Effect of terminal 3'-hydroxymethyl modification of an RNA primer on nonenzymatic primer extension.

The significance of the precise position of the hydroxyl at the 3'-end of an RNA primer for nonenzymatic template-directed primer extension is not well understood. We show that an RNA primer terminating in 3'-hydroxymethyl-2',3'-dideoxy-guanosine has greatly diminished activity, suggesting that the spatial preorganization of the terminal sugar contributes significantly to the efficiency of primer extension.

Synthesis and NMR assignment of the two diastereomers of 8,6'-cyclo-2',6'-dideoxyadenosine.

We herein present the first synthesis and characterization of the two C5' diastereomers of 8,6'-cyclo-2',6'-dideoxyadenosine. Starting from commercially available 2'-deoxyadenosine, the target cyclonucleosides were synthesized in 11 linear steps. Following a zinc-mediated cyclization reaction to form the seven-membered ring, the stereochemistry of the newly formed chiral center was established using two-dimensional NOESY NMR experiments.

2,3-Dicyclohexylsuccinimide as a directing/protecting group for the regioselective glycosylation or alkylation of purines.

Here we describe the synthesis and application of a novel 2,3-dicyclohexylsuccinimide (Cy2SI) protecting group towards regioselective purine glycosylation and alkylation reactions. This bulky protecting group promotes high regioselectivity during the glycosylation (as well as diastereoselectivity) or alkylation of purines using Hoffer's chlorosugar or tert-butyl bromoacetate, respectively. Cy2SI offers the additional synthetic advantage that other base-labile protecting groups, such as toluoyl esters, can be selectively removed in its presence without affecting the imide.

Synthesis and properties of DNA containing cyclonucleosides.

Here, we present efficient syntheses of the R and S diastereomers of 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyadenosine and 6,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyuridine. We incorporated these interesting nucleosides into DNA to study how the cyclo linkage affects the stability of duplex formation.

An efficient synthetic approach to 6,5'-(S)- and 6,5'-(R)-cyclouridine.

Here we present new routes for the efficient syntheses of 6,5'-(S)- and 6,5'-(R)-cyclouridine. The syntheses utilize readily accessible uridine as a starting material. This route to the R diastereomer is significantly more efficient than previous synthetic efforts, allowing us to obtain large amounts of pure material for future biological testing.

Pyrovanadolysis, a pyrophosphorolysis-like reaction mediated by pyrovanadate, Mn2+, and DNA polymerase of bacteriophage T7.

DNA polymerases catalyze the 3'-5'-pyrophosphorolysis of a DNA primer annealed to a DNA template in the presence of pyrophosphate (PP(i)). In this reversal of the polymerization reaction, deoxynucleotides in DNA are converted to deoxynucleoside 5'-triphosphates. Based on the charge, size, and geometry of the oxygen connecting the two phosphorus atoms of PP(i), a variety of compounds was examined for their ability to carry out a reaction similar to pyrophosphorolysis. We describe a manganese-mediated pyrophosphorolysis-like activity using pyrovanadate (VV) catalyzed by the DNA polymerase of bacteriophage T7. We designate this reaction pyrovanadolysis. X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals a shorter Mn-V distance of the polymerase-VV complex than the Mn-P distance of the polymerase-PP(i) complex. This structural arrangement at the active site accounts for the enzymatic activation by Mn-VV. We propose that the Mn(2+), larger than Mg(2+), fits the polymerase active site to mediate binding of VV into the active site of the polymerase. Our results may be the first documentation that vanadium can substitute for phosphorus in biological processes.

Stability of DNA containing a structural water mimic in an A-T rich sequence.

We describe here the synthesis and properties of A-T rich DNA containing covalently bound water mimics located in the DNA minor groove.

Preparation of the 2'-deoxynucleosides of 2,6-diaminopurine and isoguanine by direct glycosylation.

