Static and statistical bending of DNA evaluated by Monte Carlo simulations

Rational Computational Approaches in Drug Discovery: Potential Inhibitors for Allosteric Regulation of Mutant Isocitrate Dehydrogenase-1 Enzyme in Cancers

Mutations in homodimeric isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) enzymes at specific arginine residues result in the abnormal activity to overproduce D-2 hydroxyglutarate (D-2HG), which is often projected as solid oncometabolite in cancers and other disorders. As a result, depicting the potential inhibitor for D-2HG formation in mutant IDH enzymes is a challenging task in cancer research. The mutation in the cytosolic IDH1 enzyme at R132H, especially, may be associated with higher frequency of all types of cancers. So, the present work specifically focuses on the design and screening of allosteric site binders to the cytosolic mutant IDH1 enzyme. The 62 reported drug molecules were screened along with biological activity to identify the small molecular inhibitors using computer-aided drug design strategies. The designed molecules proposed in this work show better binding affinity, biological activity, bioavailability, and potency toward the inhibition of D-2HG formation compare to the reported drugs in the in silico approach.

Examining the Effects of Netropsin on the Curvature of DNA A-Tracts Using Electrophoresis

A-tracts are sequences of repeated adenine bases that, under the proper conditions, are capable of mediating DNA curvature. A-tracts occur naturally in the regulatory regions of many organisms, yet their biological functions are not fully understood. Orienting multiple A-tracts together constructively or destructively in a phase has the potential to create different shapes in the DNA helix axis. One means of detecting these molecular shape differences is from altered DNA mobilities measured using electrophoresis. The small molecule netropsin binds the minor groove of DNA, particularly at AT-rich sequences including A-tracts. Here, we systematically test the hypothesis that netropsin binding eliminates the curvature of A-tracts by measuring the electrophoretic mobilities of seven 98-base pair DNA samples containing different numbers and arrangements of centrally located A-tracts under varying conditions with netropsin. We find that netropsin binding eliminates the mobility difference between the DNA fragments with different A-tract arrangements in a concentration-dependent manner. This work provides evidence for the straightening of A-tracts upon netropsin binding and illustrates an artificial approach to re-sculpt DNA shape.

The Contribution of Backbone Electrostatic Repulsion to DNA Mechanical Properties is Length-Scale-Dependent

The mechanics of DNA bending is crucially related to many vital biological processes. Recent experiments reported anomalous flexibility for DNA on short length scales, calling into doubt the validity of the harmonic worm-like chain (WLC) model in this region. In the present work, we systematically probed the bending dynamics of DNA at different length scales. In contrast to the remarkable deviation from the WLC description for DNA duplexes of less than three helical turns, our atomistic studies indicate that the neutral "null isomer" behaves in accord with the ideal elastic WLC and exhibits a uniform decay for the directional correlation of local bending. The backbone neutralization weakens the anisotropy in the effective bending preference and the helical periodicity of bend correlation that have previously been observed for normal DNA. The contribution of electrostatic repulsion to stretching cooperativity and the mechanical properties of DNA strands is length-scale-dependent: the phosphate neutralization increases the stiffness of DNA below two helical turns, but it is decreased for longer strands. We find that DNA rigidity is largely determined by base pair stacking, with electrostatic interactions contributing only around 10% of the total persistence length.

Evaluating the role of coherent delocalized phonon-like modes in DNA cyclization

The innate flexibility of a DNA sequence is quantified by the Jacobson-Stockmayer's J-factor, which measures the propensity for DNA loop formation. Recent studies of ultra-short DNA sequences revealed a discrepancy of up to six orders of magnitude between experimentally measured and theoretically predicted J-factors. These large differences suggest that, in addition to the elastic moduli of the double helix, other factors contribute to loop formation. Here, we develop a new theoretical model that explores how coherent delocalized phonon-like modes in DNA provide single-stranded "flexible hinges" to assist in loop formation. We combine the Czapla-Swigon-Olson structural model of DNA with our extended Peyrard-Bishop-Dauxois model and, without changing any of the parameters of the two models, apply this new computational framework to 86 experimentally characterized DNA sequences. Our results demonstrate that the new computational framework can predict J-factors within an order of magnitude of experimental measurements for most ultra-short DNA sequences, while continuing to accurately describe the J-factors of longer sequences. Further, we demonstrate that our computational framework can be used to describe the cyclization of DNA sequences that contain a base pair mismatch. Overall, our results support the conclusion that coherent delocalized phonon-like modes play an important role in DNA cyclization.

Stiffer double-stranded DNA in two-dimensional confinement due to bending anisotropy

Using analytical approach and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, we study the elastic behavior of the intrinsically twisted elastic ribbons with bending anisotropy, such as double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), in two-dimensional (2D) confinement. We show that, due to the bending anisotropy, the persistence length of dsDNA in 2D conformations is always greater than three-dimensional (3D) conformations. This result is in consistence with the measured values for DNA persistence length in 2D and 3D in equal biological conditions. We also show that in two dimensions, an anisotropic, intrinsically twisted polymer exhibits an implicit twist-bend coupling, which leads to the transient curvature increasing with a half helical turn periodicity along the bent polymer.

The role of structural parameters in DNA cyclization

BACKGROUND

The intrinsic bendability of DNA plays an important role with relevance for myriad of essential cellular mechanisms. The flexibility of a DNA fragment can be experimentally and computationally examined by its propensity for cyclization, quantified by the Jacobson-Stockmayer J factor. In this study, we use a well-established coarse-grained three-dimensional model of DNA and seven distinct sets of experimentally and computationally derived conformational parameters of the double helix to evaluate the role of structural parameters in calculating DNA cyclization.

RESULTS

We calculate the cyclization rates of 86 DNA sequences with previously measured J factors and lengths between 57 and 325 bp as well as of 20,000 randomly generated DNA sequences with lengths between 350 and 4000 bp. Our comparison with experimental data is complemented with analysis of simulated data.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data demonstrate that all sets of parameters yield very similar results for longer DNA fragments, regardless of the nucleotide sequence, which are in agreement with experimental measurements. However, for DNA fragments shorter than 100 bp, all sets of parameters performed poorly yielding results with several orders of magnitude difference from the experimental measurements. Our data show that DNA cyclization rates calculated using conformational parameters based on nucleosome packaging data are most similar to the experimental measurements. Overall, our study provides a comprehensive large-scale assessment of the role of structural parameters in calculating DNA cyclization rates.

