1
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Riera Aroche R, Ortiz García YM, Martínez Arellano MA, Riera Leal A. DNA as a perfect quantum computer based on the quantum physics principles. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11636. [PMID: 38773193 PMCID: PMC11109248 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62539-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA is a complex multi-resolution molecule whose theoretical study is a challenge. Its intrinsic multiscale nature requires chemistry and quantum physics to understand the structure and quantum informatics to explain its operation as a perfect quantum computer. Here, we present theoretical results of DNA that allow a better description of its structure and the operation process in the transmission, coding, and decoding of genetic information. Aromaticity is explained by the oscillatory resonant quantum state of correlated electron and hole pairs due to the quantized molecular vibrational energy acting as an attractive force. The correlated pairs form a supercurrent in the nitrogenous bases in a single band π -molecular orbital ( π -MO). The MO wave function ( Φ ) is assumed to be the linear combination of the n constituent atomic orbitals. The central Hydrogen bond between Adenine (A) and Thymine (T) or Guanine (G) and Cytosine (C) functions like an ideal Josephson Junction. The approach of a Josephson Effect between two superconductors is correctly described, as well as the condensation of the nitrogenous bases to obtain the two entangled quantum states that form the qubit. Combining the quantum state of the composite system with the classical information, RNA polymerase teleports one of the four Bell states. DNA is a perfect quantum computer.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Riera Aroche
- Department of Research in Physics, University of Sonora, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
- Research and Higher Education Center of UNEPROP, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
| | - Y M Ortiz García
- Research Institute of Dentistry, University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico
- Research and Higher Education Center of UNEPROP, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
| | - M A Martínez Arellano
- General Hospital of the State of Sonora, Boulevar José María Escrivá de Balaguer 157, Colonia Villa del Palmar, C.P. 83105, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
- Research and Higher Education Center of UNEPROP, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
| | - A Riera Leal
- General Hospital of the State of Sonora, Boulevar José María Escrivá de Balaguer 157, Colonia Villa del Palmar, C.P. 83105, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
- Research and Higher Education Center of UNEPROP, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
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2
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Dabin A, Stirnemann G. Atomistic simulations of RNA duplex thermal denaturation: Sequence- and forcefield-dependence. Biophys Chem 2024; 307:107167. [PMID: 38262278 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2023.107167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Double-stranded RNA is the end-product of template-based replication, and is also the functional state of some biological RNAs. Similarly to proteins and DNA, they can be denatured by temperature, with important physiological and technological implications. Here, we use an in silico strategy to probe the thermal denaturation of RNA duplexes. Following previous results that were obtained on a few different duplexes, and which nuanced the canonical 2-state picture of nucleic acid denaturation, we here specifically address three different aspects that greatly improve our description of the temperature-induced dsRNA separation. First, we investigate the effect of the spatial distribution of weak and strong base-pairs among the duplex sequence. We show that the deviations from the two-state dehybridization mechanism are more pronounced when a strong core is flanked with weak extremities, while duplexes with a weak core but strong extremities exhibit a two-state behavior, which can be explained by the key role played by base fraying. This was later verified by generating artificial hairpin or circular states containing one or two locked duplex extremities, which results in an important reinforcement of the entire HB structure of the duplex and higher melting temperatures. Finally, we demonstrate that our results are little sensitive to the employed combination of RNA and water forcefields. The trends in thermal stability among the different sequences as well as the observed unfolding mechanisms (and the deviations from a two-state scenario) remain the same regardless of the employed atomistic models. However, our study points to possible limitations of recent reparametrizations of the Amber RNA forcefield, which sometimes results in duplexes that readily denature under ambient conditions, in contradiction with available experimental results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimeric Dabin
- CNRS Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Université de Paris Cité, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Stirnemann
- PASTEUR, Département de chimie, École normale supérieure, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France.
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3
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Ratajczyk EJ, Šulc P, Turberfield AJ, Doye JPK, Louis AA. Coarse-grained modeling of DNA-RNA hybrids. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:115101. [PMID: 38497475 DOI: 10.1063/5.0199558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
We introduce oxNA, a new model for the simulation of DNA-RNA hybrids that is based on two previously developed coarse-grained models-oxDNA and oxRNA. The model naturally reproduces the physical properties of hybrid duplexes, including their structure, persistence length, and force-extension characteristics. By parameterizing the DNA-RNA hydrogen bonding interaction, we fit the model's thermodynamic properties to experimental data using both average-sequence and sequence-dependent parameters. To demonstrate the model's applicability, we provide three examples of its use-calculating the free energy profiles of hybrid strand displacement reactions, studying the resolution of a short R-loop, and simulating RNA-scaffolded wireframe origami.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eryk J Ratajczyk
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
| | - Petr Šulc
- School of Molecular Sciences and Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 South McAllister Avenue, Tempe, Arizona 85281, USA
- School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, Technical University Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Andrew J Turberfield
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan P K Doye
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, United Kingdom
| | - Ard A Louis
- Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, 1 Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3NP, United Kingdom
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4
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Grabenhorst L, Sturzenegger F, Hasler M, Schuler B, Tinnefeld P. Single-Molecule FRET at 10 MHz Count Rates. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:3539-3544. [PMID: 38266173 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c13757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
A bottleneck in many studies utilizing single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer is the attainable photon count rate, as it determines the temporal resolution of the experiment. As many biologically relevant processes occur on time scales that are hardly accessible with currently achievable photon count rates, there has been considerable effort to find strategies to increase the stability and brightness of fluorescent dyes. Here, we use DNA nanoantennas to drastically increase the achievable photon count rates and observe fast biomolecular dynamics in the small volume between two plasmonic nanoparticles. As a proof of concept, we observe the coupled folding and binding of two intrinsically disordered proteins, which form transient encounter complexes with lifetimes on the order of 100 μs. To test the limits of our approach, we also investigated the hybridization of a short single-stranded DNA to its complementary counterpart, revealing a transition path time of 17 μs at photon count rates of around 10 MHz, which is an order-of-magnitude improvement compared to the state of the art. Concomitantly, the photostability was increased, enabling many seconds long megahertz fluorescence time traces. Due to the modular nature of the DNA origami method, this platform can be adapted to a broad range of biomolecules, providing a promising approach to study previously unobservable ultrafast biophysical processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lennart Grabenhorst
- Department of Chemistry and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 München, Germany
| | | | - Moa Hasler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin Schuler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Physics, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philip Tinnefeld
- Department of Chemistry and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 München, Germany
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5
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Li Y, Chen R, Zhou B, Dong Y, Liu D. Rational Design of DNA Hydrogels Based on Molecular Dynamics of Polymers. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2307129. [PMID: 37820719 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202307129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, DNA has emerged as a fascinating building material to engineer hydrogel due to its excellent programmability, which has gained considerable attention in biomedical applications. Understanding the structure-property relationship and underlying molecular determinants of DNA hydrogel is essential to precisely tailor its macroscopic properties at molecular level. In this review, the rational design principles of DNA molecular networks based on molecular dynamics of polymers on the temporal scale, which can be engineered via the backbone rigidity and crosslinking kinetics, are highlighted. By elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms and theories, it is aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of how the tunable DNA backbone rigidity and the crosslinking kinetics lead to desirable macroscopic properties of DNA hydrogels, including mechanical properties, diffusive permeability, swelling behaviors, and dynamic features. Furthermore, it is also discussed how the tunable macroscopic properties make DNA hydrogels promising candidates for biomedical applications, such as cell culture, tissue engineering, bio-sensing, and drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Li
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials, (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Ruofan Chen
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials, (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Bini Zhou
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials, (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Yuanchen Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface and Chemical Thermodynamics, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Dongsheng Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials, (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
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6
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Centola M, Poppleton E, Ray S, Centola M, Welty R, Valero J, Walter NG, Šulc P, Famulok M. A rhythmically pulsing leaf-spring DNA-origami nanoengine that drives a passive follower. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 19:226-236. [PMID: 37857824 PMCID: PMC10873200 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-023-01516-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Molecular engineering seeks to create functional entities for modular use in the bottom-up design of nanoassemblies that can perform complex tasks. Such systems require fuel-consuming nanomotors that can actively drive downstream passive followers. Most artificial molecular motors are driven by Brownian motion, in which, with few exceptions, the generated forces are non-directed and insufficient for efficient transfer to passive second-level components. Consequently, efficient chemical-fuel-driven nanoscale driver-follower systems have not yet been realized. Here we present a DNA nanomachine (70 nm × 70 nm × 12 nm) driven by the chemical energy of DNA-templated RNA-transcription-consuming nucleoside triphosphates as fuel to generate a rhythmic pulsating motion of two rigid DNA-origami arms. Furthermore, we demonstrate actuation control and the simple coupling of the active nanomachine with a passive follower, to which it then transmits its motion, forming a true driver-follower pair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Centola
- LIMES Program Unit Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, c/o Kekulé Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Max-Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behaviour, Bonn, Germany
| | - Erik Poppleton
- School of Molecular Sciences and Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Max-Planck-Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sujay Ray
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Robb Welty
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Julián Valero
- LIMES Program Unit Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, c/o Kekulé Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Max-Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behaviour, Bonn, Germany
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center - INANO-MBG, iNANO-huset, Århus, Denmark
| | - Nils G Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Petr Šulc
- LIMES Program Unit Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, c/o Kekulé Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
- School of Molecular Sciences and Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
| | - Michael Famulok
- LIMES Program Unit Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, c/o Kekulé Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
- Max-Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behaviour, Bonn, Germany.