The purine nucleoside 2,6-diaminopurine-2'-deoxyriboside is prepared by the direct glycosylation of the 2,6-bis(tetramethylsuccinimide) derivative of the parent purine heterocycle 4 with 2-deoxy-3,5-di-O-(p-toluoyl)-alpha-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl chloride 5 using the sodium salt method. 2'-Deoxyisoguanosine is prepared from 2,6-diaminopurine by a five-step procedure. The purine heterocycle isoguanine is prepared by selective diazotization of 2,6-diaminopurine and then converted to the N9-trityl derivative to increase solubility. After silylation of the O(2)-carbonyl with TMSCl, the N(6)-amino group is protected as the tetramethylsuccinimide (M(4)SI). The O(2)-carbonyl is protected as the DPC derivative, and the trityl group is removed. The resulting product is glycosylated in good yield to generate fully protected 2'-deoxyisoguanosine.

Tetramethylsuccinimide as a directing/protecting group in purine glycosylations.

Tetramethylsuccinic anhydride can be used to protect the exocyclic amine of 6-aminopurine derivatives by forming the corresponding tetramethysuccinimide. X-ray crystallography confirms that the imide carbonyl and the methyl groups are positioned to sterically block the N7 nitrogen so that glycosylations occur with very high regiochemical control at N9. This approach is particularly effective for 3-substituted purines where the substituent tends to block access to N9 and inhibit glycosylation at that site.

Enzymatic primer-extension with glycerol-nucleoside triphosphates on DNA templates.

BACKGROUND: Glycerol nucleic acid (GNA) has an acyclic phosphoglycerol backbone repeat-unit, but forms stable duplexes based on Watson-Crick base-pairing. Because of its structural simplicity, GNA is of particular interest with respect to the possibility of evolving functional polymers by in vitro selection. Template-dependent GNA synthesis is essential to any GNA-based selection system. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, we investigated the ability of various DNA polymerases to use glycerol-nucleoside triphosphates (gNTPs) as substrates for GNA synthesis on DNA templates. Therminator DNA polymerase catalyzes quantitative primer-extension by the incorporation of two glyceronucleotides, with much less efficient extension up to five glyceronucleotides. Steady-state kinetic experiments suggested that GNA synthesis by Therminator was affected by both decreased catalytic rates and weakened substrate binding, especially for pyrimidines. In an attempt to improve pyrimidine incorporation by providing additional stacking interactions, we synthesized two new gNTP analogs with 5-propynyl substituted pyrimidine nucleobases. This led to more efficient incorporation of gC, but not gT. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that directed evolution of Therminator might lead to mutants with improved substrate binding and catalytic efficiency.

A Janus-Wedge DNA triplex with A-W1-T and G-W2-C base triplets.

A new type of double-stranded DNA targeting format by formation of a Janus-Wedge (J-W) triple helix is described. The "wedge" residue W1 is used for A-T and T-A base pairs while W2 is used for G-C and C-G base pairs. Both wedge residues are attached to a PNA backbone that is designed to insert the probe strand into double-stranded DNA and base pair with both Watson-Crick faces. To study the stability of such an assembly, we have examined the formation of the J-W triplex with various sequences.

Probing the nature of three-centered hydrogen bonds in minor-groove ligand-DNA interactions: the contribution of fluorine hydrogen bonds to complex stability.

Double-stranded DNA sequences have been prepared in which single atoms (the O2-carbonyls of selected thymines) have been replaced by fluorine or methyl. To maintain normal Watson-Crick hydrogen bonding with the complementary purines, these analogue derivatives have been prepared as C-nucleosides. The O2-carbonyls of interest for this study are those involved in a bifurcated (or three-centered) hydrogen bond with the minor groove binding ligand 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). TM studies of the duplexes illustrate that the DNA duplexes are destabilized when fluorine or methyl replaces one or both of the minor groove O2-carbonyls, which can in part be explained by changes in minor groove hydration. In the presence of DAPI, most of the duplexes exhibit an increased TM due to the presence of DAPI bound in the minor groove. The extent of helix overstabilization negatively correlates with the presence of one or both methyl groups in the minor groove, suggesting that ligand binding is weakened in the presence of the non-carbonyl functional groups. The presence of single fluorine appears to promote helix stabilization, and native-like stabilization occurs when both fluorines are present. KD values quantitate binding effects between DAPI and the native and analogue sequences. Sequences with one or both methyl groups exhibit very poor binding with DAPI, while those containing a single fluorine behave essentially like native carbonyl-containing sequences. With both fluorines present, KD values were observed to increase by a moderate 3-fold at 100 mM NaCl and somewhat more at 200 mM NaCl. Binding affinities with both methyl groups present were 500-1000-fold weaker than native. The results suggest that organofluorines can function as hydrogen-bond acceptors, at least in the bifurcated interaction that contributes to minor groove binding by DAPI.

