Nanopore unzipping of individual DNA hairpin molecules

We have used the nanometer scale alpha-Hemolysin pore to study the unzipping kinetics of individual DNA hairpins under constant force or constant loading rate. Using a dynamic voltage control method, the entry rate of polynucleotides into the pore and the voltage pattern applied to induce hairpin unzipping are independently set. Thus, hundreds of unzipping events can be tested in a short period of time (few minutes), independently of the unzipping voltage amplitude. Because our method does not entail the physical coupling of the molecules under test to a force transducer, very high throughput can be achieved. We used our method to study DNA unzipping kinetics at small forces, which have not been accessed before. We find that in this regime the static unzipping times decrease exponentially with voltage with a characteristic slope that is independent of the duplex region sequence, and that the intercept depends strongly on the duplex region energy. We also present the first nanopore dynamic force measurements (time varying force). Our results are in agreement with the approximately logV dependence at high V (where V is the loading rate) observed by other methods. The extension of these measurements to lower loading rates reveals a much weaker dependence on V.     

Pause point spectra in DNA constant-force unzipping

Under constant applied force, the separation of double-stranded DNA into two single strands is known to proceed through a series of pauses and jumps. Given experimental traces of constant-force unzipping, we present a method whereby the locations of pause points can be extracted in the form of a pause point spectrum. A simple theoretical model of DNA constant-force unzipping is presented, which generates theoretical pause point spectra through Monte Carlo simulation of the unzipping process. The locations of peaks in the experimental and theoretical pause point spectra are found to be nearly coincident below 6000 basepairs for unzipping the bacteriophage lambda-genome. The model only requires the sequence, temperature, and a set of empirical basepair binding and stacking energy parameters, and the good agreement with experiment suggests that pause point locations are primarily determined by the DNA sequence. The model is also used to predict pause point spectra for the bacteriophage phi X174 genome. The algorithm for extracting the pause point spectrum might also be useful for studying related systems which exhibit pausing behavior such as molecular motors.     

哺乳动物DNA甲基化修饰的动态调控机制

DNA甲基化是最主要的表观遗传修饰之一,主要发生在胞嘧啶第五位碳原子上,称为5-甲基胞嘧啶。哺乳动物DNA甲基化由从头DNA甲基转移酶DNMT3A/3B在胚胎发育早期建立。细胞分裂过程中甲基化模式的维持由DNA甲基转移酶DNMT1实现。TET家族蛋白氧化5-甲基胞嘧啶成为5-羟甲基胞嘧啶、5-醛基胞嘧啶和5-羧基胞嘧啶,从而起始DNA的去甲基化过程。这些DNA甲基化修饰酶精确调节DNA甲基化的动态过程,在整个生命发育过程中发挥重要作用,其失调也与多种疾病发生密切相关。本文对近年来DNA甲基化修饰酶的结构与功能研究进行讨论。     

DNA Translocation and Unzipping through a Nanopore: Some Geometrical Effects

This article explores the role of some geometrical factors on the electrophoretically driven translocations of macromolecules through nanopores. In the case of asymmetric pores, we show how the entry requirements and the direction of translocation can modify the information content of the blocked ionic current as well as the transduction of the electrophoretic drive into a mechanical force. To address these effects we studied the translocation of single-stranded DNA through an asymmetric α-hemolysin pore. Depending on the direction of the translocation, we measure the capacity of the pore to discriminate between both DNA orientations. By unzipping DNA hairpins from both sides of the pores we show that the presence of single strand or double strand in the pore can be discriminated based on ionic current levels. We also show that the transduction of the electrophoretic drive into a denaturing mechanical force depends on the local geometry of the pore entrance. Eventually we discuss the application of this work to the measurement of energy barriers for DNA unzipping as well as for protein binding and unfolding.     