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7
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Ashwood B, Jones MS, Lee Y, Sachleben JR, Ferguson AL, Tokmakoff A. Molecular insight into how the position of an abasic site modifies DNA duplex stability and dynamics. Biophys J 2024; 123:118-133. [PMID: 38006207 PMCID: PMC10808028 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Local perturbations to DNA base-pairing stability from lesions and chemical modifications can alter the stability and dynamics of an entire oligonucleotide. End effects may cause the position of a disruption within a short duplex to influence duplex stability and structural dynamics, yet this aspect of nucleic acid modifications is often overlooked. We investigate how the position of an abasic site (AP site) impacts the stability and dynamics of short DNA duplexes. Using a combination of steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations, we unravel an interplay between AP-site position and nucleobase sequence that controls energetic and dynamic disruption to the duplex. The duplex is disrupted into two segments by an entropic barrier for base-pairing on each side of the AP site. The barrier induces fraying of the short segment when an AP site is near the termini. Shifting the AP site inward promotes a transition from short-segment fraying to fully encompassing the barrier into the thermodynamics of hybridization, leading to further destabilization of the duplex. Nucleobase sequence determines the length scale for this transition by tuning the barrier height and base-pair stability of the short segment, and certain sequences enable out-of-register base-pairing to minimize the barrier height.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brennan Ashwood
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, and James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Michael S Jones
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Yumin Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, and James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Joseph R Sachleben
- Biomolecular NMR Core Facility, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Andrew L Ferguson
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
| | - Andrei Tokmakoff
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, and James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
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8
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Qiao YP, Ren CL. Correlated Hybrid DNA Structures Explored by the oxDNA Model. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:109-117. [PMID: 38154122 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c02231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Thermodynamically, perfect DNA hybridization can be formed between probes and their corresponding targets due to the favorable energy. However, this is not the case dynamically. Here, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations based on the oxDNA model to investigate the process of DNA microarray hybridization. In general, correlated hybrid DNA structures are formed, including one probe associated with several targets as well as one target hybrid with multiple probes leading to the target-mediated hybridization. The formation of these two types of correlated structures largely depends on the surface coverage of the DNA microarray. Moreover, DNA sequence, DNA length, and spacer length have an impact on the structural formation. Our findings shed light on the dynamics of DNA hybridization, which is important for the application of DNA microarray.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye-Peng Qiao
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Chun-Lai Ren
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
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9
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Podlaski F, Cornwell S, Wong K, McKittrick B, Kim JH, Jung D, Jeon Y, Jung KB, Tolias P, Windsor WT. Peptide Nucleic Acids Containing Cationic/Amino-Alkyl Modified Bases Promote Enhanced Hybridization Kinetics and Thermodynamics with Single-Strand DNA. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:33426-33436. [PMID: 37744819 PMCID: PMC10515352 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c03184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are antisense molecules with excellent polynucleotide hybridization properties; they are resistant to nuclease degradation but often have poor cell permeability leading to moderate cellular activity and limited clinical results. The addition of cationic substitutions (positive charges) to PNA molecules greatly increases cell permeability. In this report, we describe the synthesis and polynucleotide hybridization properties of a novel cationic/amino-alkyl nucleotide base-modified PNA (OPNA). This study was designed to quantitate the effect the cationic/amino-alkyl nucleotide base modification had on the kinetic and thermodynamic properties of OPNA-DNA hybridization using surface plasmon resonance and UV thermal melt studies. Kinetic studies reveal a favorable 10-30 fold increase in affinity for a single cationic modification on the base of an adenine, cytosine, or guanidine OPNA sequence compared to the nonmodified PNA strand. The increase in affinity is correlated directly with a favorable decrease in the dissociation rate constant and increase in the association rate constant. Introducing additional amino-alkyl base modifications further favors a decrease in the dissociation rate (3-10-fold per amino-alkyl). The thermodynamics driving the OPNA hybridization is promoted by an additional favorable -80 kJ/mol enthalpy of binding for a single amino-alkyl modification compared to the PNA strand. This increase in enthalpy is consistent with an ion-ion interaction with the DNA strand. These kinetic and thermodynamic hybridization studies reveal for the first time that this type of cationic/amino-alkyl base-modified PNA has favorable hybridization properties suitable for development as an antisense oligomer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Podlaski
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Stevens
Institute of Technology, 1 Castle Point Terrace, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, United States
| | - Stephen Cornwell
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Stevens
Institute of Technology, 1 Castle Point Terrace, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, United States
| | - Kenny Wong
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Stevens
Institute of Technology, 1 Castle Point Terrace, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, United States
| | - Brian McKittrick
- Department
of Global Sciences & Strategy, OliPass
Corporation, Yongin, Gyeonggi 17015, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Hun Kim
- Department
of Monomer Research, OliPass Corporation, Suwon, Gyeonggi 16229, Republic
of Korea
| | - Daram Jung
- Department
of Oligo Sciences, OliPass Corporation, Yongin, Gyeonggi 17015, Republic
of Korea
| | - Yeasel Jeon
- Department
of Oligo Sciences, OliPass Corporation, Yongin, Gyeonggi 17015, Republic
of Korea
| | - Kwang-Bok Jung
- Department
of Monomer Manufacture, OliPass Corporation, Suwon, Gyeonggi 16229, Republic
of Korea
| | - Peter Tolias
- Department
of Biology, School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, Brooklyn College, CUNY, Brooklyn, New York 11210, United States
| | - William T. Windsor
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Stevens
Institute of Technology, 1 Castle Point Terrace, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, United States
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10
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Montserrat Pagès A, Hertog M, Nicolaï B, Spasic D, Lammertyn J. Unraveling the Kinetics of the 10-23 RNA-Cleaving DNAzyme. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13686. [PMID: 37761982 PMCID: PMC10531344 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241813686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA-based enzymes, or DNAzymes, are single-stranded DNA sequences with the ability to catalyze various chemical reactions, including the cleavage of the bond between two RNA nucleotides. Lately, an increasing interest has been observed in these RNA-cleaving DNAzymes in the biosensing and therapeutic fields for signal generation and the modulation of gene expression, respectively. Additionally, multiple efforts have been made to study the effects of the reaction environment and the sequence of the catalytic core on the conversion of the substrate into product. However, most of these studies have only reported alterations of the general reaction course, but only a few have focused on how each individual reaction step is affected. In this work, we present for the first time a mathematical model that describes and predicts the reaction of the 10-23 RNA-cleaving DNAzyme. Furthermore, the model has been employed to study the effect of temperature, magnesium cations and shorter substrate-binding arms of the DNAzyme on the different kinetic rate constants, broadening the range of conditions in which the model can be exploited. In conclusion, this work depicts the prospects of such mathematical models to study and anticipate the course of a reaction given a particular environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Montserrat Pagès
- Department of Biosystems, Biosensors Group, KU Leuven—University of Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maarten Hertog
- Department of Biosystems, Postharvest Group, KU Leuven—University of Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart Nicolaï
- Department of Biosystems, Postharvest Group, KU Leuven—University of Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dragana Spasic
- Department of Biosystems, Biosensors Group, KU Leuven—University of Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Lammertyn
- Department of Biosystems, Biosensors Group, KU Leuven—University of Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
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11
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Micheloni M, Petrolli L, Lattanzi G, Potestio R. Kinetics of radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks through coarse-grained simulations. Biophys J 2023; 122:3314-3322. [PMID: 37455429 PMCID: PMC10465705 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Double-strand breaks (DSBs), i.e., the covalent cut of the DNA backbone over both strands, are a detrimental outcome of cell irradiation, bearing chromosomal aberrations and leading to cell apoptosis. In the early stages of the evolution of a DSB, the disruption of the residual interactions between the DNA moieties drives the fracture of the helical layout; in spite of its biological significance, the details of this process are still largely uncertain. Here, we address the mechanical rupture of DNA by DSBs via coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations: the setup involves a 3855-bp DNA filament and diverse DSB motifs, i.e., within a range of distances between strand breaks (or DSB distance). By employing a coarse-grained model of DNA, we access the molecular details and characteristic timescales of the rupturing process. A sequence-nonspecific, linear correlation is observed between the DSB distance and the internal energy contribution to the disruption of the residual (Watson-Crick and stacking) contacts between DNA moieties, which is seemingly driven by an abrupt, cooperative process. Moreover, we infer an exponential dependence of the characteristic rupture times on the DSB distances, which we associate to an Arrhenius-like law of thermally-activated processes. This work lays the foundations of a detailed, mechanistic assessment of DSBs in silico as a benchmark to both numerical simulations and data from single-molecule experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Micheloni
- Department of Physics, University of Trento, Trento, Italy; INFN-TIFPA, Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications, Trento, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Petrolli
- Department of Physics, University of Trento, Trento, Italy; INFN-TIFPA, Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications, Trento, Italy
| | - Gianluca Lattanzi
- Department of Physics, University of Trento, Trento, Italy; INFN-TIFPA, Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications, Trento, Italy
| | - Raffaello Potestio
- Department of Physics, University of Trento, Trento, Italy; INFN-TIFPA, Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications, Trento, Italy.