Effects of the minor groove pyrimidine nucleobase functional groups on the stability of duplex DNA: the impact of uncompensated minor groove amino groups.

DNA sequences containing four types of analog nucleosides are described. All four are pyridine derivatives constructed as C-nucleosides so that they mimic the pyrimidine derivatives 2'-deoxyuridine, thymidine or 2'-deoxycytidine, but in all cases the analogs lack the corresponding O2-carbonyls that in duplex DNA are located in the minor groove. In place of the O2-carbonyl is a hydrogen atom, a polar fluorine atom, or a nonpolar methyl group. The described C-nucleosides have native-like bidentate Watson-Crick hydrogen-bonding faces and can form essentially normal W-C base pairs of varying stability with A or G. In each modified base pair, two inter-residue hydrogen bonds should be present. In spite of a common number of interstrand hydrogen bonds, the thermodynamic stabilities of the prepared duplexes, each containing two analog base pairs, vary dramatically. Most notably, base pairs containing uncompensated purine amino groups (those lacking a hydrogen-bonding partner) in the minor groove exhibit the most dramatic reductions in thermodynamic stability. Removal of such uncompensated amino groups results in increased duplex stability. Base pairs containing fluorine in the minor groove positioned adjacent to an amino group seem to enhance duplex stability marginally (relative to --H or --CH(3)), but there is little evidence to suggest that fluorine is an effective hydrogen-bonding partner in these systems. The presence of minor groove methyl groups results in the least stable duplexes in each series of sequences.

2',3'-Dideoxy-3'-thionucleoside triphosphates: syntheses and polymerase substrate activities.

All four 2',3'-dideoxy-3'-thio-nucleosides (ddtNTPs) function as substrates for the Y410F mutant of Deep Vent (exo-) DNA polymerase. Not only are the ddtNTPs incorporated to form the N + 1 product, but further elongations are observed in which the key step is attack of the 3'-thiol on the 5'-triphosphate. Although other polymerases are likely to differ in their use of the ddtNTPs, there does not appear to be a fundamental prohibition against using a thiol nucleophile on a phosphate anhydride electrophile. The syntheses of four ddtNTPs (C, T, A, G) are described. [structure: see text]

Glycerol nucleoside triphosphates: synthesis and polymerase substrate activities.

[Structure: see text] The synthesis of (S)-glycerol nucleoside triphosphates (gNTPs) and the analysis of their substrate activities for enzymatic polymerization is described. NTPs with simplified carbohydrate backbones such as the tNTPs (alpha-L-threose-NTPs) are polymerase substrates and offer the potential to create non-natural aptamer sequences with simplified backbones through enzymatic means. The acyclic (S)-GNA was modeled after the shortened alpha-threofuranosyl backbone. Here we describe the synthesis of (S)-glycerol NTPs and initial enzymatic testing of this further simplified nucleic acid backbone.

Removal of a single minor-groove functional group eliminates A-tract curvature.

Much of the work in studying the phenomenon of A-tract curvature has involved the insertion of modified residues into the A-tract sequence and then cross-correlation of the structural differences with the resulting curvature effects. In the A-tract sequence d(A-T)5, removal of a single functional group (the O2-carbonyl of the central dT residue) by its replacement with hydrogen completely eliminates the curvature properties. This atom-specific change was accomplished by using the C-nucleoside dm32P in which the O2-carbonyl is replaced with -H but normal Watson-Crick hydrogen bonding is maintained. Similar derivatives with -F (dF62P) or -CH3 (dm62P) when present for the central dT residue also eliminate curvature. Finally, we have shown that the extent of curvature for sequences containing this carbonyl are sensitive to the [Mg2+], while those lacking the carbonyl show little to no Mg2+ dependence, strongly suggesting, we believe, a role for Na+/Mg2+ cooperative interactions in the minor groove to explain the curvature phenomenon.

