[Study of the interaction mechanism between brodifacoum and DNA by spectroscopy].

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Yun-qing; Min, Shun-geng

2009-04-01

The interaction between brodifacoum (3-[3-(4'-bromophenyl-4) 1,2,3,4-tetralin-10]-4-hydroxyl-coumarin) (BDF), an anticoagulant rodenticide, and calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) was studied by UV spectrum and fluorescence spectrum. The results were summarized as follows: There was a hypochromic effect of low concentration ct-DNA on the UV spectra. The fluorescence quenching studies showed a regular decrease in the fluorescence intensity after addition of ct-DNA by the static quenching mode with a quenching constant (Ksv) of 1.21 x 10(4) L x mol(-1) at 27 degrees C. The BDF possibly bonded to ct-DNA mainly via Van der Waals forces by the corresponding thermodynamics parameter. KI quenching experiment found that there was not obvious protection of ct-DNA to BDF. The fluorescence intensity of BDF/ct-DNA system changed with the variation in ionic strength Quenching of ct-DNA on the fluorescence of BDF/beta-CD inclusion complex was reduced in contrast with the free BDF, which showed that beta-CD could provide BDF with protection. So the comprehensive interaction mode of BDF with ct-DNA may be the groove binding by the above results. It was indicated that there had been static-electro interaction between BDF and ct-DNA at the same time. The conjunct action of Van der Waals forces and electrostatic attraction favorably provide BDF bonding interaction in the groove of ct-DNA.

Assessment of basal-like breast cancer by circulating tumor DNA analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Wei; Zhang, Xianyu; Sun, Shanshan; Xia, Bingshu; Liang, Xiaoshuan; Cui, Yan; Gao, Song; Pang, Da

2018-05-01

Standardized methods for the detection and assessment of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in breast cancer are not sufficient. In the present study, the method and the potential application of ctDNA in the diagnosis of breast cancer were explored. DNA was extracted from the tumor tissues, plasma and peripheral blood cells of 11 patients with early-stage invasive breast cancer. Primers were designed against the exons of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-biphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit α, p53, epidermal growth factor receptor, Akt and phosphatase and tensin homolog. The amplicon-based method for whole-exon sequencing was performed. The associations between the ctDNA mutant frequency with the tumor DNA mutant frequency, and the ctDNA concentration with clinical data were analyzed. A linear association was identified between the concentration of ctDNA and the tumor volume for the 3 patients with basal-like breast cancer, and not in other subtypes. The mutation frequency differed the least between ctDNA and tissue DNA in basal-like breast cancer. ctDNA retained the constituent ratio of gene mutations identified in the corresponding tumor tissue. The ctDNA detection rate depended to a certain extent on the mutation frequency in tumor tissue; for example, a mutant locus with a mutation frequency of >30% in tissues presented a detection rate of >40% in plasma samples, whereas a locus with a mutation frequency of <10% in tissue was associated with a detection rate of ≤1% in the plasma. Therefore, ctDNA may reflect the mutations observed in cancer. Compared with other subtypes, ctDNA may be a more sensitive biomarker for the assessment of mutation and cancer burden in basal-like breast cancer relative to other subtypes.

Synthesis, Characterization and DNA Binding Activity of a Potential DNA Intercalator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siti Norain Harun; Yaakob Razak; Haslina Ahmad

2016-01-01

A novel complex, (Ru(dppz) 2 (p-MOPIP)) 2+ (dppz = dipyrido-(3,2-a:20,30-c]phenazine, p-MOPIP = 2-(4-methoxyphenyl) imidazo(4,5-f)(1,10]phenanthroline) has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, 1 H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, Fourier Transform Infrared analysis, Ultra Violet visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. Herein, the complex was designed by adding p-MOPIP as an intercalating ligand and dppz as the ancillary ligand. The DNA binding properties of the complex with Calf Thymus DNA (CT-DNA) were investigated using spectroscopic methods. The UV-visible absorption band observed at 460 nm corresponded to the metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) while bands at 358 and 281 nm corresponded to intra-ligand (IL) π-π * transitions of the ligand scaffold in p-MOPIP and dppz. The intrinsic binding constant, K b for this complex was 1.67x10 6 M -1 and this suggested that this complex, (Ru(dppz) 2 (p-MOPIP)) 2+ bound to DNA via the intercalative mode. Interestingly, the interaction of this complex with CT-DNA also had a molecular light switch effect. (author)

Synthesis and characterization of 6,6'-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2,2'-bipyridine ligand and its interaction with ct-DNA

Science.gov (United States)

Selamat, Norhidayah; Heng, Lee Yook; Hassan, Nurul Izzaty; Karim, Nurul Huda Abd

2015-09-01

The tetradentate ligand with four donor atoms OONN was synthesized. Bis(phenoxy)bipyridine ligand was prepared by Suzuki coupling reaction between 6,6'-dibromo-2,2'-bipyridyl and 2-hydroxyphenylboronic acid with presence of palladium (II) acetate. Bis(phenoxy)bipyridine ligand was also synthesized by demethylating of 6,6'-bis(2-methoxyphenyl)-2,2'-bipyridyl ligand through solvent free reaction using pyridine hydrocloride. The formation of both phenoxy and methoxy ligands was confirmed by 1H, 2D cosy and 13C NMR spectroscopy, ESI-MS spectrometry, FTIR spectroscopy. The purity of the ligand was confirmed by melting point. Binding studies of small molecules with DNA are useful to understand the reaction mechanism and to provide guidance for the application and design of new and more efficient drugs targeted to DNA. In this study, the binding interaction between the synthesized ligand with calf thymus-DNA (ct-DNA) has been investigated by UV/Vis DNA titration study. From the UV/Vis DNA study, it shows that bis(phenoxy)bipyridine ligand bind with ct-DNA via outside binding with binding contant Kb = 1.19 × 103 ± 0.08 M-1.

Tumor‐associated DNA mutation detection in individuals undergoing colonoscopy

OpenAIRE

Fleshner, Phillip; Braunstein, Glenn D.; Ovsepyan, Gayane; Tonozzi, Theresa R.; Kammesheidt, Anja

2017-01-01

Abstract The majority of colorectal cancers (CRC) harbor somatic mutations and epigenetic modifications in the tumor tissue, and some of these mutations can be detected in plasma as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). Precancerous colorectal lesions also contain many of these same mutations. This study examined plasma for ctDNA from patients undergoing a screening or diagnostic colonoscopy to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the ctDNA panel for detecting CRC and precancerous lesions. T...

Investigations on the interactions of diclofenac sodium with HSA and ctDNA using molecular modeling and multispectroscopic methods

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Yanrui; Hao, Erjun; Hui, Guangquan; Guo, Wei; Cui, Fengling

2013-06-01

A tentative study on interaction of diclofenac sodium (DF-Na) with human serum albumin (HSA) and calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) was conducted by using multi-spectroscopic and molecular modeling techniques under simulative physiological conditions. The results of spectroscopic measurements suggested that the quenching mechanisms were static quenching. Three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy clearly demonstrated the occurrence of conformational changes of HSA with addition of DF-Na. In addition, competitive studies with ethidium bromide (EB) have shown that DF-Na can bind to ctDNA relatively strong via groove binding. Based on the values of thermodynamic parameters and the results of molecular modeling, it was confirmed that hydrophobic forces and hydrogen bond were the mainly binding forces in DF-Na-HSA and DF-Na-DNA systems. The binding distance between DF-Na and HSA was also determined using the theory of the Förster energy transference.

Mutant KRAS Circulating Tumor DNA Is an Accurate Tool for Pancreatic Cancer Monitoring.