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12
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Ashwood B, Jones MS, Lee Y, Sachleben JR, Ferguson AL, Tokmakoff A. Molecular insight into how the position of an abasic site and its sequence environment influence DNA duplex stability and dynamics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.22.550182. [PMID: 37546925 PMCID: PMC10401965 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.22.550182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Local perturbations to DNA base-pairing stability from lesions and chemical modifications can alter the stability and dynamics of an entire oligonucleotide. End effects may cause the position of a disruption within a short duplex to influence duplex stability and structural dynamics, yet this aspect of nucleic acid modifications is often overlooked. We investigate how the position of an abasic site (AP site) impacts the stability and dynamics of short DNA duplexes. Using a combination of steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations, we unravel an interplay between AP-site position and nucleobase sequence that controls energetic and dynamic disruption to the duplex. The duplex is disrupted into two segments by an entropic barrier for base pairing on each side of the AP site. The barrier induces fraying of the short segment when an AP site is near the termini. Shifting the AP site inward promotes a transition from short-segment fraying to fully encompassing the barrier into the thermodynamics of hybridization, leading to further destabilization the duplex. Nucleobase sequence determines the length scale for this transition by tuning the barrier height and base-pair stability of the short segment, and certain sequences enable out-of-register base pairing to minimize the barrier height.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brennan Ashwood
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, and James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57 Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Michael S. Jones
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Yumin Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, and James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57 Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Joseph R. Sachleben
- Biomolecular NMR Core Facility, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
| | - Andrew L. Ferguson
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Andrei Tokmakoff
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, and James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57 Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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13
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Dabin A, Stirnemann G. Toward a Molecular Mechanism of Complementary RNA Duplexes Denaturation. J Phys Chem B 2023. [PMID: 37389985 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c00908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
RNA duplexes are relatively rare but play very important biological roles. As an end-product of template-based RNA replication, they also have key implications for hypothetical primitive forms of life. Unless they are specifically separated by enzymes, these duplexes denature upon a temperature increase. However, mechanistic and kinetic aspects of RNA (and DNA) duplex thermal denaturation remain unclear at the microscopic level. We propose an in silico strategy that probes the thermal denaturation of RNA duplexes and allows for an extensive conformational space exploration along a wide temperature range with atomistic precision. We show that this approach first accounts for the strong sequence and length dependence of the duplexes melting temperature, reproducing the trends seen in the experiments and predicted by nearest-neighbor models. The simulations are then instrumental at providing a molecular picture of the temperature-induced strand separation. The textbook canonical "all-or-nothing" two-state model, very much inspired by the protein folding mechanism, can be nuanced. We demonstrate that a temperature increase leads to significantly distorted but stable structures with extensive base-fraying at the extremities, and that the fully formed duplexes typically do not form around melting. The duplex separation therefore appears as much more gradual than commonly thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimeric Dabin
- CNRS Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, PSL University, Université de Paris, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Stirnemann
- CNRS Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, PSL University, Université de Paris, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005, Paris, France
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14
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Forthman M, Gordon ERL, Kimball RT. Low hybridization temperatures improve target capture success of invertebrate loci: a case study of leaf-footed bugs (Hemiptera: Coreoidea). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230307. [PMID: 37388308 PMCID: PMC10300676 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Target capture is widely used in phylogenomic, ecological and functional genomic studies. Bait sets that allow capture from a diversity of species can be advantageous, but high-sequence divergence from baits can limit yields. Currently, only four experimental comparisons of a critical target capture parameter, hybridization temperature, have been published. These have been in vertebrates, where bait divergences are typically low, and none include invertebrates where bait-target divergences may be higher. Most invertebrate capture studies use a fixed, high hybridization temperature to maximize the proportion of on-target data, but many report low locus recovery. Using leaf-footed bugs (Hemiptera: Coreoidea), we investigate the effect of hybridization temperature on capture success of ultraconserved elements targeted by (i) baits developed from divergent hemipteran genomes and (ii) baits developed from less divergent coreoid transcriptomes. Lower temperatures generally resulted in more contigs and improved recovery of targets despite a lower proportion of on-target reads, lower read depth and more putative paralogues. Hybridization temperatures had less of an effect when using transcriptome-derived baits, which is probably due to lower bait-target divergences and greater bait tiling density. Thus, accommodating low hybridization temperatures during target capture can provide a cost-effective, widely applicable solution to improve invertebrate locus recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Forthman
- California State Collection of Arthropods, Plant Pest Diagnostics Branch, California Department of Food and Agriculture, 3294 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, CA 95832, USA
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Eric R. L. Gordon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, 75N. Eagleville Road, Unit 3043, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Rebecca T. Kimball
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 876 Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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15
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Leino M, Söderberg O. Purification of DNA oligonucleotides to improve hybridization chain reaction performance. N Biotechnol 2023; 76:33-40. [PMID: 37059331 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2023.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Hybridization Chain Reaction (HCR) is a technique to generate a linear polymerization of oligonucleotide hairpins, used in multiple molecular biology methods. The HCR reaction is dependent on every hairpin being metastable in the absence of a triggering oligonucleotide and that every hairpin can continue the polymerization, which puts a strong demand on oligonucleotide quality. We show how further purification can greatly increase polymerization potential. It was found that a single extra PAGE-purification could greatly enhance hairpin polymerization both in solution and in situ. Purification using a ligation-based method further improved polymerization, yielding in situ immunoHCR stains at least 3.4-times stronger than a non-purified control. This demonstrates the importance of not only good sequence design of the oligonucleotide hairpins, but also the demand for high quality oligonucleotides to accomplish a potent and specific HCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattias Leino
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Pharmaceutical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Ola Söderberg
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Pharmaceutical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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16
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Ashwood B, Jones MS, Ferguson AL, Tokmakoff A. Disruption of energetic and dynamic base pairing cooperativity in DNA duplexes by an abasic site. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2219124120. [PMID: 36976762 PMCID: PMC10083564 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2219124120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA duplex stability arises from cooperative interactions between multiple adjacent nucleotides that favor base pairing and stacking when formed as a continuous stretch rather than individually. Lesions and nucleobase modifications alter this stability in complex manners that remain challenging to understand despite their centrality to biology. Here, we investigate how an abasic site destabilizes small DNA duplexes and reshapes base pairing dynamics and hybridization pathways using temperature-jump infrared spectroscopy and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. We show how an abasic site splits the cooperativity in a short duplex into two segments, which destabilizes small duplexes as a whole and enables metastable half-dissociated configurations. Dynamically, it introduces an additional barrier to hybridization by constraining the hybridization mechanism to a step-wise process of nucleating and zipping a stretch on one side of the abasic site and then the other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brennan Ashwood
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, and James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL60637
| | - Michael S. Jones
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL60637
| | - Andrew L. Ferguson
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL60637
| | - Andrei Tokmakoff
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, and James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL60637
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17
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Phan TTM, Phan TM, Schmit JD. Beneficial and detrimental effects of non-specific binding during DNA hybridization. Biophys J 2023; 122:835-848. [PMID: 36721368 PMCID: PMC10027450 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA strands have to sample numerous states to find the alignment that maximizes Watson-Crick-Franklin base pairing. This process depends strongly on sequence, which affects the stability of the native duplex as well as the prevalence of non-native inter- and intramolecular helices. We present a theory that describes DNA hybridization as a three-stage process: diffusion, registry search, and zipping. We find that non-specific binding affects each of these stages in different ways. Mis-registered intermolecular binding in the registry search stage helps DNA strands sample different alignments and accelerates the hybridization rate. Non-native intramolecular structure affects all three stages by rendering portions of the molecule inert to intermolecular association, limiting mis-registered alignments to be sampled, and impeding the zipping process. Once in-register base pairs are formed, the stability of the native structure is important to hold the molecules together long enough for non-native contacts to break.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tam T M Phan
- Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
| | - Tien M Phan
- Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
| | - Jeremy D Schmit
- Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas.
