ABSTRACT
The crystal structures of the B-DNA dodecamer d(CGCGTTAACGCG) duplex (T2A2), with the inverted tetranucleotide core from the duplex d(CGCGAATTCGCG) [A2T2, Dickerson & Drew (1981). J. Mol. Biol. 149, 761-768], and its netropsin complex (T2A2-N) have been determined at 2.3 A resolution. The crystals are orthorhombic, space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), unit-cell dimensions of a = 25.7, b = 40.5 and c = 67.0 A, for T2A2 and a = 25.49, b = 40.87, c = 67.02 A for T2A2-N and are isomorphous with A2T2. The native T2A2 structure, with 70 water molecules had a final R value of 0.15 for 1522 reflections (F > 2sigma), while for the netropsin complex, with 87 water molecules, the R value was 0.16 for 2420 reflections. In T2A2, a discontinuous string of zig-zagging water molecules hydrate the narrow A.T minor groove. In T2A2-N, netropsin binds in one orientation in the minor groove, covering the TTAA central region, by displacing the string of waters, forming the majority of hydrogen bonds with DNA atoms in one strand, and causing very little perturbation of the native structure. The helical twist angle in T2A2 is largest at the duplex center, corresponding to the cleavage site by the restriction enzymes HpaI and HincII. The sequence inversion AATT-->TTAA of the tetranucleotide at the center of the molecule results in a different path for the local helix axis in T2A2 and A2T2 but the overall bending is similar in both cases.
ABSTRACT
We have built computer models of triple helical structures with a third poly(dT) strand Hoogsteen base paired to the major groove of a poly(dA).poly(dT) Watson-Crick (WC) base-paired duplex in the canonical A-DNA as well as B-DNA. For the A-DNA form, the sugar-phosphate backbone of the third strand intertwines and clashes with the poly(dA) strand requiring a radical alteration of the duplex to access the hydrogen bonding sites in the major groove. In contrast, when the duplex was in the canonical B-DNA form, the third strand was readily accommodated in the major groove without perturbing the duplex. The triple helical model, with the duplex in the B-DNA form, was equilibrated for 400ps using molecular dynamics simulations including water molecules and counter-ions. During the entire simulations, the deoxyriboses of the adenine strand oscillate between the S-type and E-type conformations. However, 30% of the sugars of the thymine strands-II & III switch to the N-type conformation early in the simulations but return to the S-type conformation after 200ps. In the equilibrium structure, the WC duplex portion of the triplex is unique and its geometry differs from both the A- or B-DNA. the deoxyriboses of the three strands predominantly exhibit S-type conformation. Besides the sugar pucker, the major groove width and the base-tilt are analogous to B-DNA, while the X-displacement and helical twist resemble A-DNA, giving a unique structure to the triplex and the Watson & Crick and Hoogsteen duplexes.
Subject(s)
DNA/chemistry , Models, Molecular , Nucleic Acid Conformation , Polydeoxyribonucleotides/chemistry , Computer Simulation , Fourier Analysis , Poly T/chemistry , Poly dA-dT/chemistry , Purines/chemistry , Pyrimidines/chemistryABSTRACT
In the crystal structure of troponin C, the holo C-domain is bound in a head-to-tail fashion to the A-helix of the apo N-domain of a symmetry-related molecule. Using this interaction, we have proposed a model for the calmodulin-peptide complex. We find that the interaction of the C-domain with the A-helix is similar to that observed in the NMR structure of the calmodulin-myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) peptide complex. This similarity in binding has enabled us to make a precise sequence alignment of the target peptides in the calmodulin-binding cleft and to rationalize the amino acid sequence-dependent binding strengths of various peptides. Our model differs from that proposed by Strynadka and James (Proteins Struct. Funct. Genet. 7, 234-248, 1990) in that the peptides are rotated by 100 degrees in the calmodulin binding cleft.
