Synthesis and DNA-binding ability of Sp1 protein zinc finger domain and its peptidomimetics

The second zinc finger fragment of Sp1 (Sp1-ZF2), its mutant (Sp1-ZF2/HT. E²⁰ → H, R²³ → T), and two mimic analogues (ZF20 and ZF15) were synthesized by stepwise solid phase technique. The CD spectra and UV-visible spectrum with CoC1₂ indicated that the formation of zinc finger structure was affected not only by the hydrophobic amino acids but also by the change of the distance between Cys and His. Gel-retardat ion electrophoresis assays indicated that the Glu and Arg residues are very important for recognition. A single zinc finger like Sp1-ZF2 is able to bind DNA sequence specifically.     

Synthesis and DNA-binding ability of Spl protein zinc finger domain and its peptidomimetics

The second zinc finger fragment of Sp1 (Spl-ZF2), its mutant (Spl-ZF2/HT. E20→H, R23→T), and two mimic analogues (ZF20 and ZF15) were synthesized by stepwise solid phase technique. The CD spectra and UV-visible spectrum with CoCl2 indicated that the formation of zinc finger structure was affected not only by the hy-drophobic amino acids but also by the change of the distance between Cys and His. Gel-retardation electrophoresis as-says indicated that the Grlu and Arg residues are very important for recognition. A single zinc finger like Spl-ZF2 isable to bind DNA sequence specifically.     

Guanine-06 methylation reduces the reactivity of d(GpG) towards platinum complexes.

6-methylated guanine dinucleotides were used to study the influence of hydrogen bonding on the specific binding of the antitumor drug cDDP, cis-PtCl2(NH3)2, to DNA. In this interaction, the guanine-06 site appears to be important in explaining the preference for a pGpG-N7(1),N7(2) chelate, which results from H-bridge formation with the ammine ligand of cDDP. Guanine-06 methylated dinucleotides and the nonmodified dinucleotides were reacted with [Pt(dien)Cl]+, cis-PtCl2(NH3)2, and cis-[Pt(NH3)2(H2O)2]2+ and the reaction products were characterized by 1H NMR using pH titrations. Methylation at guanine-06 clearly reduces the preference for the guanine. In competition experiments monitored by NMR and experiments using UV spectrophotometry a decreasing reactivity towards [Pt(dien)(H2O)]2+ and cis-[Pt(NH3)2(H2O)2]2+ was found, in the order of d(GpG) greater than d(GomepG) greater than d(GpGome) greater than d(GomepGome). The difference in reactivity between 5' guanine methylation and 3' guanine methylation is ascribed to differences in the H-bond formation with the backbone phosphate. The resulting reduced stacking of the bases in both modified dinucleotides, compared to the bases in d(GpG), results in a preference for the 3' guanine over 5'.     

Zinc finger protein binding to DNA: an energy perspective using molecular dynamics simulation and free energy calculations on mutants of both zinc finger domains and their specific DNA bases

Energy calculations based on MM-GBSA were employed to study various zinc finger protein (ZF) motifs binding to DNA. Mutants of both the DNA bound to their specific amino acids were studied. Calculated energies gave evidence for a relationship between binding energy and affinity of ZF motifs to their sites on DNA. ΔG values were ?15.82(12), ?3.66(12), and ?12.14(11.6) kcal/mol for finger one, finger two, and finger three, respectively. The mutations in the DNA bases reduced the value of the negative energies of binding (maximum value for ΔΔG = 42Kcal/mol for F1 when GCG mutated to GGG, and ΔΔG = 22 kcal/mol for F2, the loss in total energy of binding originated in the loss in electrostatic energies upon mutation (r = .98). The mutations in key amino acids in the ZF motif in positions-1, 2, 3, and 6 showed reduced binding energies to DNA with correlation coefficients between total free energy and electrostatic was .99 and with Van der Waal was .93. Results agree with experimentally found selectivity which showed that Arginine in position-1 is specific to G, while Aspartic acid (D) in position 2 plays a complicated role in binding. There is a correlation between the MD calculated free energies of binding and those obtained experimentally for prepared ZF motifs bound to triplet bases in other reports (), our results may help in the design of ZF motifs based on the established recognition codes based on energies and contributing energies to the total energy.     