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18
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Mills A, Aissaoui N, Finkel J, Elezgaray J, Bellot G. Mechanical DNA Origami to Investigate Biological Systems. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023; 7:e2200224. [PMID: 36509679 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202200224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The ability to self-assemble DNA nanodevices with programmed structural dynamics that can sense and respond to the local environment can enable transformative applications in fields including mechanobiology and nanomedicine. The responsive function of biomolecules is often driven by alterations in conformational distributions mediated by highly sensitive interactions with the local environment. In this review, the current state-of-the-art in constructing complex DNA geometries with dynamic and mechanical properties to enable a molecular scale force measurement is first summarized. Next, an overview of engineering modular DNA devices that interact with cell surfaces is highlighted detailing examples of mechanosensitive proteins and the force-induced dynamic molecular interaction on the downstream biochemical signaling. Finally, the challenges and an outlook on this promising class of DNA devices acting as nanomachines to operate at a low piconewton range suitable for a majority of biological effects or as hybrid materials to achieve higher tension exertion required for other biological investigations, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan Mills
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, INSERM, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Nesrine Aissaoui
- Laboratoire CiTCoM, Faculté de Santé, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris, 75006, France
| | - Julie Finkel
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, INSERM, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Juan Elezgaray
- CRPP, CNRS, UMR 5031, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, 33600, France
| | - Gaëtan Bellot
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, INSERM, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, 34090, France
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19
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Howe CP, Greetham GM, Procacci B, Parker AW, Hunt NT. Sequence-Dependent Melting and Refolding Dynamics of RNA UNCG Tetraloops Using Temperature-Jump/Drop Infrared Spectroscopy. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:1586-1597. [PMID: 36787177 PMCID: PMC9969394 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c08709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Time-resolved temperature-jump/drop infrared (IR) spectroscopy has been used to measure the impact of stem base sequence on the melting and refolding dynamics of ribonucleic acid (RNA) tetraloops. A series of three 12-nucleotide RNA hairpin sequences were studied, each featuring a UACG tetraloop motif and a double-stranded stem containing four base pairs. In each case, the stem comprised three GC pairs plus a single AU base pair inserted at the closing point of the loop (RNAloop), in the middle of the stem (RNAmid), or at the stem terminus (RNAend). Results from analogous DNA tetraloop (TACG) sequences were also obtained. Inclusion of AU or AT base pairs in the stem leads to faster melting of the stem-loop structure compared to a stem sequence featuring four GC base pairs while refolding times were found to be slower, consistent with a general reduction in stem-loop stability caused by the AU/AT pair. Independent measurement of the dynamic timescales for melting and refolding of ring vibrational modes of guanine (GR) and adenine (AR) provided position-specific insight into hairpin dynamics. The GR-derived data showed that DNA sequences melted more quickly (0.5 ± 0.1 to 0.7 ± 0.1 μs at 70 °C) than analogous RNA sequences (4.3 ± 0.4 to 4.4 ± 0.3 μs at 70 °C). Position-sensitive data from the AR modes suggests that DNA hairpins begin melting from the terminal end of the stem toward the loop while RNA sequences begin melting from the loop. Refolding timescales for both RNA and DNA hairpins were found to be similar (250 ± 50 μs at 70 °C) except for RNAend and DNAloop which refolded much more slowly (746 ± 36 and 430 ± 31 μs, respectively), showing that the refolding pathway is significantly impaired by the placement of AU/AT pairs at different points in the stem. We conclude that conformational changes of analogous pairs of RNA and DNA tetraloops proceed by different mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- C P Howe
- Department of Chemistry and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, U.K
| | - G M Greetham
- STFC Central Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, Oxon, U.K
| | - B Procacci
- Department of Chemistry and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, U.K
| | - A W Parker
- STFC Central Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, Oxon, U.K
| | - N T Hunt
- Department of Chemistry and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, U.K
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20
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Mayer T, Oesinghaus L, Simmel FC. Toehold-Mediated Strand Displacement in Random Sequence Pools. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:634-644. [PMID: 36571481 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c11208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Toehold-mediated strand displacement (TMSD) has been used extensively for molecular sensing and computing in DNA-based molecular circuits. As these circuits grow in complexity, sequence similarity between components can lead to cross-talk, causing leak, altered kinetics, or even circuit failure. For small non-biological circuits, such unwanted interactions can be designed against. In environments containing a huge number of sequences, taking all possible interactions into account becomes infeasible. Therefore, a general understanding of the impact of sequence backgrounds on TMSD reactions is of great interest. Here, we investigate the impact of random DNA sequences on TMSD circuits. We begin by studying individual interfering strands and use the obtained data to build machine learning models that estimate kinetics. We then investigate the influence of pools of random strands and find that the kinetics are determined by only a small subpopulation of strongly interacting strands. Consequently, their behavior can be mimicked by a small collection of such strands. The equilibration of the circuit with the background sequences strongly influences this behavior, leading to up to 1 order of magnitude difference in reaction speed. Finally, we compare two established and one novel technique that speed up TMSD reactions in random sequence pools: a three-letter alphabet, protection of toeholds by intramolecular secondary structure, or by an additional blocking strand. While all of these techniques were useful, only the latter can be used without sequence constraints. We expect that our insights will be useful for the construction of TMSD circuits that are robust to molecular noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Mayer
- School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, TU Munich, D-85748Garching, Germany
| | - Lukas Oesinghaus
- School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, TU Munich, D-85748Garching, Germany
| | - Friedrich C Simmel
- School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, TU Munich, D-85748Garching, Germany
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21
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Updated toolkits for nucleic acid-based biosensors. Trends Analyt Chem 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2023.116943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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22
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Howe CP, Greetham GM, Procacci B, Parker AW, Hunt NT. Measuring RNA UNCG Tetraloop Refolding Dynamics Using Temperature-Jump/Drop Infrared Spectroscopy. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:9171-9176. [PMID: 36166668 PMCID: PMC9549515 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c02338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Determining the structural dynamics of RNA and DNA is essential to understanding their cellular function, but direct measurement of strand association or folding remains experimentally challenging. Here we illustrate a temperature-jump/drop method able to reveal refolding dynamics. Time-resolved temperature-jump/drop infrared spectroscopy is used to measure the melting and refolding dynamics of a 12-nucleotide RNA sequence comprising a UACG tetraloop and a four-base-pair double-stranded GC stem, comparing them to an equivalent DNA (TACG) sequence. Stem-loop melting occurred an order of magnitude more slowly in RNA than DNA (6.0 ± 0.1 μs versus 0.8 ± 0.1 μs at 70 °C). In contrast, the refolding dynamics of both sequences occurred on similar time scales (200 μs). While the melting and refolding dynamics of RNA and DNA hairpins both followed Arrhenius temperature dependences, refolding was characterized by an apparent negative activation energy, consistent with a mechanism involving multiple misfolded intermediates prior to zipping of the stem base pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. P. Howe
- Department
of Chemistry and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, U.K.
| | - G. M. Greetham
- Central
Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory,
Harwell Oxford, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, U.K.
| | - B. Procacci
- Department
of Chemistry and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, U.K.
| | - A. W. Parker
- Central
Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory,
Harwell Oxford, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, U.K.
| | - N. T. Hunt
- Department
of Chemistry and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, U.K.
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23
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Todisco M, Szostak JW. Hybridization kinetics of out-of-equilibrium mixtures of short RNA oligonucleotides. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:9647-9662. [PMID: 36099434 PMCID: PMC9508827 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hybridization and strand displacement kinetics determine the evolution of the base paired configurations of mixtures of oligonucleotides over time. Although much attention has been focused on the thermodynamics of DNA and RNA base pairing in the scientific literature, much less work has been done on the time dependence of interactions involving multiple strands, especially in RNA. Here we provide a study of oligoribonucleotide interaction kinetics and show that it is possible to calculate the association, dissociation and strand displacement rates displayed by short oligonucleotides (5nt–12nt) that exhibit no expected secondary structure as simple functions of oligonucleotide length, CG content, ΔG of hybridization and ΔG of toehold binding. We then show that the resultant calculated kinetic parameters are consistent with the experimentally observed time dependent changes in concentrations of the different species present in mixtures of multiple competing RNA strands. We show that by changing the mixture composition, it is possible to create and tune kinetic traps that extend by orders of magnitude the typical sub-second hybridization timescale of two complementary oligonucleotides. We suggest that the slow equilibration of complex oligonucleotide mixtures may have facilitated the nonenzymatic replication of RNA during the origin of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Todisco
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jack W Szostak
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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24
