An Approach to the Methylation of Polynucleotides*

Replication of Pyridyloxobutyl Phosphotriester Lesions in Cells

Genome integrity is constantly challenged by endogenous or exogenous genotoxic agents, which can give rise to various DNA adducts. After metabolic activation, tobacco-specific nitrosamines N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) can lead to pyridyloxobutylphosphotriesters (POB-PTEs) in DNA. Here, we synthesized oligodeoxyribonucleotides containing a site-specifically inserted S_P- or R_P-POB-PTE flanked by two thymidines, and we examined the impact that these lesions have on DNA replication in Escherichia coli cells. We found that these two lesions are not strong impediments to DNA replication, and their replicative bypass is not modulated by genetic depletion of the three SOS-induced DNA polymerases or Ada protein. In addition, neither S_P- nor R_P-POB-PTEs was mutagenic in E. coli cells. Together, our study unveiled, for the first time, the influence of tobacco-specific nitrosamine-induced POB-PTE lesions on DNA replication in vivo.

An analytical platform for mass spectrometry-based identification and chemical analysis of RNA in ribonucleoprotein complexes

We describe here a mass spectrometry (MS)-based analytical platform of RNA, which combines direct nano-flow reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) on a spray tip column and a high-resolution LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Operating RPLC under a very low flow rate with volatile solvents and MS in the negative mode, we could estimate highly accurate mass values sufficient to predict the nucleotide composition of a approximately 21-nucleotide small interfering RNA, detect post-transcriptional modifications in yeast tRNA, and perform collision-induced dissociation/tandem MS-based structural analysis of nucleolytic fragments of RNA at a sub-femtomole level. Importantly, the method allowed the identification and chemical analysis of small RNAs in ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex, such as the pre-spliceosomal RNP complex, which was pulled down from cultured cells with a tagged protein cofactor as bait. We have recently developed a unique genome-oriented database search engine, Ariadne, which allows tandem MS-based identification of RNAs in biological samples. Thus, the method presented here has broad potential for automated analysis of RNA; it complements conventional molecular biology-based techniques and is particularly suited for simultaneous analysis of the composition, structure, interaction, and dynamics of RNA and protein components in various cellular RNP complexes.

High-quality oligo-RNA synthesis using the new 2′-O-TEM protecting group by selectively quenching the addition of p-tolyl vinyl sulphone to exocyclic amino functions

During the F–-promoted deprotection of the oligo–RNA, synthesized using our 2′-O-(4-tolylsulfonyl)ethoxymethyl (2′-O-TEM) group [Org. Biomol. Chem. 5, 333 (2007)], p-tolyl vinyl sulphone (TVS) is formed as a by-product. The TVS formed has been shown to react with the exocyclic amino functions of adenosine (A), guanosine (G), and cytidine (C) of the fully deprotected oligo–RNA to give undesirable adducts, which are then purified by HPLC and unambiguously characterized by 1H, 13C Heteronuclear Multiple Bond Correlation (HMBC) NMR and mass spectroscopic analysis. The relative nucleophilic reactivities of the nucleobases toward TVS have been found to be the following: N6–A > N4–C > N2–G > > N3–U. This reactivity of TVS toward RNA nucleobases to give various Michael adducts could, however, be suppressed by using various amines as scavengers. Among all these amines, morpholine and piperidine are the most efficient scavenger for TVS, which gave highly pure oligo–RNA even in the crude form and can be used directly in RNA chemical biology studies.Key words: RNA synthesis, RNA alkylation, p-tolyl vinyl sulphone, Michael addition.

Hybridization of ribosomal RNA labeled to high specific radioactivity with dimethyl sulfate

RNA radioactively methylated with dimethyl sulfate has the advantage of relatively low background noise level when utilized in DNA saturation hybridization employing the membrane filter technique. In addition, the RNA can be methylated with either 3H- or 14C-labeled methyl groups. However, the low specific radioactivity usually obtained with dimethyl sulfate has limited the use of this labeling technique. We describe a detailed characterization of the methylation of rRNA with dimethyl sulfate giving specific radioactivities on the order 10-5 cpm/mug. Kinetics and optimum conditions for the methylation reaction of rRNA were studied. The methylation did not cause excessive degradation of RNA in neutral aqueous solution, and the methyl derivative of RNA was stable under normal hybridization conditions. Specific radioactivitiy of the methylated RNA was found to be a linear function of the product of RNA concentration and specific radioactivity of the dimethyl sulfate in the reaction mixture at a constant incubation time. The methylated bases of the RNA lowered the thermal stability of the DNA-RNA hybrids by 1 degree in Tm per 1.6 per cent methylated RNA bases. rRNA gene dosage values using high specific radioactive methylated RNA were found to be 81 and 180 genes/haploid genome, respectively. Dissociation constants of the hybridization reaction ranged from 0.90 times 10-10 to 2.37 times 10-10 M.