The catalytic power of uracil DNA glycosylase in the opening of thymine base pairs

Uracil DNA glycosylase (UNG) locates uracil and its structural congener thymine in the context of duplex DNA using a base flipping mechanism. NMR imino proton exchange measurements were performed on free and UNG-bound DNA duplexes in which a single thymine (T) was paired with a series of adenine analogues (X) capable of forming one, two, or three hydrogen bonds. The base pair opening equilibrium for the free DNA increased 55-fold as the number of hydrogen bonds decreased, but the opening rate constants were nearly the same in the absence and presence of UNG. In contrast, UNG was found to slow the base pair closing rate constants (kcl) compared to each free duplex by a factor of 3- to 23-fold. These findings indicate that regardless of the inherent thermodynamic stability of the TX pair, UNG does not alter the spontaneous opening rate. Instead, the enzyme holds the spontaneously expelled thymine (or uracil) in a transient extrahelical sieving site where it may partition forward into the enzyme active site (uracil) or back into the DNA base stack (thymine).     

A New Class of Uracil–DNA Glycosylase Inhibitors Active against Human and Vaccinia Virus Enzyme

Uracil–DNA glycosylases are enzymes that excise uracil bases appearing in DNA as a result of cytosine deamination or accidental dUMP incorporation from the dUTP pool. The activity of Family 1 uracil–DNA glycosylase (UNG) activity limits the efficiency of antimetabolite drugs and is essential for virulence in some bacterial and viral infections. Thus, UNG is regarded as a promising target for antitumor, antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal drugs. Most UNG inhibitors presently developed are based on the uracil base linked to various substituents, yet new pharmacophores are wanted to target a wide range of UNGs. We have conducted virtual screening of a 1,027,767-ligand library and biochemically screened the best hits for the inhibitory activity against human and vaccinia virus UNG enzymes. Although even the best inhibitors had IC₅₀ ≥ 100 μM, they were highly enriched in a common fragment, tetrahydro-2,4,6-trioxopyrimidinylidene (PyO3). In silico, PyO3 preferably docked into the enzyme’s active site, and in kinetic experiments, the inhibition was better consistent with the competitive mechanism. The toxicity of two best inhibitors for human cells was independent of the presence of methotrexate, which is consistent with the hypothesis that dUMP in genomic DNA is less toxic for the cell than strand breaks arising from the massive removal of uracil. We conclude that PyO3 may be a novel pharmacophore with the potential for development into UNG-targeting agents.     

Extrahelical damaged base recognition by DNA glycosylase enzymes

The efficient enzymatic detection of damaged bases concealed in the DNA double helix is an essential step during DNA repair in all cells. Emergent structural and mechanistic approaches have provided glimpses into this enigmatic molecular recognition event in several systems. A ubiquitous feature of these essential reactions is the binding of the damaged base in an extrahelical binding mode. The reaction pathway by which this remarkable extrahelical state is achieved is of great interest and even more debate.     

Molecular modeling on the recognition of DNA sequence and conformational repair of sheared DNA by novel chiral metal complex D, L-[Co(phen)_2hpip]~(3 )

Recent studies revealed that DNA, once considered as a very stable macromolecular, is rather unstable. Familiar factors, like heavy metal, microbe, high fre-quency electromagnetic radiation and so on, could easily damage the structure of DNA in different …     

Molecular modeling on the recognition of DNA sequence and conformational repair of sheared DNA by novel chiral metal complex D,L-[Co(phen)2hpip]3+

A study on the recognition of DNA sequence and conformational repair of sheared DNA by Novel Chiral Metal complex D,L-[Co(phen)₂hpip]³⁺ (phen=1,10 phenanthroline, hpip=2-[2-hydroxyphenyl] imidazole [4,5-f][1,10] phenanthroline) is carried out with molecular simulations. The results reveal that two isomers of the complex could both recognize the normal DNA in the minor groove orientation, while recognize the sheared DNA in the major groove orientation and both isomers could convert the conformation of mismatched bases from sheared form to parallel form. Further analysis shows that the steric details of complex’s intercalation to base stack determine the results of recognition, which is induced by the steric collision among ancillary ligand phen, bases and DNA backbone, and by the steric crowding occurring in the process of structural expansion of bases and DNA backbone. Detailed analysis reveals that the conformational repair of mismatched bases relates not only to the steric interactions, but also the π-π stack among normal bases, mismatched bases and hpip ligand.     