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Hertel S, Spinney RE, Xu SY, Ouldridge TE, Morris RG, Lee LK. The stability and number of nucleating interactions determine DNA hybridization rates in the absence of secondary structure. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:7829-7841. [PMID: 35880577 PMCID: PMC9371923 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The kinetics of DNA hybridization are fundamental to biological processes and DNA-based technologies. However, the precise physical mechanisms that determine why different DNA sequences hybridize at different rates are not well understood. Secondary structure is one predictable factor that influences hybridization rates but is not sufficient on its own to fully explain the observed sequence-dependent variance. In this context, we measured hybridization rates of 43 different DNA sequences that are not predicted to form secondary structure and present a parsimonious physically justified model to quantify our observations. Accounting only for the combinatorics of complementary nucleating interactions and their sequence-dependent stability, the model achieves good correlation with experiment with only two free parameters. Our results indicate that greater repetition of Watson-Crick pairs increases the number of initial states able to proceed to full hybridization, with the stability of those pairings dictating the likelihood of such progression, thus providing new insight into the physical factors underpinning DNA hybridization rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Hertel
- EMBL Australia Node for Single Molecule Science, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Richard E Spinney
- EMBL Australia Node for Single Molecule Science, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia.,School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Stephanie Y Xu
- EMBL Australia Node for Single Molecule Science, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Thomas E Ouldridge
- Department of Bioengineering and Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Richard G Morris
- EMBL Australia Node for Single Molecule Science, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia.,School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Lawrence K Lee
- EMBL Australia Node for Single Molecule Science, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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25
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Murugan R. Lattice model on the rate of DNA hybridization. Phys Rev E 2022; 105:064410. [PMID: 35854591 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.105.064410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We develop a lattice model on the rate of hybridization of the complementary single-stranded DNAs (c-ssDNAs). Upon translational diffusion mediated collisions, c-ssDNAs interpenetrate each other to form correct (cc), incorrect (icc), and trap correct contacts (tcc) inside the reaction volume. Correct contacts are those with exact registry matches, which leads to nucleation and zipping. Incorrect contacts are the mismatch contacts which are less stable compared to tcc, which can occur in the repetitive c-ssDNAs. Although tcc possess registry match within the repeating sequences, they are incorrect contacts in the view of the whole c-ssDNAs. The nucleation rate (k_{N}) is directly proportional to the collision rate and the average number of correct contacts (〈n_{cc}〉) formed when both c-ssDNAs interpenetrate each other. Detailed lattice model simulations suggest that 〈n_{cc}〉∝L/V where L is the length of c-ssDNAs and V is the reaction volume. Further numerical analysis revealed the scaling for the average radius of gyration of c-ssDNAs (R_{g}) with their length as R_{g}∝sqrt[L]. Since the reaction space will be approximately a sphere with radius equals to 2R_{g} and V∝L^{3/2}, one obtains k_{N}∝1/sqrt[L]. When c-ssDNAs are nonrepetitive, the overall renaturation rate becomes as k_{R}∝k_{N}L, and one finally obtains k_{R}∝sqrt[L] in line with the experimental observations. When c-ssDNAs are repetitive with a complexity of c, earlier models suggested the scaling k_{R}∝sqrt[L]/c, which breaks down at c=L. This clearly suggests the existence of at least two different pathways of renaturation in the case of repetitive c-ssDNAs, viz., via incorrect contacts and trap correct contacts. The trap correct contacts can lead to the formation of partial duplexes which can keep the complementary strands in the close proximity for a prolonged timescale. This is essential for the extended 1D slithering, inchworm movements, and internal displacement mechanisms which can accelerate the searching for the correct contacts. Clearly, the extent of slithering dynamics will be inversely proportional to the complexity. When the complexity is close to the length of c-ssDNAs, the pathway via incorrect contacts will dominate. When the complexity is much less than the length of c-ssDNA, pathway via trap correct contacts would be the dominating one.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Murugan
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, Tamil Nadu, India
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26
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Mak CH. Nucleic acid folding simulations using a physics-based atomistic free energy model. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:174114. [PMID: 35525642 DOI: 10.1063/5.0086304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Performing full-resolution atomistic simulations of nucleic acid folding has remained a challenge for biomolecular modeling. Understanding how nucleic acids fold and how they transition between different folded structures as they unfold and refold has important implications for biology. This paper reports a theoretical model and computer simulation of the ab initio folding of DNA inverted repeat sequences. The formulation is based on an all-atom conformational model of the sugar-phosphate backbone via chain closure, and it incorporates three major molecular-level driving forces-base stacking, counterion-induced backbone self-interactions, and base pairing-via separate analytical theories designed to capture and reproduce the effects of the solvent without requiring explicit water and ions in the simulation. To accelerate computational throughput, a mixed numerical/analytical algorithm for the calculation of the backbone conformational volume is incorporated into the Monte Carlo simulation, and special stochastic sampling techniques were employed to achieve the computational efficiency needed to fold nucleic acids from scratch. This paper describes implementation details, benchmark results, and the advantages and technical challenges with this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi H Mak
- Departments of Chemistry and Quantitative and Computational Biology, and Center of Applied Mathematical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
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27
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Owen BM, Davidovich C. DNA binding by polycomb-group proteins: searching for the link to CpG islands. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:4813-4839. [PMID: 35489059 PMCID: PMC9122586 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Polycomb group proteins predominantly exist in polycomb repressive complexes (PRCs) that cooperate to maintain the repressed state of thousands of cell-type-specific genes. Targeting PRCs to the correct sites in chromatin is essential for their function. However, the mechanisms by which PRCs are recruited to their target genes in mammals are multifactorial and complex. Here we review DNA binding by polycomb group proteins. There is strong evidence that the DNA-binding subunits of PRCs and their DNA-binding activities are required for chromatin binding and CpG targeting in cells. In vitro, CpG-specific binding was observed for truncated proteins externally to the context of their PRCs. Yet, the mere DNA sequence cannot fully explain the subset of CpG islands that are targeted by PRCs in any given cell type. At this time we find very little structural and biophysical evidence to support a model where sequence-specific DNA-binding activity is required or sufficient for the targeting of CpG-dinucleotide sequences by polycomb group proteins while they are within the context of their respective PRCs, either PRC1 or PRC2. We discuss the current knowledge and open questions on how the DNA-binding activities of polycomb group proteins facilitate the targeting of PRCs to chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brady M Owen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Chen Davidovich
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,EMBL-Australia, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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28
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Razmi N, Hasanzadeh M, Willander M, Nur O. Electrochemical genosensor based on gold nanostars for the detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 DNA. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2022; 14:1562-1570. [PMID: 35357389 DOI: 10.1039/d2ay00056c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) is an enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), which has been issued as a major threat to public health worldwide due to fatal contamination of water and food. Thus, its rapid and accurate detection has tremendous importance in environmental monitoring and human health. In this regard, we report a simple and sensitive electrochemical DNA biosensor by targeting Z3276 as a genetic marker in river water. The surface of the designed gold electrode was functionalized with gold nanostars and an aminated specific sensing probe of E. coli O157:H7 to fabricate the genosensor. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) techniques were applied for electrochemical characterization and detection. The synthesized gold nanostars were characterized using different characterization techniques. The fabricated DNA-based sensor exhibited a high selective ability for one, two, and three-base mismatched sequences. Regeneration, stability, selectivity, and kinetics of the bioassay were investigated. Under optimal conditions, the fabricated genosensor exhibited a linear response range of 10-5 to 10-17 μM in the standard sample and 7.3 to 1 × 10-17 μM in water samples with a low limit of quantification of 0.01 zM in water samples. The detection strategy based on silver plated gold nanostars and DNA hybridization improved the sensitivity and specificity of the assay for E. coli O157:H7 detection in real water samples without filtration. The detection assay has the advantages of high selectivity, sensitivity, low amounts of reagents, short analysis time, commercialization, and potential application for the determination of other pathogenic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasrin Razmi
- Physics and Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, SE-601 74 Norrköping, Sweden.
| | - Mohammad Hasanzadeh
- Pharmaceutical Analysis Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51664, Iran
| | - Magnus Willander
- Physics and Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, SE-601 74 Norrköping, Sweden.
| | - Omer Nur
- Physics and Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, SE-601 74 Norrköping, Sweden.
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29
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Abstract
We study dsDNA (double strand DNA) melting in detail within varying strip-like confinement in a two-dimensional lattice model. The interplay between reduced configurational entropy and attractive base-pairing energy results in a non-monotonic melting profile of DNA. Structural transitions associated with confined DNA melting reveal a stretched or extended state for very strong confinement. By using the exact enumeration method, we investigate the emergence of a local denatured zone e.g. bubbles during DNA melting. The survival time of a single bubble within varying strip width is studied from the Fokker-Planck formalism by considering the bubble size as a reaction co-ordinate. We show that a simple lattice model can capture the sequence heterogeneity effect on DNA melting and bubble dynamics within the strip. Different time scales of bubble zipping for different DNA sequences are found, which may have potential applications in denaturation mapping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dibyajyoti Mohanta
- Department of Physics, IIT (BHU), Varanasi 221005, India.