Structural waters in the minor and major grooves of DNA--a major factor governing structural adjustments of the A-T mini-helix

The role of microhydration in structural adjustments of the AT-tract in B-DNA was studied at the B97-D/def2-SV(P) level. The (dA:dT)5 complexes with 10 water molecules in minor and 15 water molecules in major grooves were studied. The obtained network of hydrogen bonds revealed the dependence between the groove width and the types of water patterns. In the minor groove, the following patterns were observed: interstrand one-water bridges similar to that of the Dickerson "water spine" and interstrand two-water bridges. The network of structural waters in the major groove is more diverse than that in the minor groove, which agrees with crystallographic data. As the major groove is wider, it is enriched by water molecules forming two- and three-water bridges. Results suggest the nucleobase-water interactions in both grooves prevent AT-tract twisting and its "collapse" along the minor groove. Whereby, a helix structure with narrow minor and wide major grooves is formed. The structural waters affect the polynucleotide conformation so that it becomes similar to poly(dA)·poly(dT) in fibers and acquires features of the A-tracts in DNA in solution. We suggest that formation of specific water patterns in both grooves is the factor responsible for stabilization of A-tracts with a narrowed minor groove, leading in turn to their strong intrinsic bending in DNA.

Molecular modeling of nucleic Acid structure: electrostatics and solvation

This unit presents an overview of computer simulation techniques as applied to nucleic acid systems, ranging from simple in vacuo molecular modeling techniques to more complete all-atom molecular dynamics treatments that include an explicit representation of the environment. The third in a series of four units, this unit focuses on critical issues in solvation and the treatment of electrostatics. UNITS 7.5 & 7.8 introduced the modeling of nucleic acid structure at the molecular level. This included a discussion of how to generate an initial model, how to evaluate the utility or reliability of a given model, and ultimately how to manipulate this model to better understand its structure, dynamics, and interactions. Subject to an appropriate representation of the energy, such as a specifically parameterized empirical force field, the techniques of minimization and Monte Carlo simulation, as well as molecular dynamics (MD) methods, were introduced as a way of sampling conformational space for a better understanding of the relevance of a given model. This discussion highlighted the major limitations with modeling in general. When sampling conformational space effectively, difficult issues are encountered, such as multiple minima or conformational sampling problems, and accurately representing the underlying energy of interaction. In order to provide a realistic model of the underlying energetics for nucleic acids in their native environments, it is crucial to include some representation of solvation (by water) and also to properly treat the electrostatic interactions. These subjects are discussed in detail in this unit.

Stability selection for regression-based models of transcription factor-DNA binding specificity

Motivation: The DNA binding specificity of a transcription factor (TF) is typically represented using a position weight matrix model, which implicitly assumes that individual bases in a TF binding site contribute independently to the binding affinity, an assumption that does not always hold. For this reason, more complex models of binding specificity have been developed. However, these models have their own caveats: they typically have a large number of parameters, which makes them hard to learn and interpret.

Results: We propose novel regression-based models of TF–DNA binding specificity, trained using high resolution in vitro data from custom protein-binding microarray (PBM) experiments. Our PBMs are specifically designed to cover a large number of putative DNA binding sites for the TFs of interest (yeast TFs Cbf1 and Tye7, and human TFs c-Myc, Max and Mad2) in their native genomic context. These high-throughput quantitative data are well suited for training complex models that take into account not only independent contributions from individual bases, but also contributions from di- and trinucleotides at various positions within or near the binding sites. To ensure that our models remain interpretable, we use feature selection to identify a small number of sequence features that accurately predict TF–DNA binding specificity. To further illustrate the accuracy of our regression models, we show that even in the case of paralogous TF with highly similar position weight matrices, our new models can distinguish the specificities of individual factors. Thus, our work represents an important step toward better sequence-based models of individual TF–DNA binding specificity.

Availability: Our code is available at http://genome.duke.edu/labs/gordan/ISMB2013. The PBM data used in this article are available in the Gene Expression Omnibus under accession number GSE47026.

Contact:raluca.gordan@duke.edu

Molecular modeling of nucleic acid structure: energy and sampling

An overview of computer simulation techniques as applied to nucleic acid systems is presented. This unit discusses methods used to treat energy and to sample representative configurations. Emphasis is placed on molecular mechanics and empirical force fields.

Evaluation of DNA bending models in their capacity to predict electrophoretic migration anomalies of satellite DNA sequences

DNA containing a sequence that generates a local curvature exhibits a pronounced retardation in electrophoretic mobility. Various theoretical models have been proposed to explain relationship between DNA structural features and migration anomaly. Here, we studied the capacity of 15 static wedge-bending models to predict electrophoretic behavior of 69 satellite monomers derived from four divergent families. All monomers exhibited retarded mobility in PAGE corresponding to retardation factors ranging 1.02-1.54. The curvature varied both within and across the groups and correlated with the number, position, and lengths of A-tracts. Two dinucleotide models provided strong correlation between gel mobility and curvature prediction; two trinucleotide models were satisfactory while remaining dinucleotide models provided intermediate results with reliable prediction for subsets of sequences only. In some cases, similarly shaped molecules exhibited relatively large differences in mobility and vice versa. Generally less accurate predictions were obtained in groups containing less homogeneous sequences possessing distinct structural features. In conclusion, relatively universal theoretical models were identified suitable for the analysis of natural sequences known to harbor relatively moderate curvature. These models could be potentially applied to genome wide studies. However, in silico predictions should be viewed in context of experimental measurement of intrinsic DNA curvature.

Structure based sequence dependent stiffness scale for trinucleotides: a direct method

A new set of stiffness parameters for all the 32trinucleotide units has been set up directly from thethree dimensional structures of DNA molecules. It wasobserved that GAC/GTC is the stiffest trinucleotideand ACC/GGT is the most flexible one. The averagestiffness values computed for a set of operatorsequences using the new parameters correlate very wellwith the protein-DNA binding specificity and bindingfree energy change of 434 repressor and Cro repressor,respectively. The new structure based stiffness scalecan explain the protein-DNA binding specificity to thelevel of 0.92.

Coarse-grained mechanochemical model for simulating the dynamic behavior of microtubules

Modeling the structure and mechanics of microtubules, which play significant roles in various physiological functions of cells, has long been a fascinating issue. In this paper, a coarse-grained mechanochemical model is presented to study the mechanical-chemical coupling and dynamic attributes of microtubules. The interactions among tubulins are taken into account from the molecular basis. This model is used to characterize the conformations of sheet-ended microtubules, to analyze the distributions of interaction energy, and further to simulate the radial indentation process of a microtubule. This method also works for investigating the dynamic properties of microtubules, e.g., their assembly, growth, deformation, and structural evolution for different conditions. This study is helpful for understanding the structure-mechanics-function relationship of microtubules and lays a foundation for further investigation of their dynamic behavior.