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Perets, Ruth; Greenberg, Orli; Shentzer, Talia; Semenisty, Valeria; Epelbaum, Ron; Bick, Tova; Sarji, Shada; Ben-Izhak, Ofer; Sabo, Edmond; Hershkovitz, Dov

2018-05-01

Many new pancreatic cancer treatment combinations have been discovered in recent years, yet the prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains grim. The advent of new treatments highlights the need for better monitoring tools for treatment response, to allow a timely switch between different therapeutic regimens. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a tool for cancer detection and characterization with growing clinical use. However, currently, ctDNA is not used for monitoring treatment response. The high prevalence of KRAS hotspot mutations in PDAC suggests that mutant KRAS can be an efficient ctDNA marker for PDAC monitoring. Seventeen metastatic PDAC patients were recruited and serial plasma samples were collected. CtDNA was extracted from the plasma, and KRAS mutation analysis was performed using next-generation sequencing and correlated with serum CA19-9 levels, imaging, and survival. Plasma KRAS mutations were detected in 5/17 (29.4%) patients. KRAS ctDNA detection was associated with shorter survival (8 vs. 37.5 months). Our results show that, in ctDNA positive patients, ctDNA is at least comparable to CA19-9 as a marker for monitoring treatment response. Furthermore, the rate of ctDNA change was inversely correlated with survival. Our results confirm that mutant KRAS ctDNA detection in metastatic PDAC patients is a poor prognostic marker. Additionally, we were able to show that mutant KRAS ctDNA analysis can be used to monitor treatment response in PDAC patients and that ctDNA dynamics is associated with survival. We suggest that ctDNA analysis in metastatic PDAC patients is a readily available tool for disease monitoring. Avoiding futile chemotherapy in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients by monitoring response to treatment is of utmost importance. A novel biomarker for monitoring treatment response in PDAC, using mutant KRAS circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), is proposed. Results, although limited by small sample numbers

DNA-binding, DNA cleavage and cytotoxicity studies of two anthraquinone derivatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Gholivand, M B; Kashanian, S; Peyman, H

2012-02-15

The interaction of native calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) with two anthraquinones including quinizarin (1,4-dihydroxy anthraquinone) and danthron (1,8-dihydroxy anthraquinone) in a mixture of 0.04M Brittone-Robinson buffer and 50% of ethanol were studied at physiological pH by spectrofluorometric and cyclic voltammetry techniques. The former technique was used to calculate the binding constants of anthraquinones-DNA complexes at different temperatures. Thermodynamic study indicated that the reactions of both anthraquinone-DNA systems are predominantly entropically driven. Furthermore, the binding mechanisms on the reaction of the two anthraquinones with DNA and the effect of ionic strength on the fluorescence property of the system have also been investigated. The results of the experiments indicated that the binding modes of quinizarin and danthron with DNA were evaluated to be groove binding. Moreover, the cytotoxic activity of both compounds against human chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cell line and DNA cleavage were investigated. The results indicated that these compounds slightly cleavage pUC18 plasmid DNA and showed minor antitumor activity against K562 (human chronic myeloid leukemia) cell line. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and characterization of 6,6’-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2,2’-bipyridine ligand and its interaction with ct-DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selamat, Norhidayah; Heng, Lee Yook; Hassan, Nurul Izzaty; Karim, Nurul Huda Abd

2015-01-01

The tetradentate ligand with four donor atoms OONN was synthesized. Bis(phenoxy)bipyridine ligand was prepared by Suzuki coupling reaction between 6,6’-dibromo-2,2’-bipyridyl and 2-hydroxyphenylboronic acid with presence of palladium (II) acetate. Bis(phenoxy)bipyridine ligand was also synthesized by demethylating of 6,6’-bis(2-methoxyphenyl)-2,2’-bipyridyl ligand through solvent free reaction using pyridine hydrocloride. The formation of both phenoxy and methoxy ligands was confirmed by 1 H, 2D cosy and 13 C NMR spectroscopy, ESI-MS spectrometry, FTIR spectroscopy. The purity of the ligand was confirmed by melting point. Binding studies of small molecules with DNA are useful to understand the reaction mechanism and to provide guidance for the application and design of new and more efficient drugs targeted to DNA. In this study, the binding interaction between the synthesized ligand with calf thymus-DNA (ct-DNA) has been investigated by UV/Vis DNA titration study. From the UV/Vis DNA study, it shows that bis(phenoxy)bipyridine ligand bind with ct-DNA via outside binding with binding contant K b = 1.19 × 10 3 ± 0.08 M −1

Interaction between insulin and calf thymus DNA, and quantification of insulin and calf thymus DNA by a resonance Rayleigh scattering method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong, L.; Liu, Z.; Hu, X.; Liu, S.; Li, W.

2012-01-01

The interaction of insulin with calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (ctDNA) leads to a complex that displays remarkably enhanced resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS). The complex and its formation were investigated by atomic force microscopy and by absorption, fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopies. We show that the Tyr B16, Tyr B26 and Phe B24 amino acids near the active center (Phe B25) were influenced by the interaction, whereas Tyr A14, Tyr A19 and Phe B1 (which are located far away from the active center) were less influenced. The interaction provide a way in the quantitation of both ctDNA and insulin with high sensitivity. When ctDNA is used as a probe to quantify insulin, the detection limit (3σ) is 6.0 ng mL -1 . If, inversely, insulin is used as a probe to quantify ctDNA, the detection limit (3σ) is 7.2 ng mL -1 . The analysis of synthetic DNA samples and an insulin infection sample provided satisfactory results. (author)

Circulating Tumor Cells Versus Circulating Tumor DNA in Colorectal Cancer: Pros and Cons.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Carlyn Rose C; Zhou, Lanlan; El-Deiry, Wafik S

2016-06-01

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) are emerging noninvasive multifunctional biomarkers in liquid biopsy allowing for early diagnosis, accurate prognosis, therapeutic target selection, spatiotemporal monitoring of metastasis, as well as monitoring response and resistance to treatment. CTCs and ctDNA are released from different tumor types at different stages and contribute complementary information for clinical decision. Although big strides have been taken in technology development for detection, isolation and characterization of CTCs and sensitive and specific detection of ctDNA, CTC-, and ctDNA-based liquid biopsies may not be widely adopted for routine cancer patient care until the suitability, accuracy, and reliability of these tests are validated and more standardized protocols are corroborated in large, independent, prospectively designed trials. This review covers CTC- and ctDNA-related technologies and their application in colorectal cancer. The promise of CTC-and ctDNA-based liquid biopsies is envisioned.

