A Theoretical Study of the cis-syn Pyrimidine Dimers in the Gas Phase and Water Cluster and a Tautomer-Bypass Mechanism for the Origin of UV-induced Mutations

Abstract

A quantum mechanical study of all cis-syn cyclobutane pyrimidine photodimers including the normal and rare tautomeric forms of bases has been performed using the ab initio method at HF/6–31G(d,p), MP2(fc)//HF/6–31G(d,p) and MP2(fc)/6–31G(d,p) levels. A puckering angle of the cyclobutyl ring and twist angle of pyrimidine rings with respect to each other is well described by these calculations. It is predicted that in the gas phase all photodimers containing the rare imino form of cytosine are more stable than those containing its normal form. The Monte Carlo simulations show that the dimer containing the imino form of cytosine is more stabilized by water cluster than that containing its amino forms. The possible biological significance stems from the fact that the cytosine in the dimer directs the incorporation of adenine in the complementary strand during replicative bypass. Data obtained point to the cytosine tautomerism as a possible mechanism for the origin of UV-induced mutation.     

Interactions Between Amino Groups in DNA. An Ab Initio Study and a Comparison with Empirical Potentials

Abstract

An ab initio quantum chemical analysis of the close amino group contacts, existing in many DNA crystal structures, is presented. The calculations are made at the Hartree-Fock (HF) level with medium 6–31G* and 6–31 G(NH₂*) basis sets as well as with inclusion of correlation energy using the second order Møller-Plesset theory (MP2) with the 6–31G* basis set. We demonstrate that the model system (methylamine dimer, cytosine dimer) amino groups are forced to adopt significantly non-planar geometry to stabilize their mutual interaction. Comparison is made with a representative set of empirical potentials including AMBER, CHARMM and GROMOS. The empirical potentials are not reliable enough to analyze the amino group contacts occurring in the DNA double helices. We propose that the mutual amino group interactions contribute to the conformational variability of the CpG and ApT B-DNA steps.     

Evaluation of several economical computational methods for geometry optimization of phosphorus acid derivatives

Several economical methods for geometry optimisation, applicable to larger molecules, have been evaluated for phosphorus acid derivatives. MP2/cc-pVDZ and B3LYP/6-31+G(d) geometry optimizations are used as reference points, results from geometry optimizations for other methods and their subsequent single point energy calculations are compared to these references. The geometries from HF/MIDI! optimizations were close to those of the references and subsequent single point energies with B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) or EDF1/6-31+G(d) gave a mean average deviation (MAD) of less than 0.5 kcal mol-1 from those obtained with the reference geometries.     

An assessment to evaluate the validity of different methods for the description of some corrosion inhibitors

New research and development efforts using computational chemistry in studying an assessment of the validity of different quantum chemical methods to describe the molecular and electronic structures of some corrosion inhibitors were introduced. The standard and the highly accurate CCSD method with 6-311++G(d,p), ab initio calculations using the HF/6-31G++(d,p) and MP2 with 6-311G(d,p), 6-31++G(d,p), and 6-311++G(2df,p) methods as well as DFT method at the B3LYP, BP86, B3LYP*, M06L, and M062x/6-31G++(d,p) basis set level were performed on some triazole derivatives and sulfur containing compounds used as corrosion inhibitors. Quantum chemical parameters, such as the energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital energy (E_HOMO), the energy of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy (E_LUMO), energy gap (ΔE), dipole moment (μ), sum of total negative charges (TNC), chemical potential (Pi), electronegativity (χ), hardness (η), softness (σ), local softness (s), Fukui functions (f ⁺,f ^?), electrophilicity (ω), the total energy change (?E_T) and the solvation energy (S.E), were calculated. Furthermore, the accuracy and the applicability of these methods were estimated relative to the highest accuracy and standard CCSD with 6-311++G(d,p) method. Good correlations between the quantum chemical parameters and the corresponding inhibition efficiency (IE%) were found.     

Concerning the solvent effect in the tautomerism of uracil, 5-fluorouracil, and thymine by density-functional theory and ab initio calculations

The tautomerism of uracil, 5-fluorouracil, and thymine has been investigated in the gas phase and in solution. Electron correlation effects were included in ab initio computations at the MP2 level, and DFT calculations were performed using the B3LYP level. Full geometry optimizations were conducted at the HF/6-31G**, HF/6-31+G**, and B3LYP/6-31+G** levels. Single-point MP2/6-31+G** calculations were performed on the HF/6-31+G** optimized geometries. The influence of the solvent was examined from self-consistent reaction field calculations performed with )=2.21 (1,4-dioxane) and )=78.54 (water). The calculated relative free energies ((G) indicate that substitution of uracil at the position group does not change the relative free energy order of the uracil tautomers in the gas phase and in 1,4-dioxane (except at the MP2 level) whereas this ordering changes in water. Attachment of a fluorine atom changes the relative free energy order of uracil tautomers in the gas phase and in solution.     