Working the kinks out of nucleosomal DNA

Condensation of DNA in the nucleosome takes advantage of its double-helical architecture. The DNA deforms at sites where the base pairs face the histone octamer. The largest so-called kink-and-slide deformations occur in the vicinity of arginines that penetrate the minor groove. Nucleosome structures formed from the 601 positioning sequence differ subtly from those incorporating an AT-rich human α-satellite DNA. Restraints imposed by the histone arginines on the displacement of base pairs can modulate the sequence-dependent deformability of DNA and potentially contribute to the unique features of the different nucleosomes. Steric barriers mimicking constraints found in the nucleosome induce the simulated large-scale rearrangement of canonical B DNA to kink-and-slide states. The pathway to these states shows nonharmonic behavior consistent with bending profiles inferred from AFM measurements.

An ensemble of B-DNA dinucleotide geometries lead to characteristic nucleosomal DNA structure and provide plasticity required for gene expression

BACKGROUND

A nucleosome is the fundamental repeating unit of the eukaryotic chromosome. It has been shown that the positioning of a majority of nucleosomes is primarily controlled by factors other than the intrinsic preference of the DNA sequence. One of the key questions in this context is the role, if any, that can be played by the variability of nucleosomal DNA structure.

RESULTS

In this study, we have addressed this question by analysing the variability at the dinucleotide and trinucleotide as well as longer length scales in a dataset of nucleosome X-ray crystal structures. We observe that the nucleosome structure displays remarkable local level structural versatility within the B-DNA family. The nucleosomal DNA also incorporates a large number of kinks.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on our results, we propose that the local and global level versatility of B-DNA structure may be a significant factor modulating the formation of nucleosomes in the vicinity of high-plasticity genes, and in varying the probability of binding by regulatory proteins. Hence, these factors should be incorporated in the prediction algorithms and there may not be a unique 'template' for predicting putative nucleosome sequences. In addition, the multimodal distribution of dinucleotide parameters for some steps and the presence of a large number of kinks in the nucleosomal DNA structure indicate that the linear elastic model, used by several algorithms to predict the energetic cost of nucleosome formation, may lead to incorrect results.

Binding characteristics of small molecules that mimic nucleocapsid protein-induced maturation of stem-loop 1 of HIV-1 RNA

As a retrovirus, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) packages two copies of the RNA genome as a dimer in the infectious virion. Dimerization is initiated at the dimer initiation site (DIS) which encompasses stem-loop 1 (SL1) in the 5'-UTR of the genome. Study of genomic dimerization has been facilitated by the discovery that short RNA fragments containing SL1 can dimerize spontaneously without any protein factors. On the basis of the palindromic nature of SL1, a kissing loop model has been proposed. First, a metastable kissing dimer is formed via standard Watson-Crick base pairs and then converted into a more stable extended dimer by the viral nucleocapsid protein (NCp7). This dimer maturation in vitro is believed to mimic initial steps in the RNA maturation in vivo, which is correlated with viral infectivity. We previously discovered a small molecule activator, Lys-Ala-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin (KA-AMC), which facilitates dimer maturation in vitro, and determined aspects of its structure-activity relationship. In this report, we present measurements of the binding affinity of the activators and characterization of their interactions with the SL1 RNA. Guanidinium groups and increasing positive charge on the side chain enhance affinity and activity, but features in the aromatic ring at least partially decouple affinity from activity. Although KA-AMC can bind to multiple structural motifs, the NMR study showed KA-AMC preferentially binds to unique structural motifs, such as the palindromic loop and the G-rich internal loop in the SL1 RNA. NCp7 binds to SL1 only 1 order of magnitude more tightly than the best small molecule ligand tested. This study provides guidelines for the design of superior small molecules that bind to the SL1 RNA that have the potential of being developed as an antiviral by interfering with SL1-NCp7 interaction at the packaging and/or maturation stages.

Sequence-dependent Kink-and-Slide deformations of nucleosomal DNA facilitated by histone arginines bound in the minor groove

In addition to bending and twisting deformabilities, the lateral displacements of the DNA axis (Kink-and-Slide) play an important role in DNA wrapping around the histone core (M. Y. Tolstorukov, A. V. Colasanti, D. M. McCandlish, W. K. Olson, V. B. Zhurkin, J. Mol. Biol. 371, 725-738 (2007)). Here, we show that these Kink-and-Slide deformations are likely to be stabilized by the arginine residues of histones interacting with the minor groove of DNA. The arginines are positioned asymmetrically in the minor groove, being closer to one strand. The asymmetric arginine-DNA interactions facilitate lateral displacement of base pairs across the DNA grooves, thus leading to a stepwise accumulation of the superhelical pitch of nucleosomal DNA. To understand the sequence dependence of such Kink-and-Slide deformations, we performed all-atom calculations of DNA hexamers with the YR and RY steps in the center. We found that when the unrestrained DNA deformations are allowed, the YR steps tend to bend into the major groove, and RY steps bend into the minor groove. However, when the nucleosomal Kink-and-Slide deformation is considered, the YR steps prove to be more favorable for bending into the minor groove. Overall, the Kink-and-Slide deformation energy of DNA increases in the order TA < CA < CG < GC < AC < AT. We propose a simple stereochemical model accounting for this sequence dependence. Our results agree with experimental data indicating that the TA step most frequently occurs in the minor-groove kink positions in the most stable nucleosomes. Our computations demonstrate that the Kink-and-Slide distortion is accompanied by the BI to BII transition. This fact, together with irregularities in the two-dimensional (Roll, Slide) energy contour maps, suggest that the Kink-and-Slide deformations represent a nonharmonic behavior of the duplex. This explains the difference between the two estimates of the DNA deformation energy in nucleosome - the earlier one made using knowledge-based elastic energy functions, and the current one based on all-atom calculations. Our findings are useful for refining the score functions for the prediction of nucleosome positioning. In addition, the reverse bending behavior of the YR and RY steps revealed under the Kink-and-Slide constraint is important for understanding the molecular mechanisms of binding transcription factors (such as p53) to DNA exposed on the surface of nucleosome.

Structure-based analysis of DNA sequence patterns guiding nucleosome positioning in vitro