End-to-end attraction of duplex DNA

Recent experiments [Nakata, M. et al., End-to-end stacking and liquid crystal condensation of 6 to 20 basepair DNA duplexes. Science 2007; 318:1276-1279] have demonstrated spontaneous end-to-end association of short duplex DNA fragments into long rod-like structures. By means of extensive all-atom molecular dynamic simulations, we characterized end-to-end interactions of duplex DNA, quantitatively describing the forces, free energy and kinetics of the end-to-end association process. We found short DNA duplexes to spontaneously aggregate end-to-end when axially aligned in a small volume of monovalent electrolyte. It was observed that electrostatic repulsion of 5'-phosphoryl groups promoted the formation of aggregates in a conformation similar to the B-form DNA double helix. Application of an external force revealed that rupture of the end-to-end assembly occurs by the shearing of the terminal base pairs. The standard binding free energy and the kinetic rates of end-to-end association and dissociation processes were estimated using two complementary methods: umbrella sampling simulations of two DNA fragments and direct observation of the aggregation process in a system containing 458 DNA fragments. We found the end-to-end force to be short range, attractive, hydrophobic and only weakly dependent on the ion concentration. The relation between the stacking free energy and end-to-end attraction is discussed as well as possible roles of the end-to-end interaction in biological and nanotechnological systems.     

Unzipping DNA from the condensed globule state-effects of unraveling

We have studied theoretically the unzipping of a double-stranded DNA from a condensed globule state by an external force. At constant force, we found that the double-stranded DNA unzips an at critical force Fc and the number of unzipped monomers M goes as M approximately (Fc - F)-3, for both the homogeneous and heterogeneous double-stranded DNA sequence. This is different from the case of unzipping from an extended coil state in which the number of unzipped monomers M goes as M approximately (Fc - F)-chi, where the exponent chi is either 1 or 2 depending on whether the double-stranded DNA sequence is homogeneous or heterogeneous, respectively. In the case of unzipping at constant extension, we found that for a double-stranded DNA with a very large number N of base pairs, the force remains almost constant as a function of the extension, before the unraveling transition, at which the force drops abruptly to zero. Right at the unraveling transition, the number of base pairs remaining in the condensed globule state is still very large and goes as N(3/4), in agreement with theoretical predictions of the unraveling transition of polymers stretched by an external force.     

Free-Energy Landscape and Characteristic Forces for the Initiation of DNA Unzipping

DNA unzipping, the separation of its double helix into single strands, is crucial in modulating a host of genetic processes. Although the large-scale separation of double-stranded DNA has been studied with a variety of theoretical and experimental techniques, the minute details of the very first steps of unzipping are still unclear. Here, we use atomistic molecular-dynamics simulations, coarse-grained simulations, and a statistical-mechanical model to study the initiation of DNA unzipping by an external force. Calculation of the potential of mean force profiles for the initial separation of the first few terminal basepairs in a DNA oligomer revealed that forces ranging between 130 and 230 pN are needed to disrupt the first basepair, and these values are an order of magnitude larger than those needed to disrupt basepairs in partially unzipped DNA. The force peak has an echo of ∼50 pN at the distance that unzips the second basepair. We show that the high peak needed to initiate unzipping derives from a free-energy basin that is distinct from the basins of subsequent basepairs because of entropic contributions, and we highlight the microscopic origin of the peak. To our knowledge, our results suggest a new window of exploration for single-molecule experiments.     

Simultaneous determination of global DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation levels by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Methylation of DNA at the 5-position of cytosine (Cyt) is a well-studied epigenetic pathway implicated in gene silencing and embryogenesis. Recently, in addition to 5-methylcytosine (5mC), substantial amounts of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) have been detected in certain mammalian tissues. Here, we developed and validated a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous determination of Cyt, 5mC, and 5hmC levels in biological samples. DNA was extracted with phenol-chloroform, hydrolyzed using 88% formic acid at 140 °C, separated using a bridged ethylene hybrid HILIC column, and analyzed by tandem MS. The linearity was established over the concentration range of 1 to 500 ng/mL for Cyt, 0.2 to 100 ng/mL for 5mC, and 0.1 to 50 ng/mL for 5hmC, and the correlation coefficients were all >0.99. Limits of detection were 1 pg/mL for Cyt, 45 pg/mL for 5mC, and 57 pg/mL for 5hmC, and the limit of quantification values for Cyt, 5mC, and 5hmC were 2 pg/mL, 90 pg/mL, and 100 pg/mL, respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of the intraday precision ranged from 1.87% to 4.84% and the interday precision from 2.69% to 4.98%. The recovery of the method varied from 88.25% to 104.39%. The method was then applied to the analysis of DNA from biological samples, establishing its potential for helping researchers understand the roles of modified nucleobases in DNA.     