A Review of Circulating Tumor DNA in Hepatobiliary Malignancies

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Kabir Mody

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA is released into circulation (blood specifically from tumor cells undergoing metabolic secretion, apoptosis, or necrosis, carries tumor-specific genetic or epigenetic alterations. Technologies enabling clinical evaluation of ctDNA continue to advance rapidly and allow for the assessment of patient-specific tumoral genetic and epigenetic alterations. This holds great potential for earlier detection of disease, serial monitoring of tumor heterogeneity, identification of therapeutic targets, and evaluation of treatment response and mechanisms of resistance. Hepatobiliary malignancies are often diagnosed late, recur commonly, yield limited available tumor on biopsy, and harbor several genomic alterations with potential therapeutic impacts. Patients suffering from or at risk for these diseases thus stand to benefit immensely from this technology. Herein, we review the limited literature pertaining to the potential for ctDNA technologies in such patients. Patients with these cancers stand to benefit greatly from the application of ctDNA technologies, and concerted efforts at further investigation of such are ongoing and greatly needed.

miR-19, a component of the oncogenic miR-17∼92 cluster, targets the DNA-end resection factor CtIP

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hühn, D; Kousholt, A N; Sørensen, Claus Storgaard

2014-01-01

MicroRNA-19 (miR-19) was recently identified as the key oncogenic component of the polycistronic miR-17∼92 cluster, also known as oncomiR-1, which is frequently upregulated or amplified in multiple tumor types. However, the gene targets and the pathways underlying the tumor-promoting activity of mi......R-19 still remain largely elusive. CtIP/RBBP8 promotes DNA-end resection, a critical step in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination (HR), and is considered to function as a tumor suppressor. In this study, we show that miR-19 downregulates CtIP expression by binding...... to two highly conserved sequences located in the 3'-untranslated region of CtIP mRNA. We further demonstrate that CtIP expression is repressed by miR-19 during continuous genotoxic stress in a p53-dependent manner. Finally, we report that miR-19 impairs CtIP-mediated DNA-end resection, which results...

Synthesis and characterization of 6,6’-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2,2’-bipyridine ligand and its interaction with ct-DNA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Selamat, Norhidayah; Heng, Lee Yook; Hassan, Nurul Izzaty; Karim, Nurul Huda Abd [School of Chemical Sciences and Food Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43650 Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia)

2015-09-25

The tetradentate ligand with four donor atoms OONN was synthesized. Bis(phenoxy)bipyridine ligand was prepared by Suzuki coupling reaction between 6,6’-dibromo-2,2’-bipyridyl and 2-hydroxyphenylboronic acid with presence of palladium (II) acetate. Bis(phenoxy)bipyridine ligand was also synthesized by demethylating of 6,6’-bis(2-methoxyphenyl)-2,2’-bipyridyl ligand through solvent free reaction using pyridine hydrocloride. The formation of both phenoxy and methoxy ligands was confirmed by {sup 1}H, 2D cosy and {sup 13}C NMR spectroscopy, ESI-MS spectrometry, FTIR spectroscopy. The purity of the ligand was confirmed by melting point. Binding studies of small molecules with DNA are useful to understand the reaction mechanism and to provide guidance for the application and design of new and more efficient drugs targeted to DNA. In this study, the binding interaction between the synthesized ligand with calf thymus-DNA (ct-DNA) has been investigated by UV/Vis DNA titration study. From the UV/Vis DNA study, it shows that bis(phenoxy)bipyridine ligand bind with ct-DNA via outside binding with binding contant K{sub b} = 1.19 × 10{sup 3} ± 0.08 M{sup −1}.

Circulating Tumor DNA Analysis for Liver Cancers and Its Usefulness as a Liquid BiopsySummary

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Atsushi Ono

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Background & Aims: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA carrying tumor-specific sequence alterations has been found in the cell-free fraction of blood. Liver cancer tumor specimens are difficult to obtain, and noninvasive methods are required to assess cancer progression and characterize underlying genomic features. Methods: We analyzed 46 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent hepatectomy or liver transplantation and for whom whole-genome sequencing data was available. We designed personalized assays targeting somatic rearrangements of each tumor to quantify serum ctDNA. Exome sequencing was performed using cell-free DNA paired primary tumor tissue DNA from a patient with recurrent liver cancer after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE. Results: We successfully detected ctDNA from 100 μL of serum samples in 7 of the 46 patients before surgery, increasing with disease progression. The cumulative incidence of recurrence and extrahepatic metastasis in the ctDNA-positive group were statistically significantly worse than in the ctDNA-negative group (P = .0102 and .0386, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified ctDNA (OR 6.10; 95% CI, 1.11–33.33, P = .038 as an independent predictor of microscopic vascular invasion of the portal vein (VP. We identified 45 nonsynonymous somatic mutations in cell-free DNA after TACE and 71 nonsynonymous somatic mutations in primary tumor tissue by exome sequencing. We identified 25 common mutations in both samples, and 83% of mutations identified in the primary tumor could be detected in the cell-free DNA. Conclusions: The presence of ctDNA reflects tumor progression, and detection of ctDNA can predict VP and recurrence, especially extrahepatic metastasis within 2 years. Our study demonstrated the usefulness of ctDNA detection and sequencing analysis of cell-free DNA for personalized treatment of liver cancer. Keywords: Circulating Tumor DNA, Exome Sequencing, Hepatocellular

Patient-Specific Circulating Tumor DNA Detection during Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Riva, Francesca; Bidard, Francois-Clement; Houy, Alexandre; Saliou, Adrien; Madic, Jordan; Rampanou, Aurore; Hego, Caroline; Milder, Maud; Cottu, Paul; Sablin, Marie-Paule; Vincent-Salomon, Anne; Lantz, Olivier; Stern, Marc-Henri; Proudhon, Charlotte; Pierga, Jean-Yves

2017-03-01

In nonmetastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients, we investigated whether circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detection can reflect the tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) and detect minimal residual disease after surgery. Ten milliliters of plasma were collected at 4 time points: before NCT; after 1 cycle; before surgery; after surgery. Customized droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assays were used to track tumor protein p53 ( TP53 ) mutations previously characterized in tumor tissue by massively parallel sequencing (MPS). Forty-six patients with nonmetastatic TNBC were enrolled. TP53 mutations were identified in 40 of them. Customized ddPCR probes were validated for 38 patients, with excellent correlation with MPS ( r = 0.99), specificity (≥2 droplets/assay), and sensitivity (at least 0.1%). At baseline, ctDNA was detected in 27/36 patients (75%). Its detection was associated with mitotic index ( P = 0.003), tumor grade ( P = 0.003), and stage ( P = 0.03). During treatment, we observed a drop of ctDNA levels in all patients but 1. No patient had detectable ctDNA after surgery. The patient with rising ctDNA levels experienced tumor progression during NCT. Pathological complete response (16/38 patients) was not correlated with ctDNA detection at any time point. ctDNA positivity after 1 cycle of NCT was correlated with shorter disease-free ( P < 0.001) and overall ( P = 0.006) survival. Customized ctDNA detection by ddPCR achieved a 75% detection rate at baseline. During NCT, ctDNA levels decreased quickly and minimal residual disease was not detected after surgery. However, a slow decrease of ctDNA level during NCT was strongly associated with shorter survival. © 2016 American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

Modeling techniques and fluorescence imaging investigation of the interactions of an anthraquinone derivative with HSA and ctDNA

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Zheng; Cui, Yanrui; Cui, Fengling; Zhang, Guisheng

2016-01-01

A new anthraquinone derivative (AORha) was synthesized. Its interactions with human serum albumin (HSA) and calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) were investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and molecular modeling. Cell viability assay and cell imaging experiment were performed using cervical cancer cells (HepG2 cells). The fluorescence results revealed that the quenching mechanism was static quenching. At different temperatures (290, 300, 310 K), the binding constants (K) and the number of binding sites (n) were determined, respectively. The positive ΔH and ΔS values showed that the binding of AORha with HSA was hydrophobic force, which was identical with the molecular docking result. Studying the fluorescence spectra, UV spectra and molecular modeling also verified that the binding mode of AORha and ctDNA might be intercalative. When HepG2 cells were treated with AORha, the fluorescence became brighter and turned green, which could be used for bioimaging.