Recent studies of genome-wide nucleosomal organization suggest that the DNA sequence is one of the major determinants of nucleosome positioning. Although the search for underlying patterns encoded in nucleosomal DNA has been going on for about 30 years, our knowledge of these patterns still remains limited. Based on our evaluations of DNA deformation energy, we developed new scoring functions to predict nucleosome positioning. There are three principal differences between our approach and earlier studies: (i) we assume that the length of nucleosomal DNA varies from 146 to 147 bp; (ii) we consider the anisotropic flexibility of pyrimidine-purine (YR) dimeric steps in the context of their neighbors (e.g., YYRR versus RYRY); (iii) we postulate that alternating AT-rich and GC-rich motifs reflect sequence-dependent interactions between histone arginines and DNA in the minor groove. Using these functions, we analyzed 20 nucleosome positions mapped in vitro at single nucleotide resolution (including clones 601, 603, 605, the pGUB plasmid, chicken beta-globin and three 5S rDNA genes). We predicted 15 of the 20 positions with 1-bp precision, and two positions with 2-bp precision. The predicted position of the '601' nucleosome (i.e., the optimum of the computed score) deviates from the experimentally determined unique position by no more than 1 bp - an accuracy exceeding that of earlier predictions. Our analysis reveals a clear heterogeneity of the nucleosomal sequences which can be divided into two groups based on the positioning 'rules' they follow. The sequences of one group are enriched by highly deformable YR/YYRR motifs at the minor-groove bending sites SHL+/- 3.5 and +/- 5.5, which is similar to the alpha-satellite sequence used in most crystallized nucleosomes. Apparently, the positioning of these nucleosomes is determined by the interactions between histones H2A/H2B and the terminal parts of nucleosomal DNA. In the other group (that includes the '601' clone) the same YR/YYRR motifs occur predominantly at the sites SHL +/- 1.5. The interaction between the H3/H4 tetramer and the central part of the nucleosomal DNA is likely to be responsible for the positioning of nucleosomes of this group, and the DNA trajectory in these nucleosomes may differ in detail from the published structures. Thus, from the stereochemical perspective, the in vitro nucleosomes studied here follow either an X-ray-like pattern (with strong deformations in the terminal parts of nucleosomal DNA), or an alternative pattern (with the deformations occurring predominantly in the central part of the nucleosomal DNA). The results presented here may be useful for genome-wide classification of nucleosomes, linking together structural and thermodynamic characteristics of nucleosomes with the underlying DNA sequence patterns guiding their positions.

p53 binding to nucleosomal DNA depends on the rotational positioning of DNA response element

The sequence-specific binding to DNA is crucial for the p53 tumor suppressor function. To investigate the constraints imposed on p53-DNA recognition by nucleosomal organization, we studied binding of the p53 DNA binding domain (p53DBD) and full-length wild-type p53 protein to a single p53 response element (p53RE) placed near the nucleosomal dyad in six rotational settings. We demonstrate that the strongest p53 binding occurs when the p53RE in the nucleosome is bent in the same direction as observed for the p53-DNA complexes in solution and in co-crystals. The p53RE becomes inaccessible, however, if its orientation in the core particle is changed by approximately 180 degrees. Our observations indicate that the orientation of the binding sites on a nucleosome may play a significant role in the initial p53-DNA recognition and subsequent cofactor recruitment.

BayesPI - a new model to study protein-DNA interactions: a case study of condition-specific protein binding parameters for Yeast transcription factors

Background

We have incorporated Bayesian model regularization with biophysical modeling of protein-DNA interactions, and of genome-wide nucleosome positioning to study protein-DNA interactions, using a high-throughput dataset. The newly developed method (BayesPI) includes the estimation of a transcription factor (TF) binding energy matrices, the computation of binding affinity of a TF target site and the corresponding chemical potential.

Results

The method was successfully tested on synthetic ChIP-chip datasets, real yeast ChIP-chip experiments. Subsequently, it was used to estimate condition-specific and species-specific protein-DNA interaction for several yeast TFs.

Conclusion

The results revealed that the modification of the protein binding parameters and the variation of the individual nucleotide affinity in either recognition or flanking sequences occurred under different stresses and in different species. The findings suggest that such modifications may be adaptive and play roles in the formation of the environment-specific binding patterns of yeast TFs and in the divergence of TF binding sites across the related yeast species.

The unique structure of A-tracts and intrinsic DNA bending

Short runs of adenines are a ubiquitous DNA element in regulatory regions of many organisms. When runs of 4–6 adenine base pairs (‘A-tracts’) are repeated with the helical periodicity, they give rise to global curvature of the DNA double helix, which can be macroscopically characterized by anomalously slow migration on polyacrylamide gels. The molecular structure of these DNA tracts is unusual and distinct from that of canonical B-DNA. We review here our current knowledge about the molecular details of A-tract structure and its interaction with sequences flanking them of either side and with the environment. Various molecular models were proposed to describe A-tract structure and how it causes global deflection of the DNA helical axis. We review old and recent findings that enable us to amalgamate the various findings to one model that conforms to the experimental data. Sequences containing phased repeats of A-tracts have from the very beginning been synonymous with global intrinsic DNA bending. In this review, we show that very often it is the unique structure of A-tracts that is at the basis of their widespread occurrence in regulatory regions of many organisms. Thus, the biological importance of A-tracts may often be residing in their distinct structure rather than in the global curvature that they induce on sequences containing them.

Distinctive sequence patterns in metazoan and yeast nucleosomes: implications for linker histone binding to AT-rich and methylated DNA

Linker histones (LHs) bind to the DNA entry/exit points of nucleosomes and demonstrate preference for AT-rich DNA, although the recognized sequence patterns remain unknown. These patterns are expected to be more pronounced in metazoan nucleosomes with abundant LHs, compared to yeast nucleosomes with few LHs. To test this hypothesis, we compared the nucleosome core particle (NCP) sequences from chicken, Drosophila and yeast, extending them by the flanking sequences extracted from the genomes. We found that the known approximately 10-bp periodic oscillation of AT-rich elements goes beyond the ends of yeast nucleosomes, but is distorted in metazoan sequences where the 'out-of-phase' AT-peaks appear at the NCP ends. The observed difference is likely to be associated with sequence-specific LH binding. We therefore propose a new structural model for LH binding to metazoan nucleosomes, postulating that the highly conserved nonpolar 'wing' region of the LH globular domain (tetrapeptide GVGA) recognizes AT-rich fragments through hydrophobic interactions with the thymine methyl groups. These interactions lead to DNA bending at the NCP ends and formation of a 'stem-like' structure. The same mechanism accounts for the high affinity of LH to methylated DNA-a feature critical for stabilization of the higher-order structure of chromatin and for repression of transcription.

Influence of magnesium ion on the binding of p53 DNA-binding domain to DNA-response elements

Site-specific recognition and DNA-binding activity of p53 are crucial for its tumour suppressor function. Previous reports have shown that metal ions can affect the specific recognition and DNA-binding activity of p53DBD. Here we firstly report that magnesium ion can bind to the protein and influence its DNA-binding activity. To elucidate the nature and the effect of metal ions in the reaction chemistry, we utilized endogenous tryptophan fluorescence to quantitate the interaction between p53DBD and metal ions. The K(a) value for the binding of Mg(2+) to the protein is 1.88 x 10(3) M(-1). Analysis of the CD data clearly suggested that the binding of magnesium ion induced a subtle conformational change rather than a radical modification of the overall protein architecture. Based on the results of electrophoretic mobility shift assays and fluorescence experiments, we concluded that the binding of Mg(2+) significantly stimulated the binding of the protein to DNA in a sequence-independent manner, which differed from that of zinc ions in a sequence-specific manner. Based on these results and the fact that Mg(2+) exists at relatively high concentration in the cell, we propose that Mg(2+) is one of potential factors to affect or regulate the transactivation of p53.