- The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, C.I.T Campus, Taramani, Chennai 600113, India
- Homi Bhaba National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094, India
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30
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Ohira M, Katashima T, Naito M, Aoki D, Yoshikawa Y, Iwase H, Takata SI, Miyata K, Chung UI, Sakai T, Shibayama M, Li X. Star-Polymer-DNA Gels Showing Highly Predictable and Tunable Mechanical Responses. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2108818. [PMID: 35034389 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202108818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Dynamically crosslinked gels are appealing materials for applications that require time-dependent mechanical responses. DNA duplexes are ideal crosslinkers for building such gels because of their excellent sequence addressability and flexible tunability in bond energy. However, the mechanical responses of most DNA gels are complicated and unpredictable. Here, a DNA gel with a highly homogeneous gel network and well predictable mechanical behaviors is demonstrated by using a pair of star-polymer-DNA precursors with presimulated DNA sequences showing the two-state transition. The melting curve analysis of the DNA gels reveals the good correspondence between the thermodynamic potentials of the DNA crosslinkers and the presimulated values by DNA calculators. Stress-relaxation tests and dissociation kinetics measurements show that the macroscopic relaxation time of the DNA gels is approximately equal to the lifetime of the DNA crosslinkers over 4 orders of magnitude from 0.1-2000 s. Furthermore, a series of durability tests find the DNA gels are hysteresis-less and self-healable after the applications of repeated temperature and mechanical stimuli. These results demonstrate the great potential of star-polymer-DNA precursors for building gels with predictable and tunable viscoelastic properties, suitable for applications such as stress-response extracellular matrices, injectable solids, and soft robotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masashi Ohira
- Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8685, Japan
| | - Takuya Katashima
- Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8685, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Naito
- Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Daisuke Aoki
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan
| | - Yusuke Yoshikawa
- Neutron Science Laboratory, Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8581, Japan
| | - Hiroki Iwase
- Neutron Science and Technology Center, Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society (CROSS), 162-1 Shirakata, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki, 319-1106, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Takata
- Materials and Life Science Division, J-PARC Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), 2-4 Shirakata, Tokai, Ibaraki, 319-1195, Japan
| | - Kanjiro Miyata
- Department of Materials Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Ung-Il Chung
- Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8685, Japan
| | - Takamasa Sakai
- Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8685, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Shibayama
- Neutron Science and Technology Center, Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society (CROSS), 162-1 Shirakata, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki, 319-1106, Japan
| | - Xiang Li
- Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 001-0021, Japan
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31
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OxDNA to Study Species Interactions. ENTROPY 2022; 24:e24040458. [PMID: 35455121 PMCID: PMC9029285 DOI: 10.3390/e24040458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Molecular ecology uses molecular genetic data to answer traditional ecological questions in biogeography and biodiversity, among others. Several ecological principles, such as the niche hypothesis and the competitive exclusions, are based on the fact that species compete for resources. More in generally, it is now recognized that species interactions play a crucial role in determining the coexistence and abundance of species. However, experimentally controllable platforms, which allow us to study and measure competitions among species, are rare and difficult to implement. In this work, we suggest exploiting a Molecular Dynamics coarse-grained model to study interactions among single strands of DNA, representing individuals of different species, which compete for binding to other oligomers considered as resources. In particular, the well-established knowledge of DNA–DNA interactions at the nanoscale allows us to test the hypothesis that the maximum consecutive overlap between pairs of oligomers measure the species’ competitive advantages. However, we suggest that a more complex structure also plays a role in the ability of the species to successfully bind to the target resource oligomer. We complement the simulations with experiments on populations of DNA strands which qualitatively confirm our hypotheses. These tools constitute a promising starting point for further developments concerning the study of controlled, DNA-based, artificial ecosystems.
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32
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Hua Y, Ma J, Li D, Wang R. DNA-Based Biosensors for the Biochemical Analysis: A Review. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:bios12030183. [PMID: 35323453 PMCID: PMC8945906 DOI: 10.3390/bios12030183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, DNA-based biosensors have shown great potential as the candidate of the next generation biomedical detection device due to their robust chemical properties and customizable biosensing functions. Compared with the conventional biosensors, the DNA-based biosensors have advantages such as wider detection targets, more durable lifetime, and lower production cost. Additionally, the ingenious DNA structures can control the signal conduction near the biosensor surface, which could significantly improve the performance of biosensors. In order to show a big picture of the DNA biosensor's advantages, this article reviews the background knowledge and recent advances of DNA-based biosensors, including the functional DNA strands-based biosensors, DNA hybridization-based biosensors, and DNA templated biosensors. Then, the challenges and future directions of DNA-based biosensors are discussed and proposed.
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33
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Lim W, Randisi F, Doye JPK, Louis AA. The interplay of supercoiling and thymine dimers in DNA. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:2480-2492. [PMID: 35188542 PMCID: PMC8934635 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymine dimers are a major mutagenic photoproduct induced by UV radiation. While they have been the subject of extensive theoretical and experimental investigations, questions of how DNA supercoiling affects local defect properties, or, conversely, how the presence of such defects changes global supercoiled structure, are largely unexplored. Here, we introduce a model of thymine dimers in the oxDNA forcefield, parametrized by comparison to melting experiments and structural measurements of the thymine dimer induced bend angle. We performed extensive molecular dynamics simulations of double-stranded DNA as a function of external twist and force. Compared to undamaged DNA, the presence of a thymine dimer lowers the supercoiling densities at which plectonemes and bubbles occur. For biologically relevant supercoiling densities and forces, thymine dimers can preferentially segregate to the tips of the plectonemes, where they enhance the probability of a localized tip-bubble. This mechanism increases the probability of highly bent and denatured states at the thymine dimer site, which may facilitate repair enzyme binding. Thymine dimer-induced tip-bubbles also pin plectonemes, which may help repair enzymes to locate damage. We hypothesize that the interplay of supercoiling and local defects plays an important role for a wider set of DNA damage repair systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilber Lim
- Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
| | - Ferdinando Randisi
- Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
- FabricNano Limited, 192 Drummond St, London NW1 3HP, UK
| | - Jonathan P K Doye
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QZ, UK
| | - Ard A Louis
- Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
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34
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Chiticaru EA, Pilan L, Ioniţă M. Electrochemical Detection Platform Based on RGO Functionalized with Diazonium Salt for DNA Hybridization. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:39. [PMID: 35049667 PMCID: PMC8773470 DOI: 10.3390/bios12010039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we propose an improved electrochemical platform based on graphene for the detection of DNA hybridization. Commercial screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) were used for this purpose due to their ease of functionalization and miniaturization opportunities. SPCEs were modified with reduced graphene oxide (RGO), offering a suitable surface for further functionalization. Therefore, aryl-carboxyl groups were integrated onto RGO-modified electrodes by electrochemical reduction of the corresponding diazonium salt to provide enough reaction sites for the covalent immobilization of amino-modified DNA probes. Our final goal was to determine the optimum conditions needed to fabricate a simple, label-free RGO-based electrochemical platform to detect the hybridization between two complementary single-stranded DNA molecules. Each modification step in the fabrication process was monitored by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) using [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- as a redox reporter. Although, the diazonium electrografted layer displayed the expected blocking effect of the charge transfer, the next steps in the modification procedure resulted in enhanced electron transfer properties of the electrode interface. We suggest that the improvement in the charge transfer after the DNA hybridization process could be exploited as a prospective sensing feature. The morphological and structural characterization of the modified electrodes performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy, respectively, were used to validate different modification steps in the platform fabrication process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena A. Chiticaru
- Faculty of Medical Engineering, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Gh Polizu 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Luisa Pilan
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Gh Polizu 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mariana Ioniţă
- Faculty of Medical Engineering, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Gh Polizu 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania;
- Advanced Polymer Materials Group, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Gh Polizu 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
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35
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Vermeer B, Schmid S. Can DyeCycling break the photobleaching limit in single-molecule FRET? NANO RESEARCH 2022; 15:9818-9830. [PMID: 35582137 PMCID: PMC9101981 DOI: 10.1007/s12274-022-4420-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Biomolecular systems, such as proteins, crucially rely on dynamic processes at the nanoscale. Detecting biomolecular nanodynamics is therefore key to obtaining a mechanistic understanding of the energies and molecular driving forces that control biomolecular systems. Single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) is a powerful technique to observe in real-time how a single biomolecule proceeds through its functional cycle involving a sequence of distinct structural states. Currently, this technique is fundamentally limited by irreversible photobleaching, causing the untimely end of the experiment and thus, a narrow temporal bandwidth of ≤ 3 orders of magnitude. Here, we introduce "DyeCycling", a measurement scheme with which we aim to break the photobleaching limit in smFRET. We introduce the concept of spontaneous dye replacement by simulations, and as an experimental proof-of-concept, we demonstrate the intermittent observation of a single biomolecule for one hour with a time resolution of milliseconds. Theoretically, DyeCycling can provide > 100-fold more information per single molecule than conventional smFRET. We discuss the experimental implementation of DyeCycling, its current and fundamental limitations, and specific biological use cases. Given its general simplicity and versatility, DyeCycling has the potential to revolutionize the field of time-resolved smFRET, where it may serve to unravel a wealth of biomolecular dynamics by bridging from milliseconds to the hour range. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.1007/s12274-022-4420-5 and is accessible for authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Vermeer
- NanoDynamicsLab, Laboratory of Biophysics, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sonja Schmid
- NanoDynamicsLab, Laboratory of Biophysics, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
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36
