7-deazaadenine 2'-deoxy-beta-D-ribonucleosides into oligonucleotides

Various 2-substituted 2'-deoxyadenosines and 7-deazaadenosines have been synthesized. The phosphonate building block 9 of 2-chloro-7-deaza-2'-deoxyadenosine (7-deazacladribine; 2) was prepared by 4,4'-dimethoxytritylation of the parent nucleoside (-->7), followed by protection of the amino function with a formamidine residue (-->8). The latter was reacted with PCl3/N-methylmorpholine/1,2,4-triazole to give compound 9. Moreover, 2-methoxy-2'-deoxyadenosine (2'-deoxyspongosine; 1b) was converted into the fully protected derivative 12, which was then transformed into the 2-cyanoethyl phosphoramidite 14. Also the 2-(trifluoromethyl)-substituted 2'-deoxyadenosines 19-21 were prepared by glycosylation of the chromophore 16 with the halogenose 17, followed by one-pot deprotection and nucleophilic displacement of the 6-Cl substituent. The new DNA building blocks 9 and 14 were used--together with formerly prepared cladribine derivative 4--for solid-phase synthesis of a series of oligodeoxyribonucleotides. These were studied with respect to their thermal stability as well as of the base pairing mode (Watson-Crick vs. Hoogsteen) of modified bases.     

Role of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon bay region ring in modulating DNA adduct structure: the non-bay region (8S,9R,10S, 11R)-N(6)-[11-(8,9,10,11-tetrahydro-8,9, 10-trihydroxybenz[a]anthracenyl)]-2'-deoxyadenosyl adduct in codon 61 of the human N-ras protooncogene.

The structure of the non-bay region (8S,9R,10S,11R)-N(6)-[11-(8,9,10, 11-tetrahydro-8,9,10-trihydroxybenz[a]anthracenyl)]-2'-de oxyadenosyl adduct at X(6) of 5'-d(CGGACXAGAAG)-3'.5'-d(CTTCTTGTCCG)-3', incorporating codons 60, 61 (underlined), and 62 of the human N-ras protooncogene, was determined. Molecular dynamics simulations were restrained by 475 NOEs from (1)H NMR. The benz[a]anthracene moiety intercalated above the 5'-face of the modified base pair and from the major groove. The duplex suffered distortion at and immediately adjacent to the adduct site. This was evidenced by the disruption of the Watson-Crick base pairing for X(6) x T(17) and A(7) x T(16) and the increased rise of 7.7 A between base pairs C(5) x G(18) and X(6) x T(17). Increased disorder was observed as excess line width of proton resonances near the lesion site. Comparison with the bay region benzo[a]pyrene [Zegar, I. S., Kim, S. J., Johansen, T. N., Horton, P. J., Harris, C. M., Harris, T. M., and Stone, M. P. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 6212-6224] and bay region benz[a]anthracene [Li, Z., Mao, H., Kim, H.-Y., Tamura, P. J., Harris, C. M., Harris, T. M., and Stone, M. P. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 2969-2981] adducts with the corresponding stereochemistry and at the same site shows that this non-bay region benz[a]anthracene lesion assumes different base pair geometry, in addition to exhibiting greater disorder. These differences are attributed to the loss of the bay region ring. The results suggest the bay region ring contributes to base stacking interactions at the lesion site. These structural differences between the non-bay and bay region lesions are correlated with site-specific mutagenesis data. The bay region benzo[a]pyrene and bay region benz[a]anthracene adducts were poorly replicated in vivo, and induced A --> G mutations. In contrast, the non-bay region benz[a]anthracene adduct was easily bypassed in vivo and was nonmutagenic.     

Proton exchange and base-pair opening kinetics in 5''-d(CGCGAATTCGCG)-3'' and related dodecamers.

We have used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to measure the lifetimes of individual base-pairs in the palindromic DNA oligonucleotide 5'-d(CGCGAATTCGCG)-3' and in three other dodecamers with symmetrical base substitutions in the sites underlined. The resonances of the hydrogen-bonded imino protons in each of the substituted oligomers in the duplex form have been assigned using one dimensional nuclear Overhauser effect (1-D NOE) experiments. The lifetimes have been obtained from the dependence of selective longitudinal relaxation times and linewidths of the imino proton resonances on the concentration of base catalyst (Tris) at 25 degrees C and in the presence of 50 mM NaCl. The lifetimes of the central A.T base-pairs have been found to depend on base sequence. They are greatly increased in the dodecamer 5'-d(CGCAAATTTGCG)-3' which contains an A3T3 tract. The lifetimes of the central A.T base-pairs in 5'-d(CGCGAATTCGCG)-3', 5'-d(CGCTAATTAGCG)-3' and 5'-d(CGCCAATTGGCG)-3' are comparable. In all dodecamers, the lifetime of the A.T base-pair at the 5'-end of the AnTn tract is the shortest. The anomalous opening kinetics of the A.T base-pairs can be correlated to the bending properties of the corresponding sequences.     

Wobble dC.dA pairing 5' to the cationic guanine N7 8,9-dihydro-8-(N7-guanyl)-9-hydroxyaflatoxin B1 adduct: implications for nontargeted AFB1 mutagenesis

The structure of 5'-d(ACATC(AFB)GATCT)-3'.5'-d(AGATCAATGT)-3', containing the C(5).A(16) mismatch at the base pair 5' to the modified (AFB)G(6), was determined by NMR. The characteristic 5'-intercalation of the AFB(1) moiety was maintained. The mismatched C(5).A(16) pair existed in the wobble conformation, with the C(5) imino nitrogen hydrogen bonded to the A(16) exocyclic amino group. The wobble pair existed as a mixture of protonated and nonprotonated species. The pK(a) for protonation at the A(16) imino nitrogen was similar to that of the C(5).A(16) wobble pair in the corresponding duplex not adducted with AFB(1). Overall, the presence of AFB(1) did not interfere with wobble pair formation at the mismatched site. Molecular dynamics calculations restrained by distances derived from NOE data and torsion angles derived from (1)H (3)J couplings were carried out for both the protonated and nonprotonated wobble pairs at C(5).A(16). Both sets of calculations predicted the A(16) amino group was within 3 A of the C(5) imino nitrogen. The calculations suggested that protonation of the C(5).A(16) wobble pair should shift C(5) toward the major groove and shift A(16) toward the minor groove. The NMR data showed evidence for the presence of a minor conformation characterized by unusual NOEs between T(4) and (AFB)G(6). T(4) is two nucleotides in the 5'-direction from the modified base. These NOEs suggested that in the minor conformation nucleotide T(4) was in closer proximity to (AFB)G(6) than would be expected for duplex DNA. Modeling studies examined the possibility that T(4) transiently paired with the mismatched A(16), allowing it to come within NOE distance of (AFB)G(6). This model structure was consistent with the unusual NOEs associated with the minor conformation. The structural studies are discussed in relationship to nontargeted C --> T transitions observed 5' to the modified (AFB)G in site-specific mutagenesis experiments [Bailey, E. A., Iyer, R. S., Stone, M. P., Harris, T. M., and Essigmann, J. M. (1996) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 93, 1535-1539].