Crystal structure of a p53 core tetramer bound to DNA

The tumor suppressor p53 regulates downstream genes in response to many cellular stresses and is frequently mutated in human cancers. Here, we report the use of a crosslinking strategy to trap a tetrameric p53 DNA binding domain (p53DBD) bound to DNA and the X-ray crystal structure of the protein/DNA complex. The structure reveals that two p53DBD dimers bind to B form DNA with no relative twist and that a p53 tetramer can bind to DNA without introducing significant DNA bending. The numerous dimer-dimer interactions involve several strictly conserved residues thus suggesting a molecular basis for p53DBD-DNA binding cooperativity. Surface residue conservation of the p53DBD tetramer bound to DNA highlights possible regions of other p53 domain or p53 cofactor interactions.

Molecular modeling of nucleic acid structure: setup and analysis

The last in a set of units by these authors, this unit addresses some important remaining questions about molecular modeling of nucleic acids. It describes how to choose an appropriate molecular mechanics force field; how to set up and equilibrate the system for accurate simulation of a nucleic acid in an explicit solvent by molecular dynamics or Monte Carlo simulation; and how to analyze molecular dynamics trajectories.

Towards a molecular dynamics consensus view of B-DNA flexibility

We present a systematic study of B-DNA flexibility in aqueous solution using long-scale molecular dynamics simulations with the two more recent versions of nucleic acids force fields (CHARMM27 and parmbsc0) using four long duplexes designed to contain several copies of each individual base pair step. Our study highlights some differences between pambsc0 and CHARMM27 families of simulations, but also extensive agreement in the representation of DNA flexibility. We also performed additional simulations with the older AMBER force fields parm94 and parm99, corrected for non-canonical backbone flips. Taken together, the results allow us to draw for the first time a consensus molecular dynamics picture of B-DNA flexibility.

Pseudoknot structures with conserved base triples in telomerase RNAs of ciliates

Telomerase maintains the integrity of telomeres, the ends of linear chromosomes, by adding G-rich repeats to their 3′-ends. Telomerase RNA is an integral component of telomerase. It contains a template for the synthesis of the telomeric repeats by the telomerase reverse transcriptase. Although telomerase RNAs of different organisms are very diverse in their sequences, a functional non-template element, a pseudoknot, was predicted in all of them. Pseudoknot elements in human and the budding yeast Kluyveromyces lactis telomerase RNAs contain unusual triple-helical segments with AUU base triples, which are critical for telomerase function. Such base triples in ciliates have not been previously reported. We analyzed the pseudoknot sequences in 28 ciliate species and classified them in six different groups based on the lengths of the stems and loops composing the pseudoknot. Using miniCarlo, a helical parameter-based modeling program, we calculated 3D models for a representative of each morphological group. In all cases, the predicted structure contains at least one AUU base triple in stem 2, except for that of Colpidium colpoda, which contains unconventional GCG and AUA triples. These results suggest that base triples in a pseudoknot element are a conserved feature of all telomerases.

A triple helix within a pseudoknot is a conserved and essential element of telomerase RNA

Telomerase copies a short template within its integral telomerase RNA onto eukaryotic chromosome ends, compensating for incomplete replication and degradation. Telomerase action extends the proliferative potential of cells, and thus it is implicated in cancer and aging. Nontemplate regions of telomerase RNA are also crucial for telomerase function. However, they are highly divergent in sequence among species, and their roles are largely unclear. Using in silico three-dimensional modeling, constrained by mutational analysis, we propose a three-dimensional model for a pseudoknot in telomerase RNA of the budding yeast Kluyveromyces lactis. Interestingly, this structure includes a U-A.U major-groove triple helix. We confirmed the triple-helix formation in vitro using oligoribonucleotides and showed that it is essential for telomerase function in vivo. While triplex-disrupting mutations abolished telomerase function, triple compensatory mutations that formed pH-dependent G-C.C(+) triples restored the pseudoknot structure in a pH-dependent manner and partly restored telomerase function in vivo. In addition, we identified a novel type of triple helix that is formed by G-C.U triples, which also partly restored the pseudoknot structure and function. We propose that this unusual structure, so far found only in telomerase RNA, provides an essential and conserved telomerase-specific function.

Information-driven protein-DNA docking using HADDOCK: it is a matter of flexibility

Intrinsic flexibility of DNA has hampered the development of efficient protein−DNA docking methods. In this study we extend HADDOCK (High Ambiguity Driven DOCKing) [C. Dominguez, R. Boelens and A. M. J. J. Bonvin (2003) J. Am. Chem. Soc.125, 1731–1737] to explicitly deal with DNA flexibility. HADDOCK uses non-structural experimental data to drive the docking during a rigid-body energy minimization, and semi-flexible and water refinement stages. The latter allow for flexibility of all DNA nucleotides and the residues of the protein at the predicted interface. We evaluated our approach on the monomeric repressor−DNA complexes formed by bacteriophage 434 Cro, the Escherichia coli Lac headpiece and bacteriophage P22 Arc. Starting from unbound proteins and canonical B-DNA we correctly predict the correct spatial disposition of the complexes and the specific conformation of the DNA in the published complexes. This information is subsequently used to generate a library of pre-bent and twisted DNA structures that served as input for a second docking round. The resulting top ranking solutions exhibit high similarity to the published complexes in terms of root mean square deviations, intermolecular contacts and DNA conformation. Our two-stage docking method is thus able to successfully predict protein−DNA complexes from unbound constituents using non-structural experimental data to drive the docking.

Model identification for DNA sequence-structure relationships

We investigate the use of algebraic state-space models for the sequence dependent properties of DNA. By considering the DNA sequence as an input signal, rather than using an all atom physical model, computational efficiency is achieved. A challenge in deriving this type of model is obtaining its structure and estimating its parameters. Here we present two candidate model structures for the sequence dependent structural property Slide and a method of encoding the models so that a recursive least squares algorithm can be applied for parameter estimation. These models are based on the assumption that the value of Slide at a base-step is determined by the surrounding tetranucleotide sequence. The first model takes the four bases individually as inputs and has a median root mean square deviation of 0.90 A. The second model takes the four bases pairwise and has a median root mean square deviation of 0.88 A. These values indicate that the accuracy of these models is within the useful range for structure prediction. Performance is comparable to published predictions of a more physically derived model, at significantly less computational cost.