Polaronic semiconductor behavior of long-range charge transfer in DNA oligomers in solution: controlling barriers to long-distance radical cation migration in DNA with thymine analogs.

A series of anthraquinone-linked DNA oligonucleotides was prepared and the efficiency of long-distance radical cation migration was measured. In one set of oligonucleotides, two GG steps are separated by either a TATA or an ATAT bridge. In these two compounds, the efficiency of radical cation migration from GG to GG differs by more than an order of magnitude. Replacement of the thymines in the TATA or ATAT bridges with 3-methyl-2-pyridone (t, a thymine analog) results in the much more efficient radical cation migration across the bridge in both cases. This is attributed to a decrease in the oxidation potential of t to a value below that of A. In contrast, replacement of the thymines in the TATA or ATAT bridges with difluorotoluene (f, a thymine analog with high oxidation potential) does not measurably affect radical cation migration. These findings are readily accommodated by the phonon-assisted polaron-hopping mechanism for long-distance charge transfer in duplex DNA and indicate that DNA in solution behaves as a polaronic semiconductor.

Syntheses of pyridine C-nucleosides as analogues of the natural nucleosides dC and dU.

The syntheses of four pyrimidine C-nucleosides are described. These derivatives are designed as mimics of dC and dU, and in that respect, each can form two hydrogen bonds with complementary dG or dA residues. The minor groove O2 carbonyl in each derivative is replaced by a fluorine or a methyl group. The key carbon-carbon bond connecting the heterocycle to the carbohydrate is formed using a Heck-type palladium-mediated coupling reaction.

High fidelity TNA synthesis by Therminator polymerase.

Therminator DNA polymerase is an efficient DNA-dependent TNA polymerase capable of polymerizing TNA oligomers of at least 80 nt in length. In order for Therminator to be useful for the in vitro selection of functional TNA sequences, its TNA synthesis fidelity must be high enough to preserve successful sequences. We used sequencing to examine the fidelity of Therminator-catalyzed TNA synthesis at different temperatures, incubation times, tNTP ratios and primer/template combinations. TNA synthesis by Therminator exhibits high fidelity under optimal conditions; the observed fidelity is sufficient to allow in vitro selection with TNA libraries of at least 200 nt in length.

Kinetic analysis of an efficient DNA-dependent TNA polymerase.

alpha-l-Threofuranosyl nucleoside triphosphates (tNTPs) are tetrafuranose nucleoside derivatives and potential progenitors of present-day beta-d-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl nucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs). Therminator DNA polymerase, a variant of the 9 degrees N DNA polymerase, is an efficient DNA-directed threosyl nucleic acid (TNA) polymerase. Here we report a detailed kinetic comparison of Therminator-catalyzed TNA and DNA syntheses. We examined the rate of single-nucleotide incorporation for all four tNTPs and dNTPs from a DNA primer-template complex and carried out parallel experiments with a chimeric DNA-TNA primer-DNA template containing five TNA residues at the primer 3'-terminus. Remarkably, no drop in the rate of TNA incorporation was observed in comparing the DNA-TNA primer to the all-DNA primer, suggesting that few primer-enzyme contacts are lost with a TNA primer. Moreover, comparison of the catalytic efficiency of TNA synthesis relative to DNA synthesis at the downstream positions reveals a difference of no greater than 5-fold in favor of the natural DNA substrate. This disparity becomes negligible when the TNA synthesis reaction mixture is supplemented with 1.25 mM MnCl(2). These results indicate that Therminator DNA polymerase can recognize both a TNA primer and tNTP substrates and is an effective catalyst of TNA polymerization despite changes in the geometry of the reactants.