Activity-Directed Synthesis of Inhibitors of the p53/hDM2 Protein–Protein Interaction

Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) provide a rich source of potential targets for drug discovery and biomedical science research. However, the identification of structural-diverse starting points for discovery of PPI inhibitors remains a significant challenge. Activity-directed synthesis (ADS), a function-driven discovery approach, was harnessed in the discovery of the p53/hDM2 PPI. Over two rounds of ADS, 346 microscale reactions were performed, with prioritisation on the basis of the activity of the resulting product mixtures. Four distinct and novel series of PPI inhibitors were discovered that, through biophysical characterisation, were shown to have promising ligand efficiencies. It was thus shown that ADS can facilitate ligand discovery for a target that does not have a defined small-molecule binding site, and can provide distinctive starting points for the discovery of PPI inhibitors.     

Molecular modeling on the recognition of DNA sequence and conformational repair of sheared DNA by novel chiral metal complex D,L-[Co(phen)2hpip]3+

A study on the recognition of DNA sequence and conformational repair of sheared DNA by Novel Chiral Metal complex D,L-[Co(phen)₂hpip]³⁺ (phen=1,10 phenanthroline, hpip=2-[2-hydroxyphenyl] imidazole [4,5-f][1,10] phenanthroline) is carried out with molecular simulations. The results reveal that two isomers of the complex could both recognize the normal DNA in the minor groove orientation, while recognize the sheared DNA in the major groove orientation and both isomers could convert the conformation of mismatched bases from sheared form to parallel form. Further analysis shows that the steric details of complex’s intercalation to base stack determine the results of recognition, which is induced by the steric collision among ancillary ligand phen, bases and DNA backbone, and by the steric crowding occurring in the process of structural expansion of bases and DNA backbone. Detailed analysis reveals that the conformational repair of mismatched bases relates not only to the steric interactions, but also the π-π stack among normal bases, mismatched bases and hpip ligand.     

Transport Selectivity of a Diethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate- Based Thymine-imprinted Polymeric Membrane over a Cellulose Support for Nucleic Acid Bases

The binding mechanism between 9-vinyladenine and pyrimidine base thymine in methanol was studied with UV-visible spectrophotometric method. Based on this study, using thymine as a template molecule, 9-vinyladenine as a novel functional monomer and diethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a new cross-linker, a specific diethylene glycol dimethacrylate-based molecularly imprinted polymeric membrane was prepared over a cellulose support. Then, the resultantly polymeric membrane morphologies were visualized with scanning electron microscopy and its permselectivity was examined using thymine, uracil, cytosine, adenine and guanine as substrates. This result showed that the imprinting polymeric membrane prepared with diethylene glycol dimethacrylate exhibited higher transport capacity for the template molecule thymine and its optimal analog uracil than other nucleic acid bases. The membrane also took on higher permselectivity than the imprinted membrane made with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a cross-linker. When a mixture including five nucleic acid bases thymine, uracil, cytosine, adenine and guanine passed through the diethylene glycol dimethacrylate-based thymine-imprinted polymeric membrane, recognition of the membrane for the template molecule thymine and its optimal analog uracil was demonstrated. It was predicted that the molecularly imprinted membrane prepared with diethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker might be applicable to thymine assay of absolute hydrolysates of DNA or uracil assay of absolute hydrolysates of RNA in biological samples because of its high selectivity for the template molecule thymine and its optimal analog uracil.     

Bacterial base excision repair enzyme Fpg recognizes bulky N7-substituted-FapydG lesion via unproductive binding mode

Fpg is a bacterial base excision repair enzyme that removes oxidized purines from DNA. This work shows that Fpg and its eukaryote homolog Ogg1 recognize with high affinity FapydG and bulky N7-benzyl-FapydG (Bz-FapydG). The comparative crystal structure analysis of stable complexes between Fpg and carbocyclic cFapydG or Bz-cFapydG nucleoside-containing DNA provides the molecular basis of the ability of Fpg to bind both lesions with the same affinity and to differently process them. To accommodate the steric hindrance of the benzyl group, Fpg selects the adequate rotamer of the extrahelical Bz-cFapydG formamido group, forcing the bulky group to go outside the binding pocket. Contrary to the binding mode of cFapydG, the particular recognition of Bz-cFapydG leads the BER enzymes to unproductive complexes which would hide the lesion and slow down its repair by the NER machinery.     