Zinc finger proteins as templates for metal ion exchange: Substitution effects on the C-finger of HIV nucleocapsid NCp7 using M(chelate) species (M = Pt, Pd, Au)

The interactions of monofunctional [MCl(chelate)] compounds (M = Pt(II), Pd(II) or Au(III) and chelate = diethylenetriamine, dien or 2,2′,2″-terpyridine, terpy) with the C-terminal finger of the HIV nucleocapsid NCp7 zinc finger (ZF) were studied by mass spectrometry and circular dichroism spectroscopy. In the case of [M(dien)] species, Pt(II) and Pd(II) behaved in a similar fashion with evidence of adducts caused by displacement of Pt-Cl or Pd-Cl by zinc-bound thiolate. Labilization, presumably under the influence of the strong trans influence of thiolate, resulted in loss of ligand (dien) as well as zinc ejection and formation of species with only Pd(II) or Pt(II) bound to the finger. For both Au(III) compounds the reactions were very fast and only “gold fingers” with no ancillary ligands were observed. For all terpyridine compounds ligand scrambling and metal exchange occurred with formation of [Zn(terpy)]²⁺. The results conform well to those proposed from the study of model Zn compounds such as N,N′-bis(2-mercapto-ethyl)-1,4-diazacycloheptanezinc(II), [Zn(bme-dach)]₂. The possible structures of the adducts formed are discussed and, for Pt(II) and Pd(II), the evidence for possible expansion of the zinc coordination sphere from four- to five-coordinate is discussed. This observation reinforces the possibility of change in geometry for zinc in biology, even in common “structural” sites in metalloenzymes. The results further show that the extent and rate of zinc displacement by inorganic compounds can be modulated by the nature (metal, ligands) of the reacting compound.     

The polyamines spermidine and spermine retard the platination rate of single-stranded DNA oligomers and plasmids

The presence of polyamines in living cells is crucial for survival. Due to their high net charge at physiological pH, polyamines effectively charge neutralize the phosphodiester backbone of DNA in an interaction that also may protect the DNA from external damage. We here present a study illustrating the influence of spermidine and spermine on the platination reactions of the model oligonucleotides d(T(6)GT(6)), d(T(12)GT(12)), and d(T(24)GT(24)), and the pUC18 DNA plasmid. The aquated forms of the anticancer active compounds cisplatin (cis-[Pt(NH(3))(2)Cl(2)]) and the major Pt(II) metabolite of JM216 (cis-[PtCl(2)(NH(3))(c-C(6)H(11)NH(2))], JM118) were used as platination reagents. The study shows that the kinetics for formation of the coordinative Pt-DNA adduct are strongly influenced by the presence of sub-millimolar polyamine concentrations. At polyamine concentrations in the muM-range, the reactions remain salt-dependent. In contrast, platination of pUC18 is effectively prevented at mM concentrations of both spermidine and spermine with the latter as the more potent inhibitor. The results suggest that variations of intracellular polyamine concentrations may have a profound influence on the efficacy by which cationically charged reagents interfere with DNA function in vivo by modulation of the preassociation conditions.     

Solution NMR structure of zinc finger 4 and 5 from human INSM1, an essential regulator of neuroendocrine differentiation

Human INSM1 containing five C‐terminal C2H2‐type zinc fingers (ZFs), is a key regulator of neuroendocrine development. Previous research reported that full‐length INSM1 containing all five ZFs recognized a consensus DNA sequence. Structure elucidation of human INSM1 ZFs is currently insufficient to understand the DNA binding mechanism. Herein, we present the solution NMR structure of ZF4‐5, in which the two ZFs adopt a head‐to‐tail arrangement and each ZF features a canonical ββα fold. NMR titrations and isothermal titration calorimetry experiments showed that ZF4‐5 binds weakly to the consensus DNA sequence. Proteins 2017; 85:957–962. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.