Post Hartree-Fock studies of the canonical Watson-Crick DNA base pairs: molecular structure and the nature of stability

Gas-phase gradient optimization was carried out on the canonical Watson-Crick DNA base pairs using the second-order M?ller-Plesset perturbation method at the 6-31G(d) and 6-31G(d,p) basis sets. It is detected that full geometry optimization at the MP2 level leads to an intrinsically nonplanar propeller-twisted and buckled geometry of G-C and A-T base pairs; while HF and DFT methods predict perfect planar or almost planar geometry of the base pairs. Supposedly the nonplanarity of the pairs is caused by pyramidalization of the amino nitrogen atoms, which is underestimated by the HF and DFT methods. This justifies the importance of geometry optimization at the MP2 level for obtaining reliable prediction of the charge distribution, molecular dipole moments and geometrical structure of the base pairs. The Morokuma-Kitaura and the Reduced Variational Space methods of the decomposition for molecular HF interaction energies were used for investigation of the hydrogen bonding in the Watson-Crick base pairs. It is shown that the HF stability of the hydrogen-bonded DNA base pairs originates mainly from electrostatic interactions. At the same time, the calculated magnitude of the second order intramolecular correlation correction to the Coulomb energy showed that electron correlation reduces the contribution of the electrostatic term to the attractive interaction for the A-T and G-C base pairs. Polarization, charge transfer and dispersion interactions also make considerable contribution to the attraction energy of bases.     

Theoretical Ab initio study of the effects of methylation on the nature of hydrogen bonding in A:T base pair

We report the results of a theoretical ab initio study of methylation in Watson-Crick A:T base pairs. Equilibrium geometries were obtained without symmetry restrictions by the gradient procedure at DFT level of theory with the standard 6-31G(d) basis set. Each local minima was verified by energy second derivative calculations. Single-point calculations for the DFT geometries have been performed at the MP2/6-31G(d,p), MP2/6-31++G(d,p), and MP2/6-311++G(2d,2p) levels of theory. The geometrical parameters, relative stabilities and counterpoise corrected interaction energies are reported. In addition, using a variation-perturbation energy decomposition scheme, we have found the important contributions to the total interaction energy.     

An improved generalized AMBER force field (GAFF) for urea

We describe an improved force field parameter set for the generalized AMBER force field (GAFF) for urea. Quantum chemical computations were used to obtain geometrical and energetic parameters of urea dimers and larger oligomers using AM1 semiempirical MO theory, density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level, MP2 and CCSD ab initio calculations with the 6-311++G(d,p), aug-cc-pVDZ, aug-cc-pVTZ, and aug-cc-pVQZ basis sets, and with the CBS-QB3 and CBS-APNO complete basis set methods. Seven different urea dimer structures were optimized at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level to obtain accurate interaction energies. Atomic partial charges were calculated at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level with the restrained electrostatic potential (RESP) fitting approach. The interaction energies computed with these new RESP charges in the force field are consistent with those obtained from CCSD and MP2 calculations. The linear dimer structure calculated using the force field with modified geometrical parameters and the new RESP charge set agrees well with available experimental data.     

EVALUATION OF SEVERAL ECONOMICAL COMPUTATIONAL METHODS FOR GEOMETRY OPTIMISATION OF PHOSPHORUS ACID DERIVATIVES

Several economical methods for geometry optimisation, applicable to larger molecules, have been evaluated for phosphorus acid derivatives. MP2/cc-pVDZ and B3LYP/6-31+G(d) geometry optimisations are used as reference points, results from geometry optimisations for other methods and their subsequent single point energy calculations are compared to these references. The geometries from HF/MIDI! optimisations were close to those of the references and subsequent single point energies with B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) or EDF1/6-31+G(d) gave a mean average deviation (MAD) of less than 0.5 kcal mol^?1 from those obtained with the reference geometries.     

