Emergent ribozyme behaviors in oxychlorine brines indicate a unique niche for molecular evolution on Mars.

Mars is a particularly attractive candidate among known astronomical objects to potentially host life. Results from space exploration missions have provided insights into Martian geochemistry that indicate oxychlorine species, particularly perchlorate, are ubiquitous features of the Martian geochemical landscape. Perchlorate presents potential obstacles for known forms of life due to its toxicity. However, it can also provide potential benefits, such as producing brines by deliquescence, like those thought to exist on present-day Mars. Here we show perchlorate brines support folding and catalysis of functional RNAs, while inactivating representative protein enzymes. Additionally, we show perchlorate and other oxychlorine species enable ribozyme functions, including homeostasis-like regulatory behavior and ribozyme-catalyzed chlorination of organic molecules. We suggest nucleic acids are uniquely well-suited to hypersaline Martian environments. Furthermore, Martian near- or subsurface oxychlorine brines, and brines found in potential lifeforms, could provide a unique niche for biomolecular evolution.

DNA G-quadruplexes are uniquely stable in the presence of denaturants and monovalent cations.

Ions in the Hofmeister series exhibit varied effects on biopolymers. Those classed as kosmotropes generally stabilize secondary structure, and those classed as chaotropes generally destabilize secondary structure. Here, we report that several anionic chaotropes exhibit unique effects on one DNA secondary structure - a G quadruplex. These chaotropes exhibit the expected behaviour (destabilization of secondary structure) in two other structural contexts: a DNA duplex and i-Motifs. Uniquely among secondary structures, we observe that G quadruplexes are comparatively insensitive to the presence of anionic chaotropes, but not other denaturants. Further, the presence of equimolar NaCl provided greater mitigation of the destabilization caused by other non-anionic denaturants. These results are consistent with the presence of monovalent cations providing an especially pronounced stabilizing effect to G quadruplexes when studied in denaturing solution conditions.

Switchable DNA-Based Peroxidases Controlled by a Chaotropic Ion.

Here we demonstrate a switchable DNA electron-transfer catalyst, enabled by selective destabilization of secondary structure by the denaturant, perchlorate. The system is comprised of two strands, one of which can be selectively switched between a G-quadruplex and duplex or single-stranded conformations. In the G-quadruplex state, it binds hemin, enabling peroxidase activity. This switching ability arises from our finding that perchlorate, a chaotropic Hofmeister ion, selectively destabilizes duplex over G-quadruplex DNA. By varying perchlorate concentration, we show that the DNA structure can be switched between states that do and do not catalyze electron-transfer catalysis. State switching can be achieved in three ways: thermally, by dilution, or by concentration.

Visualizing Blood Vessel Development in Cultured Mouse Embryos Using Lightsheet Microscopy.

Lightsheet microscopy is a form of fluorescence microscopy that can be used to visualize specimen with high resolution, a large depth-of-field, and minimal photodamage and photobleaching as compared to traditional confocal microscopy. As this technology becomes much more readily available, it will be useful in revealing new findings in the cardiovascular development field that may be hidden or difficult to image. In this manuscript, we describe an approach for mounting and culturing postimplantation mouse embryos to visualize blood vessel development with a lightsheet microscope.

Rapid deployment of smartphone-based augmented reality tools for field and online education in structural biology.

Structural biology education commonly employs molecular visualization software, such as PyMol, RasMol, and VMD, to allow students to appreciate structure-function relationships in biomolecules. In on-ground, classroom-based education, these programs are commonly used on University-owned devices with software preinstalled. Remote education typically involves the use of student-owned devices, which complicates the use of such software, owing to the fact that (a) student devices have differing configurations (e.g., Windows vs MacOS) and processing power, and (b) not all student devices are suitable for use with such software. Smartphones are near-ubiquitous devices, with smartphone ownership exceeding personal computer ownership, according to a recent survey. Here, we show the use of a smartphone-based augmented reality app, Augment, in a structural biology classroom exercise, which students installed independently without IT support. Post-lab attitudinal survey results indicate positive student experiences with this app. Based on our experiences, we suggest that smartphone-based molecular visualization software, such as that used in this exercise, is a powerful educational tool that is particularly well-suited for use in remote education.