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Liu H, Hong F, Smith F, Goertz J, Ouldridge T, Stevens MM, Yan H, Šulc P. Kinetics of RNA and RNA:DNA Hybrid Strand Displacement. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:3066-3073. [PMID: 34752075 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In nucleic acid nanotechnology, strand displacement is a widely used mechanism where one strand from a hybridized duplex is exchanged with an invading strand that binds to a toehold, a single-stranded region on the duplex. It is used to perform logic operations on a molecular level, initiate cascaded reactions, or even for in vivo diagnostics and treatments. While systematic experimental studies have been carried out to probe the kinetics of strand displacement in DNA with different toehold lengths, sequences, and mismatch positions, there has not been a comparable investigation of RNA or RNA-DNA hybrid systems. Here, we experimentally study how toehold length, toehold location (5' or 3' end of the strand), and mismatches influence the strand displacement kinetics. We observe reaction acceleration with increasing toehold length and placement of the toehold at the 5' end of the substrate. We find that mismatches closer to the interface of toehold and duplex slow down the reaction more than remote mismatches. A comparison of RNA and DNA displacement with hybrid displacement (RNA invading DNA or DNA invading RNA) is partly explainable by the thermodynamic stabilities of the respective toehold regions, but also suggests that the rearrangement from B-form to A-form helix in the case of RNA invading DNA might play a role in the kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Liu
- Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at the Biodesign Institute and School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Fan Hong
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Francesca Smith
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - John Goertz
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Thomas Ouldridge
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Molly M. Stevens
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Hao Yan
- Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at the Biodesign Institute and School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Petr Šulc
- Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at the Biodesign Institute and School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
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37
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Jones M, Ashwood B, Tokmakoff A, Ferguson AL. Determining Sequence-Dependent DNA Oligonucleotide Hybridization and Dehybridization Mechanisms Using Coarse-Grained Molecular Simulation, Markov State Models, and Infrared Spectroscopy. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:17395-17411. [PMID: 34644072 PMCID: PMC8554761 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c05219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A robust understanding of the sequence-dependent thermodynamics of DNA hybridization has enabled rapid advances in DNA nanotechnology. A fundamental understanding of the sequence-dependent kinetics and mechanisms of hybridization and dehybridization remains comparatively underdeveloped. In this work, we establish new understanding of the sequence-dependent hybridization/dehybridization kinetics and mechanism within a family of self-complementary pairs of 10-mer DNA oligomers by integrating coarse-grained molecular simulation, machine learning of the slow dynamical modes, data-driven inference of long-time kinetic models, and experimental temperature-jump infrared spectroscopy. For a repetitive ATATATATAT sequence, we resolve a rugged dynamical landscape comprising multiple metastable states, numerous competing hybridization/dehybridization pathways, and a spectrum of dynamical relaxations. Introduction of a G:C pair at the terminus (GATATATATC) or center (ATATGCATAT) of the sequence reduces the ruggedness of the dynamics landscape by eliminating a number of metastable states and reducing the number of competing dynamical pathways. Only by introducing a G:C pair midway between the terminus and the center to maximally disrupt the repetitive nature of the sequence (ATGATATCAT) do we recover a canonical "all-or-nothing" two-state model of hybridization/dehybridization with no intermediate metastable states. Our results establish new understanding of the dynamical richness of sequence-dependent kinetics and mechanisms of DNA hybridization/dehybridization by furnishing quantitative and predictive kinetic models of the dynamical transition network between metastable states, present a molecular basis with which to understand experimental temperature jump data, and furnish foundational design rules by which to rationally engineer the kinetics and pathways of DNA association and dissociation for DNA nanotechnology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael
S. Jones
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, The University
of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United
States
| | - Brennan Ashwood
- Department
of Chemistry, Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, and James Franck
Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Andrei Tokmakoff
- Department
of Chemistry, Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, and James Franck
Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Andrew L. Ferguson
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, The University
of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United
States
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38
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Nicholson DA, Jia B, Nesbitt DJ. Measuring Excess Heat Capacities of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Folding at the Single-Molecule Level. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:9719-9726. [PMID: 34415161 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c05555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Measurements of the thermodynamic properties of biomolecular folding (ΔG°, ΔH°, ΔS°, etc.) provide a wealth of information on the folding process and have long played a central role in biophysical investigation. In particular, the excess heat capacity of folding (ΔCP) is crucial, as typically measured in bulk ensemble studies by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Here, we report the first measurements of ΔCP at the single-molecule level using the single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) as well as the very first measurements of the heat capacity change associated with achieving the transition state (ΔC‡P) for nucleic acid folding. The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hairpin used in these studies exhibits an excess heat capacity for hybridization (ΔCP = -340 ± 60 J/mol/K per base pair) consistent with the range of literature expectations (ΔCP = -100 to -420 J/mol/K per base pair). Furthermore, the measured activation heat capacities (ΔC‡P) for such hairpin unfolding are consistent with a folding transition state containing few fully formed base pairs, in agreement with prevailing models of DNA hybridization.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Nicholson
- JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Bin Jia
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - David J Nesbitt
- JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.,Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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39
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Wong KL, Liu J. Factors and methods to modulate DNA hybridization kinetics. Biotechnol J 2021; 16:e2000338. [PMID: 34411451 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202000338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
DNA oligonucleotides are widely used in a diverse range of research fields from analytical chemistry, molecular biology, nanotechnology to drug delivery. In these applications, DNA hybridization is often the most important enabling reaction. Achieving control over hybridization kinetics and a high yield of hybridized products is needed to ensure high-quality and reproducible results. Since DNA strands are highly negatively charged and can also fold upon itself to form various intramolecular structures, DNA hybridization needs to overcome these barriers. Nucleation and diffusion are two main kinetic limiting steps although their relative importance differs in different conditions. The effects of length and sequence, temperature, pH, salt concentration, cationic polymers, organic solvents, freezing and crowding agents are summarized in the context of overcoming these barriers. This article will help researchers in the biotechnology-related fields to better understand and control DNA hybridization, as well as provide a landscape for future work in simulation and experiment to optimize DNA hybridization systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kingsley L Wong
- Department of Chemistry, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Juewen Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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40
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Laouer K, Schmid M, Wien F, Changenet P, Hache F. Folding Dynamics of DNA G-Quadruplexes Probed by Millisecond Temperature Jump Circular Dichroism. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:8088-8098. [PMID: 34279936 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c01993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
G-quadruplexes play important roles in cellular regulatory functions, but despite significant experimental and theoretical efforts, their folding mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this context, we developed a T-jump experiment to access the thermal denaturation and renaturation dynamics of short intramolecular G-quadruplexes in vitro, on the time scale of a few hundred milliseconds. With this new setup, we compared the thermal denaturation and renaturation kinetics of three antiparallel topologies made of the human telomeric sequences d[(5'-GGG(TTAGGG)3-3']/Na+ and d[5'-AGGG(TTAGGG)3-3']/Na+ and the thrombin-binding aptamer sequence d[5'-GGTTGGTGTGGTTGG-3']/K+, with those of the parallel topology made of the human CEB25 minisatellite d[5'-AAGGGTGGGTGTAAGTGTGGGTGGGT-3']/Na+. In all cases, exponential kinetics of the order of several hundred milliseconds were observed. Measurements performed for different initial temperatures revealed distinct denaturation and renaturation dynamics, ruling out a simple two-state mechanism. The parallel topology, in which all guanines adopt an anti conformation, displays much slower dynamics than antiparallel topologies associated with very low activation barriers. This behavior can be explained by the constrained conformational space due to the presence of the single-base propeller loops that likely hinders the movement of the coiled DNA strand and reduces the contribution of the entropy during the renaturation process at high temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Laouer
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS -INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Cedex Palaiseau, France
| | - M Schmid
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS -INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Cedex Palaiseau, France
| | - F Wien
- L'orme des merisiers, Synchrotron SOLEIL, 91192 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - P Changenet
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS -INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Cedex Palaiseau, France
| | - F Hache
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS -INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Cedex Palaiseau, France
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41
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Kundu N, Young BE, Sczepanski JT. Kinetics of heterochiral strand displacement from PNA-DNA heteroduplexes. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:6114-6127. [PMID: 34125895 PMCID: PMC8216467 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Dynamic DNA nanodevices represent powerful tools for the interrogation and manipulation of biological systems. Yet, implementation remains challenging due to nuclease degradation and other cellular factors. Use of l-DNA, the nuclease resistant enantiomer of native d-DNA, provides a promising solution. On this basis, we recently developed a strand displacement methodology, referred to as ‘heterochiral’ strand displacement, that enables robust l-DNA nanodevices to be sequence-specifically interfaced with endogenous d-nucleic acids. However, the underlying reaction – strand displacement from PNA–DNA heteroduplexes – remains poorly characterized, limiting design capabilities. Herein, we characterize the kinetics of strand displacement from PNA–DNA heteroduplexes and show that reaction rates can be predictably tuned based on several common design parameters, including toehold length and mismatches. Moreover, we investigate the impact of nucleic acid stereochemistry on reaction kinetics and thermodynamics, revealing important insights into the biophysical mechanisms of heterochiral strand displacement. Importantly, we show that strand displacement from PNA–DNA heteroduplexes is compatible with RNA inputs, the most common nucleic acid target for intracellular applications. Overall, this work greatly improves the understanding of heterochiral strand displacement reactions and will be useful in the rational design and optimization of l-DNA nanodevices that operate at the interface with biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandini Kundu
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Brian E Young
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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42
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Poppleton E, Romero R, Mallya A, Rovigatti L, Šulc P. OxDNA.org: a public webserver for coarse-grained simulations of DNA and RNA nanostructures. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:W491-W498. [PMID: 34009383 PMCID: PMC8265093 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OxDNA and oxRNA are popular coarse-grained models used by the DNA/RNA nanotechnology community to prototype, analyze and rationalize designed DNA and RNA nanostructures. Here, we present oxDNA.org, a graphical web interface for running, visualizing and analyzing oxDNA and oxRNA molecular dynamics simulations on a GPU-enabled high performance computing server. OxDNA.org automatically generates simulation files, including a multi-step relaxation protocol for structures exported in non-physical states from DNA/RNA design tools. Once the simulation is complete, oxDNA.org provides an interactive visualization and analysis interface using the browser-based visualizer oxView to facilitate the understanding of simulation results for a user's specific structure. This online tool significantly lowers the entry barrier of integrating simulations in the nanostructure design pipeline for users who are not experts in the technical aspects of molecular simulation. The webserver is freely available at oxdna.org.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Poppleton