Simultaneous fluorescence light-up and selective multicolor nucleobase recognition based on sequence-dependent strong binding of berberine to DNA abasic site

Label-free DNA nucleobase recognition by fluorescent small molecules has received much attention due to its simplicity in mutation identification and drug screening. However, sequence-dependent fluorescence light-up nucleobase recognition and multicolor emission with individual emission energy for individual nucleobases have been seldom realized. Herein, an abasic site (AP site) in a DNA duplex was employed as a binding field for berberine, one of isoquinoline alkaloids. Unlike weak binding of berberine to the fully matched DNAs without the AP site, strong binding of berberine to the AP site occurs and the berberine's fluorescence light-up behaviors are highly dependent on the target nucleobases opposite the AP site in which the targets thymine and cytosine produce dual emission bands, while the targets guanine and adenine only give a single emission band. Furthermore, more intense emissions are observed for the target pyrimidines than purines. The flanking bases of the AP site also produce some modifications of the berberine's emission behavior. The binding selectivity of berberine at the AP site is also confirmed by measurements of fluorescence resonance energy transfer, excited-state lifetime, DNA melting and fluorescence quenching by ferrocyanide and sodium chloride. It is expected that the target pyrimidines cause berberine to be stacked well within DNA base pairs near the AP site, which results in a strong resonance coupling of the electronic transitions to the particular vibration mode to produce the dual emissions. The fluorescent signal-on and emission energy-modulated sensing for nucleobases based on this fluorophore is substantially advantageous over the previously used fluorophores. We expect that this approach will be developed as a practical device for differentiating pyrimidines from purines by positioning an AP site toward a target that is available for readout by this alkaloid probe.     

Drug-induced stabilisation of a mismatched C-T base pair in a DNA hairpin

We have shown that a key feature of drug binding, namely specific G-C base pair recognition at a 5'-TG step, can induce a number of novel structural features when an extrahelical base is inserted in close proximity to the drug binding site; we have clearly demonstrated the formation of a stabilised C-T mismatched base pair at a non-terminal site.     

Peptide bis-intercalator binds DNA via threading mode with sequence specific contacts in the major groove

BACKGROUND: We previously described a general class of DNA polyintercalators in which 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic diimide (NDI) intercalating units are connected via peptide linkers, resulting in the first known tetrakis- and octakis-intercalators. We showed further that changes in the composition of the peptide tether result in novel DNA binding site specificities. We now examine in detail the DNA binding mode and sequence specific recognition of Compound 1, an NDI bis-intercalator containing the peptide linker gly-gly-gly-lys. RESULTS: 1H-NMR structural studies of Compound 1 bound to d(CGGTACCG)(2) confirmed a threading mode of intercalation, with four base pairs between the diimide units. The NMR data, combined with DNAse I footprinting of several analogs, suggest that specificity depends on a combination of steric and electrostatic contacts by the peptide linker in the floor of the major groove. CONCLUSIONS: In view of the modular nature and facile synthesis of our NDI-based polyintercalators, such structural knowledge can be used to improve or alter the specificity of the compounds and design longer polyintercalators that recognize correspondingly longer DNA sequences with alternating access to both DNA grooves.     

含腺嘌呤的杯芳烃衍生物的合成、表征及其对核苷碱基的分子识别性质

设计合成了一种新型含腺嘌呤基的杯芳烃衍生物(AC)5,11,17,23-四叔丁基-25, 27-二羟基-26-[1-(9-腺嘌呤)-丙氧基]-28-溴丙氧基杯芳烃, 通过红外光谱、元素分析、核磁共振谱和电喷雾质谱等手段对其进行了表征,确认为目标产物; 并采用紫外分光光度法研究了AC的分子识别作用, 通过测定AC与不同浓度、不同组分的核苷、碱基混合体系的吸光度, 证明了AC对尿嘧啶、尿苷具有分子识别作用, 能从其它核苷或碱基共存的体系中将尿苷或尿嘧啶识别出来.     

Ratiometric fluorescence detection of pyrimidine/purine transversion by using a 2-amino-1,8-naphthyridine derivative.