Theoretical study of sequence-dependent nanopore unzipping of DNA

We theoretically investigate the unzipping of DNA electrically driven through a nanometer-size pore. Taking the DNA base sequence explicitly into account, the unpairing and translocation process is described by a biased random walk in a one-dimensional energy landscape determined by the sequential basepair opening. Distributions of translocation times are numerically calculated as a function of applied voltage and temperature. We show that varying these two parameters changes the dynamics from a predominantly diffusive behavior to a dynamics governed by jumps over local energy barriers. The work suggests experimentally studying sequence effects, by comparing the average value and standard deviation of the statistical distribution of translocation times.     

Dynamics of the DNA duplex formation studied by single molecule force measurements

DNA is partly denatured in vitro by applying a force that mechanically separates the two strands of the double helix. Sudden reduction of the imposed displacement triggers spontaneous reannealing of the molecule. The corresponding force signals are measured by optical trapping interferometry for backward steps of various amplitudes and base sequence intervals. The measured signals frequently show plateaus of varying duration at discrete values that are dependent on the base sequence. Additional measurements are performed with proteins bound to the double helix. When the opening fork encounters such a protein during mechanical unzipping, force increases until the protein is ejected. This ejection induces fast release of tension and fast unzipping. Comparing our different measurements, we find that both DNA unzipping and the relaxation of tension in DNA are faster than the formation of the double helix.     

Extracting kinetics from single-molecule force spectroscopy: nanopore unzipping of DNA hairpins

Single-molecule force experiments provide powerful new tools to explore biomolecular interactions. Here, we describe a systematic procedure for extracting kinetic information from force-spectroscopy experiments, and apply it to nanopore unzipping of individual DNA hairpins. Two types of measurements are considered: unzipping at constant voltage, and unzipping at constant voltage-ramp speeds. We perform a global maximum-likelihood analysis of the experimental data at low-to-intermediate ramp speeds. To validate the theoretical models, we compare their predictions with two independent sets of data, collected at high ramp speeds and at constant voltage, by using a quantitative relation between the two types of measurements. Microscopic approaches based on Kramers theory of diffusive barrier crossing allow us to estimate not only intrinsic rates and transition state locations, as in the widely used phenomenological approach based on Bell's formula, but also free energies of activation. The problem of extracting unique and accurate kinetic parameters of a molecular transition is discussed in light of the apparent success of the microscopic theories in reproducing the experimental data.     

Histone H1 compacts DNA under force and during chromatin assembly

Histone H1 binds to linker DNA between nucleosomes, but the dynamics and biological ramifications of this interaction remain poorly understood. We performed single-molecule experiments using magnetic tweezers to determine the effects of H1 on naked DNA in buffer or during chromatin assembly in Xenopus egg extracts. In buffer, nanomolar concentrations of H1 induce bending and looping of naked DNA at stretching forces below 0.6 pN, effects that can be reversed with 2.7-pN force or in 200 mM monovalent salt concentrations. Consecutive tens-of-nanometer bending events suggest that H1 binds to naked DNA in buffer at high stoichiometries. In egg extracts, single DNA molecules assemble into nucleosomes and undergo rapid compaction. Histone H1 at endogenous physiological concentrations increases the DNA compaction rate during chromatin assembly under 2-pN force and decreases it during disassembly under 5-pN force. In egg cytoplasm, histone H1 protects sperm nuclei undergoing genome-wide decondensation and chromatin assembly from becoming abnormally stretched or fragmented due to astral microtubule pulling forces. These results reveal functional ramifications of H1 binding to DNA at the single-molecule level and suggest an important physiological role for H1 in compacting DNA under force and during chromatin assembly.     