Methods for thermal denaturation studies of nucleic acids in complex with fluorogenic dyes.

Thermal denaturation is a common technique in the biophysical study of nucleic acids. These experiments are typically performed by monitoring the increase in absorbance (hyperchromism) of a sample at 260nm with temperature (Mergny & Lacroix, 2003; Puglisi & Tinoco, 1989). This wavelength is chosen as nucleic acids of mixed sequence typically exhibit their maximum absorbance here. Exceptions exist, however, some noncanonical nucleic acid structures exhibit differing spectral changes with temperature, resulting in other wavelengths being convenient reporters of secondary structure. In the case of nucleic acids that bind visible light-absorbing ligands, such as fluorogenic aptamers, another wavelength can be a convenient reporter of secondary structure stability and RNA-ligand recognition. As it can be difficult, if not impossible, to know which wavelength to employ a priori, we have developed a system for obtaining the full UV-visible spectrum of a sample at each wavelength, allowing for the subsequent extraction of the absorbance-temperature profile at the desired wavelength. Here, we describe the apparatus and software used to do so. We also describe another technique for the use of a qPCR instrument for measuring secondary structure stability of fluorescent nucleic acid-ligand complexes.

Hemodynamic force is required for vascular smooth muscle cell recruitment to blood vessels during mouse embryonic development.

Blood vessel maturation, which is characterized by the investment of vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs) around developing blood vessels, begins when vessels remodel into a hierarchy of proximal arteries and proximal veins that branch into smaller distal capillaries. The ultimate result of maturation is formation of the tunica media-the middlemost layer of a vessel that is composed of vSMCs and acts to control vessel integrity and vascular tone. Though many studies have implicated the role of various signaling molecules in regulating maturation, no studies have determined a role for hemodynamic force in the regulation of maturation in the mouse. In the current study, we provide evidence that a hemodynamic force-dependent mechanism occurs in the mouse because reduced blood flow mouse embryos exhibited a diminished or absent coverage of vSMCs around vessels, and in normal-flow embryos, extent of coverage correlated to the amount of blood flow that vessels were exposed to. We also determine that the cellular mechanism of force-induced maturation was not by promoting vSMC differentiation/proliferation, but instead involved the recruitment of vSMCs away from neighboring low-flow distal capillaries towards high-flow vessels. Finally, we hypothesize that hemodynamic force may regulate expression of specific signaling molecules to control vSMC recruitment to high-flow vessels, as reduction of flow results in the misexpression of Semaphorin 3A, 3F, 3G, and the Notch target gene Hey1, all of which are implicated in controlling vessel maturation. This study reveals another role for hemodynamic force in regulating blood vessel development of the mouse, and opens up a new model to begin elucidating mechanotransduction pathways regulating vascular maturation.

The effects of reduced hemodynamic loading on morphogenesis of the mouse embryonic heart.

Development of the embryonic heart involves an intricate network of biochemical and genetic cues to ensure its proper growth and morphogenesis. However, studies from avian and teleost models reveal that biomechanical force, namely hemodynamic loading (blood pressure and shear stress), plays a significant role in regulating heart development. To study how hemodynamic loading impacts development of the mammalian embryonic heart, we utilized mouse embryo culture and manipulation techniques and performed optical projection tomography imaging followed by morphometric analysis to determine how reduced-loading affects heart volume, myocardial thickness, trabeculation and looping. Our results reveal that hemodynamic loading can regulate these features at different thresholds. Intermediate levels of hemodynamic loading are sufficient to promote proper myocardial growth and heart size, but insufficient to promote looping and trabeculation. Whereas, low levels of hemodynamic loading fails to promote proper growth of the myocardium and heart size. These results reveal that the regulation of heart development by biomechanical force is conserved across many vertebrate classes, and this study begins to elucidate how these specific forces regulate development of the mammalian heart.