Modeling techniques and fluorescence imaging investigation of the interactions of an anthraquinone derivative with HSA and ctDNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Zheng; Cui, Yanrui; Cui, Fengling; Zhang, Guisheng

2016-01-15

A new anthraquinone derivative (AORha) was synthesized. Its interactions with human serum albumin (HSA) and calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) were investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and molecular modeling. Cell viability assay and cell imaging experiment were performed using cervical cancer cells (HepG2 cells). The fluorescence results revealed that the quenching mechanism was static quenching. At different temperatures (290, 300, 310 K), the binding constants (K) and the number of binding sites (n) were determined, respectively. The positive ΔH and ΔS values showed that the binding of AORha with HSA was hydrophobic force, which was identical with the molecular docking result. Studying the fluorescence spectra, UV spectra and molecular modeling also verified that the binding mode of AORha and ctDNA might be intercalative. When HepG2 cells were treated with AORha, the fluorescence became brighter and turned green, which could be used for bioimaging. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluating differential nuclear DNA yield rates and osteocyte numbers among human bone tissue types: A synchrotron radiation micro-CT approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Andronowski, Janna M; Mundorff, Amy Z; Pratt, Isaac V; Davoren, Jon M; Cooper, David M L

2017-05-01

Molecular human identification has conventionally focused on DNA sampling from dense, weight-bearing cortical bone tissue, typically from femora or tibiae. A comparison of skeletal elements from three contemporary individuals demonstrated that elements with high quantities of cancellous bone yielded nuclear DNA at the highest rates, suggesting that preferentially sampling cortical bone may be suboptimal (Mundorff & Davoren, 2014). Despite these findings, the reason for the differential DNA yields between cortical and cancellous bone tissues remains unknown. The primary goal of this work is to ascertain whether differences in bone microstructure can be used to explain differential nuclear DNA yield among bone tissue types observed by Mundorff and Davoren (2014), with a focus on osteocytes and the three-dimensional (3D) quantification of their associated lacunae. Osteocytes and other bone cells are recognized to house DNA in bone tissue, thus examining the density of their lacunae may explain why nuclear DNA yield rates differ among bone tissue types. Lacunae were visualized and quantified using synchrotron radiation-based micro-Computed Tomographic imaging (SR micro-CT). Volumes of interest (VOIs) from cortical and cancellous bone tissues (n=129) were comparatively analyzed from the three skeletons sampled for Mundorff and Davoren's (2014) study. Analyses tested the primary hypothesis that the abundance and density of osteocytes (inferred from their lacunar spaces) vary between cortical and cancellous bone tissue types. Results demonstrated that osteocyte lacunar abundance and density vary between cortical and cancellous bone tissue types, with cortical bone VOIs containing a higher lacunar abundance and density. We found that the osteocyte lacunar density values are independent of nuclear DNA yield, suggesting an alternative explanation for the higher nuclear DNA yields from bones with greater quantities of cancellous bone tissue. The use of SR micro-CT allowed for

Synthesis, DNA Binding, and Antiproliferative Activity of Novel Acridine-Thiosemicarbazone Derivatives

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Sinara Mônica Vitalino de Almeida

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In this work, the acridine nucleus was used as a lead-compound for structural modification by adding different substituted thiosemicarbazide moieties. Eight new (Z-2-(acridin-9-ylmethylene-N-phenylhydrazinecarbothioamide derivatives (3a–h were synthesized, their antiproliferative activities were evaluated, and DNA binding properties were performed with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA by electronic absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies. Both hyperchromic and hypochromic effects, as well as red or blue shifts were demonstrated by addition of ctDNA to the derivatives. The calculated binding constants ranged from 1.74 × 104 to 1.0 × 106 M−1 and quenching constants from −0.2 × 104 to 2.18 × 104 M−1 indicating high affinity to ctDNA base pairs. The most efficient compound in binding to ctDNA in vitro was (Z-2-(acridin-9-ylmethylene-N- (4-chlorophenyl hydrazinecarbothioamide (3f, while the most active compound in antiproliferative assay was (Z-2-(acridin-9-ylmethylene-N-phenylhydrazinecarbothioamide (3a. There was no correlation between DNA-binding and in vitro antiproliferative activity, but the results suggest that DNA binding can be involved in the biological activity mechanism. This study may guide the choice of the size and shape of the intercalating part of the ligand and the strategic selection of substituents that increase DNA-binding or antiproliferative properties.

[Expression and purification of a novel thermophilic bacterial single-stranded DNA-binding protein and enhancement the synthesis of DNA and cDNA].

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Xiao-Wei; Zhang, Guo-Hui; Shi, Hai-Yan

2012-12-01

Express a novel species of single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB) derived from Thermococcus kodakarensis KOD1, abbreviated kod-ssb. And evaluate the effect of kod-ssb on PCR-based DNA amplification and reverse transcription. We express kod-ssb with the Transrtta (DE3), and kod-ssb was purified by affinity chromatography on a Ni2+ Sepharose column, detected by SDS-PAGE. To evaluate the effect of kod-ssb on PCR-based DNA amplification, the human beta globin gene was used as template to amplify a 5-kb, 9-kb and 13-kb. And to detect the effect of kod-ssb on reverse transcription, we used RNA from flu cell culture supernatant extraction as templates to implement qRT-PCR reaction. The plasmid pET11a-kod was transformed into Transetta (DE3) and the recombinant strain Transetta (pET11 a-kod) was obtained. The kod-ssb was highly expressed when the recombinant strain Transetta(pET11a-kod) was induced by IPTG. The specific protein was detected by SDS-PAGE. To confirm that kod-ssb can enhance target DNA synthesis and reduce PCR by-products, 5-, 9-, and 13-kb human beta globin gene fragments were used as templates for PCR. When PCR reactions did not include SSB proteins, the specific PCR product was contaminated with non-specific products. When kod -ssb was added, kod-ssb significantly enhanced amplification of the 5-, 9-and 13-kb target product and minimised the non-specific PCR products. To confirm that kod-ssb can enhance target cDNA synthesis, RNA from flu cell culture supernatant extraction was used as templates for qRT-PCR reaction. The results was that when kod-ssb was added, kod-ssb significantly enhanced the synthesis of cDNA, average Ct value is 19.42, and the average Ct value without kod-ssb is 22.15. kod-ssb may in future be used to enhance DNA and cDNA amplification.

The interaction of taurine-salicylaldehyde Schiff base copper(II) complex with DNA and the determination of DNA using the complex as a fluorescence probe

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoyan; Wang, Yong; Zhang, Qianru; Yang, Zhousheng

2010-09-01

The interaction of taurine-salicylaldehyde Schiff base copper(II) (Cu(TSSB) 22+) complex with DNA was explored by using UV-vis, fluorescence spectrophotometry, and voltammetry. In pH 7.4 Tris-HCl buffer solution, the binding constant of the Cu(TSSB) 22+ complex interaction with DNA was 3.49 × 10 4 L mol -1. Moreover, due to the fluorescence enhancing of Cu(TSSB) 22+ complex in the presence of DNA, a method for determination of DNA with Cu(TSSB) 22+ complex as a fluorescence probe was developed. The fluorescence spectra indicated that the maximum excitation and emission wavelength were 389 nm and 512 nm, respectively. Under optimal conditions, the calibration graphs are linear over the range of 0.03-9.03 μg mL -1 for calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA), 0.10-36 μg mL -1 for yeast DNA and 0.01-10.01 μg mL -1 for salmon DNA (SM-DNA), respectively. The corresponding detection limits are 7 ng mL -1 for CT-DNA, 3 ng mL -1 for yeast DNA and 3 ng mL -1 for SM-DNA. Using this method, DNA in synthetic samples was determined with satisfactory results.