Measurement of the salt-dependent stabilization of partially open DNA by Escherichia coli SSB protein

The rezipping force of two complementary DNA strands under tension has been measured in the presence of Escherichia coli single-stranded-binding proteins under salt conditions ranging from 10– to 400 mM NaCl. The effectiveness of the binding protein in preventing rezipping is strongly dependent on salt concentration and compared with the salt dependence in the absence of the protein. At concentrations less than 50 mM NaCl, the protein prevents complete rezipping of λ-phage on the 2-s timescale of the experiment, when the ssDNA is under tensions as low as 3.5 ± 1 pN. For salt concentrations greater than 200 mM NaCl, the protein inhibits rezipping but cannot block rezipping when the tension is reduced below 6 ± 1.8 pN. This change in effectiveness as a function of salt concentration may correspond to salt-dependent changes in binding modes that were previously observed in bulk assays.     

Enzymatic DNA oxidation: mechanisms and biological significance

DNA methylation at cytosines (5mC) is a major epigenetic modification involved in the regulation of multiple biological processes in mammals. How methylation is reversed was until recently poorly understood. The family of dioxygenases commonly known as Ten-eleven translocation (Tet) proteins are responsible for the oxidation of 5mC into three new forms, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-formylcytosine (5fC) and 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC). Current models link Tet-mediated 5mC oxidation with active DNA demethylation. The higher oxidation products (5fC and 5caC) are recognized and excised by the DNA glycosylase TDG via the base excision repair pathway. Like DNA methyltransferases, Tet enzymes are important for embryonic development. We will examine the mechanism and biological significance of Tet-mediated 5mC oxidation in the context of pronuclear DNA demethylation in mouse early embryos. In contrast to its role in active demethylation in the germ cells and early embryo, a number of lines of evidence suggest that the intragenic 5hmC present in brain may act as a stable mark instead. This short review explores mechanistic aspects of TET oxidation activity, the impact Tet enzymes have on epigenome organization and their contribution to the regulation of early embryonic and neuronal development. [BMB Reports 2014; 47(11): 609-618]     

Sequence-dependent mechanics of single DNA molecules

Atomic force microscope-based single-molecule force spectroscopy was employed to measure sequence-dependent mechanical properties of DNA by stretching individual DNA double strands attached between a gold surface and an AFM tip. We discovered that in lambda-phage DNA the previously reported B-S transition, where 'S' represents an overstretched conformation, at 65 pN is followed by a nonequilibrium melting transition at 150 pN. During this transition the DNA is split into single strands that fully recombine upon relaxation. The sequence dependence was investigated in comparative studies with poly(dG-dC) and poly(dA-dT) DNA. Both the B-S and the melting transition occur at significantly lower forces in poly(dA-dT) compared to poly(dG-dC). We made use of the melting transition to prepare single poly(dG-dC) and poly(dA-dT) DNA strands that upon relaxation reannealed into hairpins as a result of their self-complementary sequence. The unzipping of these hairpins directly revealed the base pair-unbinding forces for G-C to be 20 +/- 3 pN and for A-T to be 9 +/- 3 pN.     

DNA羟甲基化在小鼠胚胎干细胞中的研究进展

简要总结DNA羟甲基化在小鼠胚胎干细胞(mouse embryonic stem cells,mESC)中的最新研究进展.DNA甲基化(DNAmethylation)影响染色质的结构与功能,在发育与疾病发生过程中具有重要作用.2009年Tahiliani等发现TET1可以催化甲基化胞嘧啶(5-methylcytosine,5mC)氧化为羟甲基化胞嘧啶(5-hydroxymethylcytosine,5hmC).DNA羟甲基化(DNAhydroxymethylation)被认为是调节DNA甲基化的一种重要方式,成为了表观遗传学的研究热点之一.     

Temperature Dependence of Unbinding Forces between Complementary DNA Strands

Force probe techniques such as atomic force microscopy can directly measure the force required to rupture single biological ligand receptor bonds. Such forces are related to the energy landscape of these weak, noncovalent biological interactions. We report unbinding force measurements between complementary strands of DNA as a function of temperature. Our measurements emphasize the entropic contributions to the energy landscape of the bond.