NMR structure of the full-length linear dimer of stem-loop-1 RNA in the HIV-1 dimer initiation site

The packaging signal of HIV-1 RNA contains a stem-loop structure, SL1, which serves as the dimerization initiation site for two identical copies of the genome and is important for packaging of the RNA genome into the budding virion and for overall infectivity. SL1 spontaneously dimerizes via a palindromic hexanucleotide sequence in its apical loop, forming a metastable kissing dimer form. Incubation with nucleocapsid protein causes this form to refold to a thermodynamically stable mature linear dimer. Here, we present an NMR structure of the latter form of the full-length SL1 sequence of the Lai HIV-1 isolate. The structure was refined using nuclear Overhauser effect and residual dipolar coupling data. The structure presents a symmetric homodimer of two RNA strands of 35 nucleotides each; it includes five stems separated by four internal loops. The central palindromic stem is surrounded by two symmetric adenine-rich 1-2 internal loops, A-bulges. All three adenines in each A-bulge are stacked inside the helix, consistent with the solution structures of shorter SL1 constructs determined previously. The outer 4-base pair stems and, proximal to them, purine-rich 1-3 internal loops, or G-bulges, are the least stable parts of the molecule. The G-bulges display high conformational variability in the refined ensemble of structures, despite the availability of many structural restraints for this region. Nevertheless, most conformations share a similar structural motif: a guanine and an adenine from opposite strands form a GA mismatch stacked on the top of the neighboring stem. The two remaining guanines are exposed, one in the minor groove and another in the major groove side of the helix, consistent with secondary structure probing data for SL1. These guanines may be recognized by the nucleocapsid protein, which binds tightly to the G-bulge in vitro.

Structural and energetic origins of sequence-specific DNA bending: Monte Carlo simulations of papillomavirus E2-DNA binding sites

DNA bending is an important structural feature for indirect readout in protein-DNA recognition. The binding of papillomavirus E2 transcription factors to their DNA binding sites is associated with DNA bending, providing an attractive model system to study the origins of sequence-specific DNA bending. The consensus E2 target is of the general form ACCGN(4)CGGT with a variable four base pair region. We applied a new all-atom Monte Carlo (MC) algorithm that combines effective sampling with fast conformational equilibration. The resulting MC ensembles resemble the corresponding high-resolution crystal structures very well. Distinct bending is observed for the E2-DNA binding site with a central AATT linker in contrast to an essentially straight DNA with a central ACGT linker. Contributions of specific base pair steps to the overall bending are shown in terms of local structural parameters. The analysis of conformational substates provides new insights into the energetic origins of intrinsic DNA bending.

Structure of DNA sequence d-TGATCA by two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and restrained molecular dynamics

The 5' d-TpG 3' element is a part of DNA sequences involved in regulation of gene expression and is also a site for intercalation of several anticancer drugs. Solution conformation of DNA duplex d-TGATCA containing this element has been investigated by two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. Using a total of 12 torsional angles and 121 distance constraints, structural refinement has been carried out by restrained molecular dynamics (rMDs) in vacuum up to 100 ps. The structure is characterized by a large positive roll at TpG/CpA base pair step and large negative propeller twist for AT and TA base pairs. The backbone torsional angle, gamma(O5'-C5'-C4'-C3'), of T1 residue adopts a trans-conformation which is corroborated by short intra nucleotide T1H6-T1H5' (3.7A) distance in nuclear overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) spectra while the backbone torsional angle, beta(P-O5'-C5'-C4'), exists in trans as well as gauche state for T1 and C5 residues. There is evidence of significant flexibility of the sugar-phosphate backbone with rapid inter-conversion between two different conformers at TpG/CpA base pair step. The base sequence dependent variations and local structural heterogeneity have important implications in specific recognition of DNA by ligands.

Origin of the intrinsic rigidity of DNA

The intrinsic rigidities of DNA and RNA helices are generally thought to arise from some combination of vertical base-stacking interactions and intra-helix phosphate-phosphate charge repulsion; however, the relative contributions of these two types of interaction to helix rigidity have not been quantified. To address this issue, we have measured the rotational decay times of a 'gapped-duplex' DNA molecule possessing a central, single-stranded region, dT24, before and after addition of the free purine base, N6-methyladenine ((me)A). Upon addition of (me)A, the bases pair with the T residues, forming a continuous stack within the gap region. Formation of the gapped duplex is accompanied by a nearly 2-fold increase in decay time, to values that are indistinguishable from the full duplex control for monovalent salt concentrations up to 90 mM. These results indicate that at least 90% of the rigidity of the dT(n)-dA(n) homopolymer derives from base pair stacking effects, with phosphate-phosphate interactions contributing relatively little to net helix rigidity at moderate salt concentrations.

Dynamic NMR structures of [Rp]- and [Sp]-phosphorothioated DNA-RNA hybrids: is flexibility required for RNase H recognition?

Chemically modified DNA oligonucleotides have been crucial to the development of antisense therapeutics. High-resolution structural studies of pharmaceutically relevant derivatives have been limited to only a few molecules. We have used NMR to elucidate the structure in solution of two DNA-RNA hybrids with the sequence d(CCTATAATCC).r(GGAUUAUAGG). The two hybrids contain an unmodified RNA target strand, whereas the DNA strand contains one of two different stereoregular sugar-phosphate backbone linkages at each nucleotide: 1), [Rp]-phosphorothioate or 2), [Sp]-phosphorothioate. Homonuclear two-dimensional spectroscopy afforded nearly complete nonlabile proton assignments. Distance bounds, calculated from the nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) crosspeak intensities via a complete relaxation matrix approach with the program MARDIGRAS, were used to restrain the structure of the two hybrids during simulations of molecular dynamics. Analysis of restrained molecular dynamics trajectories suggests that both hybrids are flexible, requiring the use of molecular dynamics with time-averaged restraints (MDtar) to generate ensembles of structures capable of satisfying the NMR data. In particular, the deoxyribose sugars of the DNA strand show strong evidence of repuckering. Furthermore, deoxyribose sugar repuckering is accompanied by increased flexibility of overall helical geometry. These observations, together with the analysis of the crystal structure of a hybrid duplex in complex with ribonuclease H (RNase H), suggested that this flexibility may be required for recognition by RNase H.

A mutant spacer sequence between -35 and -10 elements makes the Plac promoter hyperactive and cAMP receptor protein-independent

To determine whether the spacer region between the -35 and -10 elements plays any sequence-specific role, we randomized the GC-rich sequence ((-20)CCGGCTCG(-13)) within the spacer region of the cAMP-dependent lac promoter and selected an activator-independent mutant, which showed extraordinarily high intrinsic activity. The hyperactive promoter is obtained by incorporation of a specific 10-bp-long AT-rich DNA sequence within the spacer, referred to as the -15 sequence, which must be juxtaposed to the upstream end of the -10 sequence for the hyperactivity. The transcription enhancement functions only in the presence of a -35 element. The spacer sequence enhanced both RNA polymerase binding and open complex formation. Isolated in the lac promoter, it also enhanced transcription when placed at two other unrelated promoters. Sequence analysis shows a low GC content and an abundance of stereochemically flexible TG:CA and TA:TA dimeric steps in the -18/-9 region and a strong correlation between the presence of flexible dimeric steps in this region and the intrinsic strength of the promoter.