Theoretical ab initio study of the effects of methylation on structure and stability of G:C Watson-Crick base pair

Methylation of DNA occurs most readily at N(3), N(7), and O(6) of purine bases and N(3) and O(2) of pyrimidines. Methylated bases are continuously formed through endogenous and exogenous mechanisms. The results of a theoretical ab initio study on the methylation of G:C base pair components are reported. The geometries of the local minima were optimized without symmetry restrictions by the gradient procedure at DFT level of theory and were verified by energy second derivative calculations. The standard 6-31G(d) basis set was used. The single-point calculations have been performed at the MP2/6-31G(d,p), MP2/6-31++G(d,p), and MP2/6-311++G(2d,2p) levels of theory. The geometrical parameters, relative stability and counterpoise corrected interaction energies are reported. Also, using a variation-perturbation energy decomposition scheme we have found the vital contributions to the total interaction energy.     

Post Hartree-Fock Studies of the Canonical Watson-Crick DNA Base Pairs: Molecular Structure and the Nature of Stability

Abstract

Gas-phase gradient optimization was carried out on the canonical Watson-Crick DNA base pairs using the second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation method at the 6–31G(d) and 6- 31G(d,p) basis sets. It is detected that full geometry optimization at the MP2 level leads to an intrinsically nonplanar propeller-twisted and buckled geometry of G-C and A-T base pairs; while HF and DFT methods predict perfect planar or almost planar geometry of the base pairs. Supposedly the nonplanarity of the pairs is caused by pyramidalization of the amino nitrogen atoms, which is underestimated by the HF and DFT methods. This justifies the importance of geometry optimization at the MP2 level for obtaining reliable prediction of the charge distribution, molecular dipole moments and geometrical structure of the base pairs. The Morokuma-Kitaura and the Reduced Variational Space methods of the decomposition for molecular HF interaction energies were used for investigation of the hydrogen bonding in the Watson-Crick base pairs. It is shown that the HF stability of the hydrogen-bonded DNA base pairs originates mainly from electrostatic interactions. At the same time, the calculated magnitude of the second order intramolecular correlation correction to the Coulomb energy showed that electron correlation reduces the contribution of the electrostatic term to the attractive interaction for the A-T and G-C base pairs. Polarization, charge transfer and dispersion interactions also make considerable contribution to the attraction energy of bases.     

Quantum chemical investigation of intramolecular thione-thiol tautomerism of 1,2,4-triazole-3-thione and its disubstituted derivatives

The one step intramolecular thione-thiol tautomerism of 1,2,4-triazole-3-thione and its disubstituted derivatives has been studied through the use of electronic structure methods. Due to the absence of experimental data for the parent molecule of 1,2,4-triazole-3-thione the structure and energetics of aforementioned tautomers were derived using various basis sets and levels including HF, B3LYP, and MP2 methods. The gas phase results show that in all different levels of theory the most stable tautomer is the thione form. It has also been revealed that B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level is quite well suited and reliable to investigate these kinds of tautomerism. To account the influence of substituents on the mentioned tautomerization, the tautomerism and conformational properties as well as vibrational analysis of 20 halophenyl and isopyridyl derivatives were investigated using B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) calculations. In all cases the calculations indicate that substituents have no considerable effects on relative stabilities and energy barriers for the thione-thiol proton transfer and the thione forms are the predominant species in the gas phase. In order to figure out the relative stabilities of the species involved in the tautomerism, geometrical and natural bond orbital (NBO) analyses have been employed. It has also been shown that the computed vibrational frequencies of tautomers with different scaling factors could be used to interpret the vibrational frequencies in IR spectrum of similar species.     

Effect of intermolecular triplex formation on the yield of cyclobutane photodimers in DNA.

We have studied the effect of intermolecular triplexes formation on the yield of cyclobutane photodimers in DNA. DNA duplex within the pyrimidine-purine-pyrimidine triplex d(TC)nd(GA)nd(CT)n is protected from the formation of cyclobutane photodimers in the case of the stabilization of this triplex by acid pH, and in the case of supplementary stabilization by Mg2+ or Zn2+. We have studied pH-independent pyrimidine-purine-purine triplexes stabilized by bivalent cations. In such triplexes, the protection from the formation of [6-4] photodimers is observed, whereas the protection from cyclobutane dimer formation does not take place. The formation of the d(TC)nd(GA)nd(GA)n triplex leads to an inversion of the intensities of cyclobutane CT and TC photodimers. We observed a sharp decrease in photoreactivity with respect to cyclobutane dimers in the duplex tract d(C)18d(G)18 in the presence of Ba2+, Cd2+, Co2+, Mn2+, Zn2+ and Ni2+. The formation of the d(C)nd(G)nd(G)n triplex leads to 'antifootprinting', i.e. an increase in the yield of cyclobutane photodimers.     