Circulating Tumour DNA for Monitoring Treatment Response to Anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy in Melanoma Patients

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Atsuko Ashida

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Anti-programmed cell death-1 (anti-PD-1 antibody shows high therapeutic efficacy in patients with advanced melanoma. However, assessment of its therapeutic activity can be challenging because of tumour enlargement associated with intratumoural inflammation. Because circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA correlates with tumour burden, we assessed the value of ctDNA levels as an indicator of tumour changes. Quantification of ctDNA (BRAFmutant or NRASmutant levels by droplet digital PCR in 5 patients with BRAF or NRAS mutant melanoma during the treatment course showed dynamic changes corresponding to radiological and clinical alterations. In 3 cases in which the anti-PD-1 antibody was effective, ctDNA levels decreased within 2–4 weeks after treatment initiation. In 2 cases in which the anti-PD-1 antibody was ineffective, ctDNA levels did not decrease after treatment initiation. ctDNA could be a useful biomarker to predict early response to treatment in patients with advanced melanoma treated with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.

Review of the clinical applications and technological advances of circulating tumor DNA in cancer monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yi; Tolani, Bhairavi; Nie, Xiuhong; Zhi, Xiuyi; Hu, Mu; He, Biao

2017-01-01

Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) released by tumor cells, termed ctDNA, closely reflects the heterogeneity of primary cancers and their metastases. As a noninvasive, real-time monitoring biomarker, ctDNA is a promising tool for detecting driver gene mutations, assessing tumor burden and acquired resistance, and early diagnosis. However, isolation and enrichment of cfDNA is a big challenge due to the high degree of DNA fragmentation and its relatively low abundance in the bloodstream. This review aims to provide insights into the recent technological advances in acquisition of optimal quality cfDNA, the use of preservatives, isolation methods, processing timelines, and detection techniques. It also describes clinical applications of ctDNA in cancer patient management.

Microrheology of concentrated DNA solutions using optical tweezers

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

. In this work, we report the determination of microrheological properties of concentrated, double-stranded calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) solutions using passive, laser-scattering based particle-tracking methodology. From power spectral analysis, ...

A naproxen complex of dysprosium intercalates into calf thymus DNA base pairs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Mengsi; Jin, Jianhua; Xu, Guiqing; Cui, Fengling; Luo, Hongxia

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Binding mode to ctDNA was studied by various methods. • Intercalation is the most possible binding mode. • Dynamic and static quenching occurred simultaneously. • Hydrophobic force played a major role. • Binding characteristic of rare earth complexes to DNA are dependent on the element. - Abstract: The binding mode and mechanism of dysprosium–naproxen complex (Dy–NAP) with calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (ctDNA) were studied using UV–vis and fluorescence spectra in physiological buffer (pH 7.4). The results showed that more than one type of quenching process occurred and the binding mode between Dy–NAP with ctDNA might be intercalation. In addition, ionic strength, iodide quenching and fluorescence polarization experiments corroborated the intercalation binding mode between Dy–NAP and ctDNA. The calculated thermodynamic parameters ΔG, ΔH and ΔS at different temperature demonstrated that hydrophobic interaction force played a major role in the binding process

C-terminal region of DNA ligase IV drives XRCC4/DNA ligase IV complex to chromatin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Sicheng; Liu, Xunyue; Kamdar, Radhika Pankaj; Wanotayan, Rujira; Sharma, Mukesh Kumar; Adachi, Noritaka; Matsumoto, Yoshihisa

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Chromatin binding of XRCC4 is dependent on the presence of DNA ligase IV. •C-terminal region of DNA ligase IV alone can recruit itself and XRCC4 to chromatin. •Two BRCT domains of DNA ligase IV are essential for the chromatin binding of XRCC4. -- Abstract: DNA ligase IV (LIG4) and XRCC4 form a complex to ligate two DNA ends at the final step of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair through non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). It is not fully understood how these proteins are recruited to DSBs. We recently demonstrated radiation-induced chromatin binding of XRCC4 by biochemical fractionation using detergent Nonidet P-40. In the present study, we examined the role of LIG4 in the recruitment of XRCC4/LIG4 complex to chromatin. The chromatin binding of XRCC4 was dependent on the presence of LIG4. The mutations in two BRCT domains (W725R and W893R, respectively) of LIG4 reduced the chromatin binding of LIG4 and XRCC4. The C-terminal fragment of LIG4 (LIG4-CT) without N-terminal catalytic domains could bind to chromatin with XRCC4. LIG4-CT with W725R or W893R mutation could bind to chromatin but could not support the chromatin binding of XRCC4. The ability of C-terminal region of LIG4 to interact with chromatin might provide us with an insight into the mechanisms of DSB repair through NHEJ

Specific binding of a dihydropyrimidinone derivative with DNA: Spectroscopic, calorimetric and modeling investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Gongke; Yan Changling; Wang Dongchao; Li Dan; Lu Yan

2012-01-01

One of the dihydropyrimidinone derivative 5-(ethoxycarbonyl)-6-methyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl) -3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one (EMMD) was synthesized, and its binding properties with calf-thymus DNA (ctDNA) were investigated using spectroscopic, viscometric, isothermal titration calorimetric (ITC) and molecular modeling techniques. Fluorescence spectra suggested that the fluorescence enhancement of the binding interaction of EMMD to ctDNA was a static process with ground state complex formation. The binding constant determined with spectroscopic titration and ITC was found to be in the same order of 10 4 M −1 . According to the results of the viscosity analysis, fluorescence competitive binding experiment, fluorescence quenching studies, absorption spectral and ITC investigations, it can be concluded that EMMD is intercalative binding to ctDNA. Furthermore, the results of molecular modeling confirmed those obtained from spectroscopic, viscosimetric and ITC investigations. Additionally, ITC studies also indicated that the binding interaction is predominantly enthalpy driven. - Highlights: ► Medically important dihydropyrimidinones derivative EMMD is synthesized. ► EMMD is intercalative binding into ctDNA helix. ► Hydrogen bonding may play an essential role in the binding of EMCD with ctDNA. ► This binding interaction is predominantly enthalpy driven.

Circulating tumour DNA methylation markers for diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

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Xu, Rui-Hua; Wei, Wei; Krawczyk, Michal; Wang, Wenqiu; Luo, Huiyan; Flagg, Ken; Yi, Shaohua; Shi, William; Quan, Qingli; Li, Kang; Zheng, Lianghong; Zhang, Heng; Caughey, Bennett A.; Zhao, Qi; Hou, Jiayi; Zhang, Runze; Xu, Yanxin; Cai, Huimin; Li, Gen; Hou, Rui; Zhong, Zheng; Lin, Danni; Fu, Xin; Zhu, Jie; Duan, Yaou; Yu, Meixing; Ying, Binwu; Zhang, Wengeng; Wang, Juan; Zhang, Edward; Zhang, Charlotte; Li, Oulan; Guo, Rongping; Carter, Hannah; Zhu, Jian-Kang; Hao, Xiaoke; Zhang, Kang

2017-11-01

An effective blood-based method for the diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not yet been developed. Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) carrying cancer-specific genetic and epigenetic aberrations may enable a noninvasive `liquid biopsy' for diagnosis and monitoring of cancer. Here, we identified an HCC-specific methylation marker panel by comparing HCC tissue and normal blood leukocytes and showed that methylation profiles of HCC tumour DNA and matched plasma ctDNA are highly correlated. Using cfDNA samples from a large cohort of 1,098 HCC patients and 835 normal controls, we constructed a diagnostic prediction model that showed high diagnostic specificity and sensitivity (P < 0.001) and was highly correlated with tumour burden, treatment response, and stage. Additionally, we constructed a prognostic prediction model that effectively predicted prognosis and survival (P < 0.001). Together, these findings demonstrate in a large clinical cohort the utility of ctDNA methylation markers in the diagnosis, surveillance, and prognosis of HCC.