A new class of abasic site-binding fluorescence ligands, Naph-NBD in which 7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD) is connected to 2-amino-7-methyl-1,8-naphthyridine (Naph) by a propylene linker, is presented for the ratiometric assay for SNPs typing. In solutions buffered to pH 7.0 (I = 0.11 M, at 5 degrees C), Naph-NBD is found to selectively recognize pyrimidine bases over purine bases opposite the abasic site in DNA duplexes (K11/M(-1): T, 8.1 x 10(6); C, 2.5 x 10(6): G, 0.33 x 10(6); A, 0.27 x 10(6)). The binding of Naph-NBD is accompanied by significant quenching of the fluorescence from the naphthyridine moiety (lambda max, 409 nm), while the emission from the NBD (lamda max, 544 nm) is relatively unaffected. Such a fluorescence response of Naph-NBD allows the emission ratio detection of pyrimidine/purine transversion.     

Fluorescence light-up recognition of DNA nucleotide based on selective abasic site binding of an excited-state intramolecular proton transfer probe

DNA single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection has attracted much attention due to mutation-related diseases. Various fluorescence methods for SNP detection have been proposed and many are already in use. However, fluorescence enhancement for signal-on SNP identification without label modification still remains a challenge. Here, we find that the abasic site (AP site) in a DNA duplex can be developed as a binding pocket favorable for the occurrence of the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) of a 3-hydroxyflavone, fisetin, which is used as a proof of concept for effective SNP identification. Fisetin binding at the AP site is highly selective for target thymine or cytosine facing the AP site by observation of a drastic increase in the ESIPT emission band. In addition, the target recognition selectivity based on this ESIPT process is not affected by flanking bases of the AP site. The binding selectivity of fisetin at the AP site is also confirmed by measurements of fluorescence resonance energy transfer, emission lifetime and DNA melting. The fluorescent signal-on sensing for SNP based on this fluorophore is substantially advantageous over the previously used fluorophores such as the AP site-specific signal-off organic ligands with a similar fluorescing mechanism before and after binding to DNA with hydrogen bonding interaction. We expect that this approach will be employed to develop a practical SNP detection method by locating an AP site toward a target and employing an ESIPT probe as readout.     

High turnover remote catalytic oxygenation of alkyl groups: how steric exclusion of unbound substrate contributes to high molecular recognition selectivity

H-bonding mediated molecular recognition between substrate and ligand -COOH groups orients the substrate so that remote, catalyzed oxygenation of an alkyl C-H bond by a Mn-oxo active site can occur with very high (>98%) regio- and stereoselectivity. This paper identifies steric exclusion-exclusion of non H-bonded substrate molecules from the active site-as one requirement for high selectivity, along with the entropic advantage of intramolecularity. If unbound substrate molecules were able to reach the active site, they would react unselectively, degrading the observed selectivity. Both of the faces of the catalyst are blocked by two ligand molecules each with a -COOH group. The acid p-(t)BuC6H4COOH binds to the ligand -COOH recognition site but is not oxidized and merely blocks approach of the substrate therefore acting as an effective inhibitor for ibuprofen oxidation in both free acid and ibuprofen ester form. Dixon plots show that inhibition is competitive for the free acid ibuprofen substrate, no doubt because this substrate can compete with the inhibitor for binding to the recognition site. In contrast, inhibition is uncompetitive for the ibuprofen-ester substrate, consistent with this ester substrate no longer being able to bind to the recognition site. Inhibition can be reversed with MeCOOH, an acid that can competitively bind to the recognition site but, being sterically small, no longer blocks access to the active site.     

Homology modeling,docking and structure-based pharmacophore of inhibitors of DNA methyltransferase

DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) is an emerging epigenetic target for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. To date, several inhibitors from different structural classes have been published. In this work, we report a comprehensive molecular modeling study of 14 established DNTM1 inhibitors with a herein developed homology model of the catalytic domain of human DNTM1. The geometry of the homology model was in agreement with the proposed mechanism of DNA methylation. Docking results revealed that all inhibitors studied in this work have hydrogen bond interactions with a glutamic acid and arginine residues that play a central role in the mechanism of cytosine DNA methylation. The binding models of compounds such as curcumin and parthenolide suggest that these natural products are covalent blockers of the catalytic site. A pharmacophore model was also developed for all DNMT1 inhibitors considered in this work using the most favorable binding conformations and energetic terms of the docked poses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first pharmacophore model proposed for compounds with inhibitory activity of DNMT1. The results presented in this work represent a conceptual advance for understanding the protein–ligand interactions and mechanism of action of DNMT1 inhibitors. The insights obtained in this work can be used for the structure-based design and virtual screening for novel inhibitors targeting DNMT1.