- School of Molecular Sciences and Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 South McAllister Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Roger Romero
- School of Molecular Sciences and Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 South McAllister Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Aatmik Mallya
- School of Molecular Sciences and Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 South McAllister Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Lorenzo Rovigatti
- Department of Physics, Sapienza Università di Roma, P.le A. Moro 2 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Petr Šulc
- School of Molecular Sciences and Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 South McAllister Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
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43
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Khakimzhan A, Garenne D, Tickman B, Fontana J, Carothers J, Noireaux V. Complex dependence of CRISPR-Cas9 binding strength on guide RNA spacer lengths. Phys Biol 2021; 18:056003. [PMID: 34102625 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ac091e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
It is established that for CRISPR-Cas9 applications guide RNAs with 17-20 bp long spacer sequences are optimal for accurate target binding and cleavage. In this work we perform cell-free CRISPRa (CRISPR activation) and CRISPRi (CRISPR inhibition) experiments to demonstrate the existence of a complex dependence of CRISPR-Cas9 binding as a function of the spacer length and complementarity. Our results show that significantly truncated or mismatched spacer sequences can form stronger guide-target bonds than the conventional 17-20 bp long spacers. To explain this phenomenon, we take into consideration previous structural and single-molecule CRISPR-Cas9 experiments and develop a novel thermodynamic model of CRISPR-Cas9 target recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aset Khakimzhan
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, 115 Union Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States of America
| | - David Garenne
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, 115 Union Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States of America
| | - Benjamin Tickman
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States of America
| | - Jason Fontana
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States of America
| | - James Carothers
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States of America
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States of America
- Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States of America
| | - Vincent Noireaux
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, 115 Union Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States of America
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44
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Sengar A, Ouldridge TE, Henrich O, Rovigatti L, Šulc P. A Primer on the oxDNA Model of DNA: When to Use it, How to Simulate it and How to Interpret the Results. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:693710. [PMID: 34235181 PMCID: PMC8256390 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.693710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The oxDNA model of Deoxyribonucleic acid has been applied widely to systems in biology, biophysics and nanotechnology. It is currently available via two independent open source packages. Here we present a set of clearly documented exemplar simulations that simultaneously provide both an introduction to simulating the model, and a review of the model's fundamental properties. We outline how simulation results can be interpreted in terms of-and feed into our understanding of-less detailed models that operate at larger length scales, and provide guidance on whether simulating a system with oxDNA is worthwhile.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Sengar
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - T. E. Ouldridge
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - O. Henrich
- Department of Physics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - L. Rovigatti
- Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- CNR Institute of Complex Systems, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - P. Šulc
- Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
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45
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Stein JAC, Ianeselli A, Braun D. Kinetic Microscale Thermophoresis for Simultaneous Measurement of Binding Affinity and Kinetics. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202101261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julian A. C. Stein
- Systems Biophysics Department of Physics Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Center for NanoScience Amalienstasse 54 80799 München Germany
| | - Alan Ianeselli
- Systems Biophysics Department of Physics Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Center for NanoScience Amalienstasse 54 80799 München Germany
| | - Dieter Braun
- Systems Biophysics Department of Physics Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Center for NanoScience Amalienstasse 54 80799 München Germany
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46
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Stein JAC, Ianeselli A, Braun D. Kinetic Microscale Thermophoresis for Simultaneous Measurement of Binding Affinity and Kinetics. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:13988-13995. [PMID: 33793031 PMCID: PMC8251828 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202101261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Microscale thermophoresis (MST) is a versatile technique to measure binding affinities of binder-ligand systems, based on the directional movement of molecules in a temperature gradient. We extended MST to measure binding kinetics as well as binding affinity in a single experiment by increasing the thermal dissipation of the sample. The kinetic relaxation fingerprints were derived from the fluorescence changes during thermodynamic re-equilibration of the sample after local heating. Using this method, we measured DNA hybridization on-rates and off-rates in the range 104 -106 m-1 s-1 and 10-4 -10-1 s-1 , respectively. We observed the expected exponential dependence of the DNA hybridization off-rates on salt concentration, strand length and inverse temperature. The measured on-rates showed a linear dependence on salt concentration and weak dependence on strand length and temperature. For biomolecular interactions with large enthalpic contributions, the kinetic MST technique offers a robust, cost-effective and immobilization-free determination of kinetic rates and binding affinity simultaneously, even in crowded solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian A C Stein
- Systems Biophysics, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Center for NanoScience, Amalienstasse 54, 80799, München, Germany
| | - Alan Ianeselli
- Systems Biophysics, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Center for NanoScience, Amalienstasse 54, 80799, München, Germany
| | - Dieter Braun
- Systems Biophysics, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Center for NanoScience, Amalienstasse 54, 80799, München, Germany
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47
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Penth M, Schellnhuber K, Bennewitz R, Blass J. Nanomechanics of self-assembled DNA building blocks. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:9371-9380. [PMID: 33999986 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr06865a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
DNA has become a powerful platform to design functional nanodevices. DNA nanodevices are often composed of self-assembled DNA building blocks that differ significantly from the structure of native DNA. In this study, we present Flow Force Microscopy as a massively parallel approach to study the nanomechanics of DNA self-assemblies on the single-molecular level. The high-throughput experiments performed in a simple microfluidic channel enable statistically meaningful studies with nanometer scale precision in a time frame of several minutes. A surprisingly high flexibility was observed for a typical construct used in DNA origami, reflected in a persistence length of 10.2 nm, a factor of five smaller than for native DNA. The enhanced flexibility is attributed to the discontinuous backbone of DNA self-assemblies that facilitate base pair opening by thermal fluctuations at the end of hybridized oligomers. We believe that the results will contribute to the fundamental understanding of DNA nanomechanics and help to improve the design of DNA nanodevices with applications in biological analysis and clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Penth
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D22, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany. and Physics Department, Campus D22, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Kordula Schellnhuber
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D22, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany. and Physics Department, Campus D22, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Roland Bennewitz
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D22, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany. and Physics Department, Campus D22, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Johanna Blass
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D22, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
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48
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Broadwater DWB, Cook AW, Kim HD. First passage time study of DNA strand displacement. Biophys J 2021; 120:2400-2412. [PMID: 33894217 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.01.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA strand displacement, in which a single-stranded nucleic acid invades a DNA duplex, is pervasive in genomic processes and DNA engineering applications. The kinetics of strand displacement have been studied in bulk; however, the kinetics of the underlying strand exchange were obfuscated by a slow bimolecular association step. Here, we use a novel single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer approach termed the "fission" assay to obtain the full distribution of first passage times of unimolecular strand displacement. At a frame time of 4.4 ms, the first passage time distribution for a 14-nucleotide displacement domain exhibited a nearly monotonic decay with little delay. Among the eight different sequences we tested, the mean displacement time was on average 35 ms and varied by up to a factor of 13. The measured displacement kinetics also varied between complementary invaders and between RNA and DNA invaders of the same base sequence, except for T → U substitution. However, displacement times were largely insensitive to the monovalent salt concentration in the range of 0.25-1 M. Using a one-dimensional random walk model, we infer that the single-step displacement time is in the range of ∼30-300 μs, depending on the base identity. The framework presented here is broadly applicable to the kinetic analysis of multistep processes investigated at the single-molecule level.
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Affiliation(s)
- D W Bo Broadwater
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Alexander W Cook
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Harold D Kim
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia.
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49
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DNA hybridisation kinetics using single-molecule fluorescence imaging. Essays Biochem 2021; 65:27-36. [PMID: 33491734 PMCID: PMC8056036 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20200040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hybridisation plays a key role in many biological processes and nucleic acid biotechnologies, yet surprisingly there are many aspects about the process which are still unknown. Prior to the invention of single-molecule microscopy, DNA hybridisation experiments were conducted at the ensemble level, and thus it was impossible to directly observe individual hybridisation events and understand fully the kinetics of DNA hybridisation. In this mini-review, recent single-molecule fluorescence-based studies of DNA hybridisation are discussed, particularly for short nucleic acids, to gain more insight into the kinetics of DNA hybridisation. As well as looking at single-molecule studies of intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting DNA hybridisation kinetics, the influence of the methods used to detect hybridisation of single DNAs is considered. Understanding the kinetics of DNA hybridisation not only gives insight into an important biological process but also allows for further advancements in the growing field of nucleic acid biotechnology.
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50
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He S, Liu M, Yin F, Liu J, Ge Z, Li F, Li M, Shi J, Wang L, Mao X, Zuo X, Li Q. Programming folding cooperativity of the dimeric i-motif with DNA frameworks for sensing small pH variations. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 57:3247-3250. [PMID: 33646233 DOI: 10.1039/d1cc00266j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The response sensitivity of a molecular sensor is determined by the folding cooperativity of its responsive module. Using an H+-responsive dimeric DNA i-motif as a model, we demonstrate the enhancement of its folding cooperativity through preorganization by a DNA framework, and with it we fabricate robust intracellular pH sensors with high response sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiliang He
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Nanomedicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China
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