Switchable DNA wire: deposition-stripping of copper nanoclusters as an "ON-OFF" nanoswitch.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Xiaoli; Liu, Siyu; Cao, Jiepei; Mao, Xiaoxia; Li, Genxi

2016-01-19

Today, a consensus that DNA working as a molecular wire shows promise in nanoscale electronics is reached. Considering that the "ON-OFF" switch is the basis of a logic circuit, the switch of DNA-mediated charge transport (DNA CT) should be conquered. Here, on the basis of chemical or electrochemical deposition and stripping of DNA-templated copper nanoclusters (CuNCs), we develop an "ON-OFF" nanoswitch for DNA CT. While CuNCs are deposited, the DNA CT is blocked, which can be also recovered after stripping the CuNCs. A switch cycle can be completed in a few seconds and can be repeated for many times. Moreover, by regulating the amount of reagents, deposition/stripping time, applied potential, etc., the switch is adjustable to make the wire at either an "ON-OFF" state or an intermediate state. We believe that this concept and the successful implementation will promote the practical application of DNA wire one step further.

A novel rat genomic simple repeat DNA with RNA-homology shows triplex (H-DNA)-like structure and tissue-specific RNA expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dey, Indranil; Rath, Pramod C.

2005-01-01

Mammalian genome contains a wide variety of repetitive DNA sequences of relatively unknown function. We report a novel 227 bp simple repeat DNA (3.3 DNA) with a d {(GA) 7 A (AG) 7 } dinucleotide mirror repeat from the rat (Rattus norvegicus) genome. 3.3 DNA showed 75-85% homology with several eukaryotic mRNAs due to (GA/CU) n dinucleotide repeats by nBlast search and a dispersed distribution in the rat genome by Southern blot hybridization with [ 32 P]3.3 DNA. The d {(GA) 7 A (AG) 7 } mirror repeat formed a triplex (H-DNA)-like structure in vitro. Two large RNAs of 9.1 and 7.5 kb were detected by [ 32 P]3.3 DNA in rat brain by Northern blot hybridization indicating expression of such simple sequence repeats at RNA level in vivo. Further, several cDNAs were isolated from a rat cDNA library by [ 32 P]3.3 DNA probe. Three such cDNAs showed tissue-specific RNA expression in rat. pRT 4.1 cDNA showed strong expression of a 2.39 kb RNA in brain and spleen, pRT 5.5 cDNA showed strong expression of a 2.8 kb RNA in brain and a 3.9 kb RNA in lungs, and pRT 11.4 cDNA showed weak expression of a 2.4 kb RNA in lungs. Thus, genomic simple sequence repeats containing d (GA/CT) n dinucleotides are transcriptionally expressed and regulated in rat tissues. Such d (GA/CT) n dinucleotide repeats may form structural elements (e.g., triplex) which may be sites for functional regulation of genomic coding sequences as well as RNAs. This may be a general function of such transcriptionally active simple sequence repeats widely dispersed in mammalian genome

DNA damage in lymphocytes induced by cardiac CT and comparison with physical exposure parameters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fukumoto, Wataru; Tatsugami, Fuminari; Awai, Kazuo [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Institute of Biomedical Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima (Japan); Ishida, Mari; Sakai, Chiemi [Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Department of Cardiovascular Physiology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima (Japan); Tashiro, Satoshi [Hiroshima University, Department of Cellular Biology, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima (Japan); Ishida, Takafumi [Institute of Clinical Research West Medical Center, Hiroshima (Japan); Nakano, Yukiko [Hiroshima University Hospital, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima (Japan)

2017-04-15

To investigate whether physical exposure parameters such as the dose index (CTDI), dose length product (DLP), and size-specific dose estimate (SSDE) are predictive of DNA damage. In vitro, we scanned a phantom containing blood samples from five volunteers at CTDI 50, 100, and 150 mGy. One sample was not scanned. We also scanned samples in three different-size phantoms at CTDI 100 mGy. In vivo, we enrolled 45 patients and obtained blood samples before and after cardiac CT. The γ-H2AX foci were counted. In vitro, in the control and at CTDI 50, 100, and 150 mGy, the number of γ-H2AX was 0.94 ± 0.24 (standard error, SE), 1.28 ± 0.30, 1.91 ± 0.47, and 2.16 ± 0.20. At SSDE 180, 156, and 135 mGy, it was 2.41 ± 0.20, 1.91 ± 0.47, and 1.42 ± 0.20 foci/cell. The γ-H2AX foci were positively correlated with the radiation dose and negatively correlated with the body size. In vivo, the γ-H2AX foci were significantly increased after CT (from 1.21 ± 0.19 to 1.92 ± 0.22 foci/cell) and correlated with CTDI, DLP, and SSDE. DNA damage was induced by cardiac CT. There was a correlation between the physical exposure parameters and γ-H2AX. (orig.)

DNA interaction studies of sesamol (3,4-methylenedioxyphenol) food additive.

Science.gov (United States)

Kashanian, Soheila; Tahmasian Ghobadi, Ameneh; Roshanfekr, Hamideh; Shariati, Zohreh

2013-02-01

The interaction of native calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) with sesamol (3,4-methylenedioxyphenol) in Tris-HCl buffer at neutral pH 7.4 was monitored by absorption spectrophotometry, viscometry and spectrofluorometry. It is found that sesamol molecules could interact with DNA outside and/or groove binding modes, as are evidenced by: hyperchromism in UV absorption band, very slow decrease in specific viscosity of DNA, and small increase in the fluorescence of methylene blue (MB)-DNA solutions in the presence of increasing amounts of sesamol, which indicates that it is able to partially release the bound MB. Furthermore, the enthalpy and entropy of the reaction between sesamol and CT-DNA showed that the reaction is enthalpy-favored and entropy-disfavored (ΔH = -174.08 kJ mol(-1); ΔS = -532.92 J mol(-1) K(-1)). The binding constant was determined using absorption measurement and found to be 2.7 × 10(4) M(-1); its magnitude suggests that sesamol interacts to DNA with a high affinity.

Synthesis And Characterization Of 6,6'-Bis (2-Hydroxyphenyl)-2,2'-Bipyridyl Ligand And Its Platinum Complex for the Interaction with CT-DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norhidayah Selamat; Heng, L.Y.; Nurul Izzaty Hassan; Nurul Huda Abd Karim

2016-01-01

A tetradentate ligand with four donor atoms OONN and its platinum metal complex were synthesized. Bis(phenoxy)bipyridine ligand was prepared by Suzuki coupling reaction between 6,6 ' -dibromo-2,2 ' -bipyridyl and 2-hydroxy phenylboronic acid with the presence of palladium (II) acetate. The formation of platinum complex was done by introducing the ligand with platinum (II) chloride in benzonitrile. Both ligand and complex structures were confirmed by 1 H, 2D cosy and 13 C NMR spectroscopy, ESIMS spectrometry and FTIR spectroscopy. Binding studies of small molecules with DNA are useful to understand the reaction mechanism and to provide guidance for the application and design of new and more efficient drugs or sensors targeted on DNA. In this study, the binding interaction between the synthesized ligand and complex with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) has been investigated using UV-Visible and emission DNA titration. From the UV-Visible DNA study, it showed that platinum (II) bipyridine complex had higher affinity towards CT-DNA with binding constant K b =(3.1 ± 0.02 x 10 5 ) ± 0.02 M -1 compared to that of bis(phenoxy) bipyridine ligand with binding constant (K b ) = (1.19 ± 0.08) x 10 3 M -1 . These findings will be valuable for the potential use of platinum (II) bipyridine complex as a phosphorescent probe in optical sensor DNA. (author)