Ultraviolet irradiation of nucleic acids: formation, purification, and solution conformational analyses of oligothymidylates containing cis-syn photodimers

Acetone-photosensitized UV irradiation of three thymine oligomers, d(TpT), d(TpTpT), and d(TpTpTpT), forms predominantly cis-syn cyclobutyl photodimers. C-18 reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography is used to purify the following positional isomers: d(TpT[p]T), d(T[p]TpT), d(TpTpT[p]T), d(TpT[p]TpT), d(T[p]TpTpT), and d(T[p]TpT[p]T), where T[p]T represents the cis-syn photodimer. Conformational properties of the cis-syn dimers and adjacent thymine nucleotides have been investigated in solution by using 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR spectroscopy. These studies show that (1) the photodimer conformation in longer oligothymidylates is similar to that in the dinucleoside monophosphate and (2) the cis-syn dimer induces alterations to a greater degree on the 5' side than on the 3' side of the photodimer. Specifically, the photodimer distorts the exocyclic bonds epsilon(C3'-O3') in Tp- and gamma(C5'-C4') in -pT[p]- on the 5' side and slightly alters the furanose equilibrium of the -pT nucleotide on the 3' side of the dimer.     

Studies on molecular structure and tautomerism of a vitamin B<Subscript>6</Subscript> analog with density functional theory

This work presents a computational study on the molecular structure and tautomeric equilibria of a novel Schiff base L derived from pyridoxal (PL) and o-phenylenediamine by using the density functional method B3LYP with basis sets 6-31 G(d,p), 6-31++G(d,p), 6-311 G(d,p) and 6-311++G(d,p). The optimized geometrical parameters obtained by B3LYP/6-31 G(d,p) method showed the best agreement with the experimental values. Tautomeric stability study of L inferred that the enolimine form is more stable than its ketoenamine form in both gas phase and solution. However, protonation of the pyridoxal nitrogen atom (LH) have accelerated the formation of ketoenamine form, and therefore, both ketoenamine and enolimine forms could be present in acidic media.     

The influence of the peptide bond on the conformation of amino acids: a theoretical and FT-IR matrix-isolation study of N-acetylproline

A combined experimental matrix-isolation FT-IR and theoretical study has been performed to investigate the conformational behavior of N-acetylproline. The conformational landscape of N-acetylproline was explored using successively higher computational methods, i.e. HF, DFT(B3LYP) and finally MP2. The exploration resulted in 10 conformations with a relative energy difference smaller than 22 kJ.mol(-1) at the HF/3-21G level of theory. These conformations led to six different conformations after DFT(B3LYP) optimizations. Further optimization at the MP2/6-31++G** level of theory resulted in the same six conformations, all of them with an energy difference smaller than 11.5kJ.mol(-1). One conformation with an intramolecular H-bond was found which was energetically the most favorable conformation. The vibrational and thermodynamical features were calculated using the DFT and MP2 methodologies. In the experimental matrix-isolation FT-IR spectrum, the most stable conformation was dominant and at least two non-H-bonded conformations could be identified. An experimental rotamerization constant between the H-bonded and the other non-H-bonded conformations was estimated and appeared to agree reasonably well with the theoretical MP2 predictions. Some new spectral features of N-acetylproline compared to proline were discovered which might be used to discriminate between the acetylated and non-acetylated form.     

Ab Initio and Molecular Mechanics Calculations of Various Substituted Ureas - Rotational Barriers and a New Parametrization for Ureas

High-level ab initio calculations have been performed on urea, methylurea, tetramethylurea and three isomers of dimethylurea to obtain accurate rotational barriers. Results of MP2(fc)/6-31 G(d) calculations are compared to those with lower basis sets and semiempirical calculations. The MM2(87) force field has been parameterized.     

Theoretical study of geometrical and nonlinear optical properties of pyridinum N-phenolate betaine dyes

This paper presents an ab initio quantum chemical investigation of the geometrical structures and the non-linear optical properties (NLO) of three structural isomers of pyridinium N-phenolate betaine dye. The ground state geometrical parameters and the first-order hyperpolarizabilities were calculated using the Hartree-Fock (HF) as well as the second-order perturbation Møller-Pleset (MP2) method with the 6–31G, 6–31G(d), 6–31G(d,p), 6–31+G(d), 6–31++G(d,p), 6–311+G(d), aug-cc-PVDZ and the recently developed Z3PolX basis sets. Moreover, the first-order hyperpolarizability was calculated at the coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD/6–31+G(d)) level of theory. The analysis of the results of calculations for the investigated isomers indicates that there are important differences in their NLO activities. Additionally, it was shown that Z3PolX basis set works reasonable well for betaine dyes.