Molecular dynamics simulations of DNA curvature and flexibility: helix phasing and premelting

Recent studies of DNA axis curvature and flexibility based on molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on DNA are reviewed. The MD simulations are on DNA sequences up to 25 base pairs in length, including explicit consideration of counterions and waters in the computational model. MD studies are described for ApA steps, A-tracts, for sequences of A-tracts with helix phasing. In MD modeling, ApA steps and A-tracts in aqueous solution are essentially straight, relatively rigid, and exhibit the characteristic features associated with the B'-form of DNA. The results of MD modeling of A-tract oligonucleotides are validated by close accord with corresponding crystal structure results and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) and residual dipolar coupling (RDC) structures of d(CGCGAATTCGCG) and d(GGCAAAAAACGG). MD simulation successfully accounts for enhanced axis curvature in a set of three sequences with phased A-tracts studied to date. The primary origin of the axis curvature in the MD model is found at those pyrimidine/purine YpR "flexible hinge points" in a high roll, open hinge conformational substate. In the MD model of axis curvature in a DNA sequence with both phased A-tracts and YpR steps, the A-tracts appear to act as positioning elements that make the helix phasing more precise, and key YpR steps in the open hinge state serve as curvature elements. Our simulations on a phased A-tract sequence as a function of temperature show that the MD simulations exhibit a premelting transition in close accord with experiment, and predict that the mechanism involves a B'-to-B transition within A-tracts coupled with the prediction of a transition in key YpR steps from the high roll, open hinge, to a low roll, closed hinge substate. Diverse experimental observations on DNA curvature phenomena are examined in light of the MD model with no serious discrepancies. The collected MD results provide independent support for the "non-A-tract model" of DNA curvature. The "junction model" is indicated to be a special case of the non-A-tract model when there is a Y base at the 5' end of an A-tract. In accord with crystallography, the "ApA wedge model" is not supported by MD.

A unified model for the origin of DNA sequence-directed curvature

The fine structure of the DNA double helix and a number of its physical properties depend upon nucleotide sequence. This includes minor groove width, the propensity to undergo the B-form to A-form transition, sequence-directed curvature, and cation localization. Despite the multitude of studies conducted on DNA, it is still difficult to appreciate how these fundamental properties are linked to each other at the level of nucleotide sequence. We demonstrate that several sequence-dependent properties of DNA can be attributed, at least in part, to the sequence-specific localization of cations in the major and minor grooves. We also show that effects of cation localization on DNA structure are easier to understand if we divide all DNA sequences into three principal groups: A-tracts, G-tracts, and generic DNA. The A-tract group of sequences has a peculiar helical structure (i.e., B*-form) with an unusually narrow minor groove and high base-pair propeller twist. Both experimental and theoretical studies have provided evidence that the B*-form helical structure of A-tracts requires cations to be localized in the minor groove. G-tracts, on the other hand, have a propensity to undergo the B-form to A-form transition with increasing ionic strength. This property of G-tracts is directly connected to the observation that cations are preferentially localized in the major groove of G-tract sequences. Generic DNA, which represents the vast majority of DNA sequences, has a more balanced occupation of the major and minor grooves by cations than A-tracts or G-tracts and is thereby stabilized in the canonical B-form helix. Thus, DNA secondary structure can be viewed as a tug of war between the major and minor grooves for cations, with A-tracts and G-tracts each having one groove that dominates the other for cation localization. Finally, the sequence-directed curvature caused by A-tracts and G-tracts can, in both cases, be explained by the cation-dependent mismatch of A-tract and G-tract helical structures with the canonical B-form helix of generic DNA (i.e., a cation-dependent junction model).

Theoretical methods for the simulation of nucleic acids

Different theoretical methods for the description of nucleic acid structures are reviewed. Firstly, we introduce the concept of classical force-field in the context of nucleic acid structures, discussing their accuracy. We then examine theoretical approaches to the description of nucleic acids based on: i) a rigid or quasi-rigid description of the molecule, ii) molecular mechanics optimization, and iii) molecular dynamics. Special emphasis is made ion current state of the art molecular dynamics simulations of nucleic acids structures.

NMR structure of the 3' stem-loop from human U4 snRNA

The NMR structure of the 3' stem-loop (3'SL) from human U4 snRNA was determined to gain insight into the structural basis for conservation of this stem-loop sequence from vertebrates. 3'SL sequences from human, rat, mouse and chicken U4 snRNA each consist of a 7 bp stem capped by a UACG tetraloop. No high resolution structure has previously been reported for a UACG tetraloop. The UACG tetraloop portion of the 3'SL was especially well defined by the NMR data, with a total of 92 NOE-derived restraints (about 15 per residue), including 48 inter-residue restraints (about 8 per residue) for the tetraloop and closing C-G base pair. Distance restraints were derived from NOESY spectra using MARDIGRAS with random error analysis. Refinement of the 20mer RNA hairpin structure was carried out using the programs DYANA and miniCarlo. In the UACG tetraloop, U and G formed a base pair stabilized by two hydrogen bonds, one between the 2'-hydroxyl proton of U and carbonyl oxygen of G, another between the imino proton of G and carbonyl oxygen O2 of U. In addition, the amino group of C formed a hydrogen bond with the phosphate oxygen of A. G adopted a syn orientation about the glycosidic bond, while the sugar puckers of A and C were either C2'-endo or flexible. The conformation of the UACG tetraloop was, overall, similar to that previously reported for UUCG tetraloops, another member of the UNCG class of tetraloops. The presence of an A, rather than a U, at the variable position, however, presents a distinct surface for interaction of the 3'SL tetraloop with either RNA or protein residues that may stabilize interactions important for active spliceosome formation. Such tertiary interactions may explain the conservation of the UACG tetraloop motif in 3'SL sequences from U4 snRNA in vertebrates.

Comparative bending dynamics in DNA with and without regularly repeated adenine tracts

The macroscopic curvature of double helical DNA induced by regularly repeated adenine tracts is well known but still puzzling. Its physical origin remains controversial even though it is perhaps the best-documented sequence modulation of DNA structure. The paper reports on comparative theoretical and experimental studies of bending dynamics in 35-mer DNA fragments. This length appears large enough for the curvature to be distinguished by gel electrophoresis. Two DNA fragments, with identical base pair composition but different sequences, are compared. In the first one, a single A-tract motif is four times repeated in phase with the helical screw whereas the second sequence is "random." Both calculations and experiments indicate that the A-tract DNA is distinguished by large static curvature and characteristic bending dynamics, suggesting that the computed effect corresponds to the experimental phenomenon. The results agree poorly with the view that DNA bending is caused by the specific local geometry of base pair stacking or binding of solvent counterions, but lend additional support to the hypothesis of a compressed frustrated state of the backbone as the principal physical cause of the static curvature. Possible ways of experimental verification of this hypothesis are discussed.