Next-generation sequencing-based detection of circulating tumour DNA After allogeneic stem cell transplantation for lymphoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera, Alex F; Kim, Haesook T; Kong, Katherine A; Faham, Malek; Sun, Heather; Sohani, Aliyah R; Alyea, Edwin P; Carlton, Victoria E; Chen, Yi-Bin; Cutler, Corey S; Ho, Vincent T; Koreth, John; Kotwaliwale, Chitra; Nikiforow, Sarah; Ritz, Jerome; Rodig, Scott J; Soiffer, Robert J; Antin, Joseph H; Armand, Philippe

2016-12-01

Next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) detection is a promising monitoring tool for lymphoid malignancies. We evaluated whether the presence of ctDNA was associated with outcome after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in lymphoma patients. We studied 88 patients drawn from a phase 3 clinical trial of reduced-intensity conditioning HSCT in lymphoma. Conventional restaging and collection of peripheral blood samples occurred at pre-specified time points before and after HSCT and were assayed for ctDNA by sequencing of the immunoglobulin or T-cell receptor genes. Tumour clonotypes were identified in 87% of patients with adequate tumour samples. Sixteen of 19 (84%) patients with disease progression after HSCT had detectable ctDNA prior to progression at a median of 3·7 months prior to relapse/progression. Patients with detectable ctDNA 3 months after HSCT had inferior progression-free survival (PFS) (2-year PFS 58% vs. 84% in ctDNA-negative patients, P = 0·033). In multivariate models, detectable ctDNA was associated with increased risk of progression/death (Hazard ratio 3·9, P = 0·003) and increased risk of relapse/progression (Hazard ratio 10·8, P = 0·0006). Detectable ctDNA is associated with an increased risk of relapse/progression, but further validation studies are necessary to confirm these findings and determine the clinical utility of NGS-based minimal residual disease monitoring in lymphoma patients after HSCT. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Spectroscopic profiling and computational study of the binding of tschimgine: A natural monoterpene derivative, with calf thymus DNA

Science.gov (United States)

Khajeh, Masoumeh Ashrafi; Dehghan, Gholamreza; Dastmalchi, Siavoush; Shaghaghi, Masoomeh; Iranshahi, Mehrdad

2018-03-01

DNA is a major target for a number of anticancer substances. Interaction studies between small molecules and DNA are essential for rational drug designing to influence main biological processes and also introducing new probes for the assay of DNA. Tschimgine (TMG) is a monoterpene derivative with anticancer properties. In the present study we tried to elucidate the interaction of TMG with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) using different spectroscopic methods. UV-visible absorption spectrophotometry, fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies as well as molecular docking study revealed formation of complex between TMG and CT-DNA. Binding constant (Kb) between TMG and DNA was 2.27 × 104 M- 1, that is comparable to groove binding agents. The fluorescence spectroscopic data revealed that the quenching mechanism of fluorescence of TMG by CT-DNA is static quenching. Thermodynamic parameters (ΔH TMG with CT-DNA. Competitive binding assay with methylene blue (MB) and Hoechst 33258 using fluorescence spectroscopy displayed that TMG possibly binds to the minor groove of CT-DNA. These observations were further confirmed by CD spectral analysis, viscosity measurements and molecular docking.

DNA binding studies of Sunset Yellow FCF using spectroscopy, viscometry and electrochemical techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Asaadi, Sara; Hajian, Reza

2017-10-01

Color is one of the important factors in food industry. All food companies use synthetic pigments to improve the aesthetic of products. Studies on the interaction between deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and food dye molecules is important because DNA is responsible for some processes including replication and transcription of cells, mutations, genetic diseases, and some synthetic chemical nucleases. In this study, the molecular interaction between Sunset Yellow FCF (SY) as a common food coloring additive and calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) has been studied using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, spectrofluorometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and viscometry techniques. The binding constant between ct-DNA and SY in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.4) was calculated as 2.09 × 103 L mol-1. The non-electrostatic bonding constant (K0t) was almost consistent and the ratio of K0t/Kb increased by increasing the ionic strength in the range of 0.01-0.1 mol L-1 of KCl. This observation shows that, the molecular bonding of SY to ct-DNA is a combination of electrostatic and intercalation interactions. In the electrochemical studies, an oxidation peak at 0.71 V and a reduction peak at about 0.63 V was observed with the peak potential difference (ΔEp) of 0.08 V, showing a reversible process. The oxidation and reduction peaks were significantly decreased in the presence of ct-DNA and the reduction peak current shifted to negative values. In spectrofluorometric study, the fluorescence intensity of SY increased dramatically after successive addition of DNA due to the increasing of molecular surface area and decreasing of impact frequency between solvent and SY-DNA adduct. Moreover, viscometric study shows that the increasing of viscosity for SY solution in the presence of DNA is due to the intercalation mechanism with double strand DNA (ds-DNA).

INTERACTION OF IRON(II MIXED-LIGAND COMPLEXES WITH DNA: BASE-PAIR SPECIFICITY AND THERMAL DENATURATION STUDIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mudasir Mudasir

2010-06-01

Full Text Available A research about base-pair specificity of the DNA binding of [Fe(phen3]2+, [Fe(phen2(dip]2+ and [Fe(phen(dip2]2+ complexes and the effect of calf-thymus DNA (ct-DNA binding of these metal complexes on thermal denaturation of ct-DNA has been carried out. This research is intended to evaluate the preferential binding of the complexes to the sequence of DNA (A-T or G-C sequence and to investigate the binding strength and mode upon their interaction with DNA. Base-pair specificity of the DNA binding of the complexes was determined by comparing the equilibrium binding constant (Kb of each complex to polysynthetic DNA that contain only A-T or G-C sequence. The Kb value of the interaction was determined by spectrophotometric titration and thermal denaturation temperature (Tm was determined by monitoring the absorbance of the mixture solution of each complex and ct-DNA at λ =260 nm as temperature was elevated in the range of 25 - 100 oC. Results of the study show that in general all iron(II complexes studied exhibit a base-pair specificity in their DNA binding to prefer the relatively facile A-T sequence as compared to the G-C one. The thermal denaturation experiments have demonstrated that Fe(phen3]2+ and [Fe(phen2(dip]2+ interact weakly with double helical DNA via electrostatic interaction as indicated by insignificant changes in melting temperature, whereas [Fe(phen2(dip]2+  most probably binds to DNA in mixed modes of interaction, i.e.: intercalation and electrostatic interaction. This conclusion is based on the fact that the binding of [Fe(phen2(dip]2+ to ct-DNA moderately increase the Tm value of ct- DNA   Keywords: DNA Binding, mixed-ligand complexes

Impact of Emergent Circulating Tumor DNA RAS Mutation in Panitumumab-Treated Chemoresistant Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Tae Won; Peeters, Marc; Thomas, Anne L; Gibbs, Peter; Hool, Kristina; Zhang, Jianqi; Ang, Agnes; Bach, Bruce Allen; Price, Timothy