Sequence-dependent motions of DNA: a normal mode analysis at the base-pair level

Computer simulation of the dynamic structure of DNA can be carried out at various levels of resolution. Detailed high resolution information about the motions of DNA is typically collected for the atoms in a few turns of double helix. At low resolution, by contrast, the sequence-dependence features of DNA are usually neglected and molecules with thousands of base pairs are treated as ideal elastic rods. The present normal mode analysis of DNA in terms of six base-pair "step" parameters per chain residue addresses the dynamic structure of the double helix at intermediate resolution, i.e., the mesoscopic level of a few hundred base pairs. Sequence-dependent effects are incorporated into the calculations by taking advantage of "knowledge-based" harmonic energy functions deduced from the mean values and dispersion of the base-pair "step" parameters in high-resolution DNA crystal structures. Spatial arrangements sampled along the dominant low frequency modes have end-to-end distances comparable to those of exact polymer models which incorporate all possible chain configurations. The normal mode analysis accounts for the overall bending, i.e., persistence length, of the double helix and shows how known discrepancies in the measured twisting constants of long DNA molecules could originate in the deformability of neighboring base-pair steps. The calculations also reveal how the natural coupling of local conformational variables affects the global motions of DNA. Successful correspondence of the computed stretching modulus with experimental data requires that the DNA base pairs be inclined with respect to the direction of stretching, with chain extension effected by low energy transverse motions that preserve the strong van der Waals' attractions of neighboring base-pair planes. The calculations further show how one can "engineer" the macroscopic properties of DNA in terms of dimer deformability so that polymers which are intrinsically straight in the equilibrium state exhibit the mesoscopic bending anisotropy essential to DNA curvature and loop formation.

High-resolution NMR structure of an AT-rich DNA sequence

We have determined, by proton NMR and complete relaxation matrix methods, the high-resolution structure of a DNA oligonucleotide in solution with nine contiguous AT base pairs. The stretch of AT pairs, TAATTATAA x TTATAATTA, is imbedded in a 27-nucleotide stem-and-loop construct, which is stabilized by terminal GC base pairs and an extraordinarily stable DNA loop GAA (Hirao et al., 1994, Nucleic Acids Res. 22, 576-582). The AT-rich sequence has three repeated TAA x TTA motifs, one in the reverse orientation. Comparison of the local conformations of the three motifs shows that the sequence context has a minor effect here: atomic RMSD between the three TAA x TTA fragments is 0.4-0.5 A, while each fragment is defined within the RMSD of 0.3-0.4 A. The AT-rich stem also contains a consensus sequence for the Pribnow box, TATAAT. The TpA, ApT, and TpT x ApA steps have characteristic local conformations, a combination of which determines a unique sequence-dependent pattern of minor groove width variation. All three TpA steps are locally bent in the direction compressing the major groove of DNA. These bends, however, compensate each other, because of their relative position in the sequence, so that the overall helical axis is essentially straight.

Molecular modeling of nucleic acid structure: electrostatics and solvation

This unit presents an overview of computer simulation techniques as applied to nucleic acid systems, ranging from simple in vacuo molecular modeling techniques to more complete all-atom molecular dynamics treatments that include an explicit representation of the environment. The third in a series of four units, this unit focuses on critical issues in solvation and the treatment of electrostatics.

Molecular dynamics studies of sequence-directed curvature in bending locus of trypanosome kinetoplast DNA

The macroscopic curvature induced in the double helical B-DNA by regularly repeated adenine tracts (A-tracts) plays an exceptional role in structural studies of DNA because this effect presents the most well documented example of sequence specific conformational modulations. Recently, a new hypothesis of its physical origin has been put forward. According to it, the intrinsic bends in B-DNA may represent one of the consequences of the compressed frustrated state of its backbone. The compressed backbone hypothesis agrees with many data and explains some controversial experimental observations. The original arguments of this theory came out from MD simulations of a DNA fragment with a strong bending propensity. Its sequence, however, was not experimental. It was constructed empirically so as to maximize the magnitude of bending in calculations. To make sure that our computations reproduce the experimental effect we carried out similar simulations with an A-tract repeat of a natural base pair sequence found in a bent locus of a minicircle DNA. We demonstrate spontaneous development of static curvature in the course of MD simulations excluding any initial bias except the base pair sequence. Its direction and magnitude agree with experimental estimates. The results confirm earlier qualitative conclusions and agree with the hypothesis of a compressed backbone as the origin of static bending in B-DNA.

Molecular modeling of nucleic acid structure: energy and sampling

An overview of computer simulation techniques as applied to nucleic acid systems is presented. This unit expands an accompanying overview unit (UNIT 7.5) by discussing methods used to treat the energy and sample representative configurations. Emphasis is placed on molecular mechanics and empirical force fields.

Dynamic simulations of 13 TATA variants refine kinetic hypotheses of sequence/activity relationships 1 1Edited by B. Honig

The fundamental relationship between DNA sequence/deformability and biological function has attracted numerous experimental and theoretical studies. A classic prototype system used for such studies in eukaryotes is the complex between the TATA element transcriptional regulator and the TATA-box binding protein (TBP). The recent crystallographic study by Burley and co-workers demonstrated the remarkable structural similarity contrasted to different transcriptional activity of 11 TBP/DNA complexes in which the DNAs differed by single base-pairs. By simulating these TATA variants and two other single base-pair variants that were not crystallizable, we uncover sequence-dependent structural, energetic, and flexibility properties that tailor TATA elements to TBP interactions, complementing many previous studies by refining kinetic hypotheses on sequence/activity correlations. The factors that combine to produce favorable elements for TBP activity include overall flexibility; minor groove widening, as well as roll, rise, and shift increases at the ends of the TATA element; untwisting within the TATA element accompanied by large roll at the TATA element ends; and relatively low maximal water densities around the DNA. These features accompany the severe deformation induced by the minor-groove binding protein, which kinks the TATA element at the ends and displaces local water molecules to form stabilizing hydrophobic contacts. Interestingly, the preferred bending direction itself is not a significant predictor of activity disposition, although certain variants (such as wild-type AdMLP, 5'-TATA4G-3', and inactive A29, 5'-TA6G-3') exhibit large preferred bends in directions consistent with their activity or inactivity (major groove and minor groove bends, respectively). These structural, flexibility, and hydration preferences, identified here and connected to a new crystallographic study of a larger group of DNA variants than reported to date, highlight the profound influence of single base-pair DNA variations on DNA motion. Our refined kinetic hypothesis suggests the functional implications of these motions in a kinetic model of TATA/TBP recognition, inviting further theoretical and experimental research.