2018-06-13

The accumulation of emergent RAS mutations during anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) therapy is of interest as a mechanism for acquired resistance to anti-EGFR treatment. Plasma analysis of circulating tumor (ct) DNA is a minimally invasive and highly sensitive method to determine RAS mutational status. This biomarker analysis of the global phase III ASPECCT study used next-generation sequencing to detect expanded RAS ctDNA mutations in panitumumab-treated patients. Plasma samples collected at baseline and posttreatment were analyzed categorically for the presence of RAS mutations by the Plasma Select -R™ 64-gene panel at 0.1% sensitivity. Among panitumumab-treated patients with evaluable plasma samples at baseline (n = 238), 188 (79%) were wild-type (WT) RAS, and 50 (21%) were mutant RAS Of the 188 patients with baseline ctDNA WT RAS status, 164 had evaluable posttreatment results with a 32% rate of emergent RAS mutations. The median overall survival (OS) for WT and RAS mutant status by ctDNA at baseline was 13.7 (95% confidence interval: 11.5-15.4) and 7.9 months (6.4-9.6), respectively ( P < 0.0001). Clinical outcomes were not significantly different between patients with and without emergent ctDNA RAS mutations. Although patients with baseline ctDNA RAS mutations had worse outcomes than patients who were WT RAS before initiating treatment, emergent ctDNA RAS mutations were not associated with less favorable patient outcomes in panitumumab-treated patients. Further research is needed to determine a clinically relevant threshold for baseline and emergent ctDNA RAS mutations. Copyright ©2018, American Association for Cancer Research.

Ultrafast dynamics of solvation and charge transfer in a DNA-based biomaterial.

Science.gov (United States)

Choudhury, Susobhan; Batabyal, Subrata; Mondol, Tanumoy; Sao, Dilip; Lemmens, Peter; Pal, Samir Kumar

2014-05-01

Charge migration along DNA molecules is a key factor for DNA-based devices in optoelectronics and biotechnology. The association of a significant amount of water molecules in DNA-based materials for the intactness of the DNA structure and their dynamic role in the charge-transfer (CT) dynamics is less documented in contemporary literature. In the present study, we have used a genomic DNA-cetyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (CTMA) complex, a technological important biomaterial, and Hoechest 33258 (H258), a well-known DNA minor groove binder, as fluorogenic probe for the dynamic solvation studies. The CT dynamics of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs; 5.2 nm) embedded in the as-prepared and swollen biomaterial have also been studied and correlated with that of the timescale of solvation. We have extended our studies on the temperature-dependent CT dynamics of QDs in a nanoenvironment of an anionic, sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate reverse micelle (AOT RMs), whereby the number of water molecules and their dynamics can be tuned in a controlled manner. A direct correlation of the dynamics of solvation and that of the CT in the nanoenvironments clearly suggests that the hydration barrier within the Arrhenius framework essentially dictates the charge-transfer dynamics. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Switchable DNA wire: deposition-stripping of copper nanoclusters as an “ON-OFF” nanoswitch

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Xiaoli; Liu, Siyu; Cao, Jiepei; Mao, Xiaoxia; Li, Genxi

2016-01-01

Today, a consensus that DNA working as a molecular wire shows promise in nanoscale electronics is reached. Considering that the “ON-OFF” switch is the basis of a logic circuit, the switch of DNA-mediated charge transport (DNA CT) should be conquered. Here, on the basis of chemical or electrochemical deposition and stripping of DNA-templated copper nanoclusters (CuNCs), we develop an “ON-OFF” nanoswitch for DNA CT. While CuNCs are deposited, the DNA CT is blocked, which can be also recovered after stripping the CuNCs. A switch cycle can be completed in a few seconds and can be repeated for many times. Moreover, by regulating the amount of reagents, deposition/stripping time, applied potential, etc., the switch is adjustable to make the wire at either an “ON-OFF” state or an intermediate state. We believe that this concept and the successful implementation will promote the practical application of DNA wire one step further. PMID:26781761

Early circulating tumor DNA dynamics and clonal selection with palbociclib and fulvestrant for breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Leary, Ben; Hrebien, Sarah; Morden, James P; Beaney, Matthew; Fribbens, Charlotte; Huang, Xin; Liu, Yuan; Bartlett, Cynthia Huang; Koehler, Maria; Cristofanilli, Massimo; Garcia-Murillas, Isaac; Bliss, Judith M; Turner, Nicholas C

2018-03-01

CDK4/6 inhibition substantially improves progression-free survival (PFS) for women with advanced estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, although there are no predictive biomarkers. Early changes in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) level may provide early response prediction, but the impact of tumor heterogeneity is unknown. Here we use plasma samples from patients in the randomized phase III PALOMA-3 study of CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib and fulvestrant for women with advanced breast cancer and show that relative change in PIK3CA ctDNA level after 15 days treatment strongly predicts PFS on palbociclib and fulvestrant (hazard ratio 3.94, log-rank p = 0.0013). ESR1 mutations selected by prior hormone therapy are shown to be frequently sub clonal, with ESR1 ctDNA dynamics offering limited prediction of clinical outcome. These results suggest that early ctDNA dynamics may provide a robust biomarker for CDK4/6 inhibitors, with early ctDNA dynamics demonstrating divergent response of tumor sub clones to treatment.

Development and Validation of A Spectrofluorimetric Determination of Calf Thymus DNA Using a Terbium-Danofloxacin Probe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naser Soltani

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Analysis of biomolecules is required in many biomedical research areas. A spectrofluorimetric method is proposed for determination of calf thymus DNA (ctDNA based on the fluorescence enhancement of terbium-danofloxacin (Tb3+-Dano in the presence of ctDNA. Methods: A probe with maximum excitation and emission wavelengths of 347 nm and 545 nm, respectively, was developed. The enhanced fluorescence intensity of Tb3+-Dano system was proportional to the concentration of ctDNA. The effective factors and the optimum conditions for the determination of ctDNA were studied. Under the optimum conditions of [Tris buffer]= 0.01 mol L-1 (pH 7.8, [ Tb3+]= 1×10-5 mol L-1 and [Dano]= 5×10-5 mol L-1, the maximum response was achieved. The developed method was evaluated in terms of accuracy, precision and limit of detection. Results: The linear concentration range for quantification of ctDNA was 36-3289 ng mL-1 and the detection limit (S/N=3 was 8 ng mL-1. The concentration of DNA extracted from Escherichia coli as an extracted sample was also determined using the developed probe. The concentration of DNA in extracted sample was determined using UV assay and developed method, the results were satisfactory. Conclusion: The proposed method is a simple, practical and relatively interference free method to follow up the concentrations of ctDNA.

Chimeric proteins for detection and quantitation of DNA mutations, DNA sequence variations, DNA damage and DNA mismatches

Science.gov (United States)

McCutchen-Maloney, Sandra L.

2002-01-01

Chimeric proteins having both DNA mutation binding activity and nuclease activity are synthesized by recombinant technology. The proteins are of the general formula A-L-B and B-L-A where A is a peptide having DNA mutation binding activity, L is a linker and B is a peptide having nuclease activity. The chimeric proteins are useful for detection and identification of DNA sequence variations including DNA mutations (including DNA damage and mismatches) by binding to the DNA mutation and cutting the DNA once the DNA mutation is detected.

Digital PCR analysis of circulating tumor DNA: a biomarker for chondrosarcoma diagnosis, prognostication, and residual disease detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutteridge, Alice; Rathbone, Victoria M; Gibbons, Rebecca; Bi, Mark; Archard, Nicholas; Davies, Kate E J; Brown, Jake; Plagnol, Vincent; Pillay, Nischalan; Amary, Fernanda; O'Donnell, Paul; Gupta, Manu; Tirabosco, Roberto; Flanagan, Adrienne M; Forshew, Tim

2017-10-01

Conventional chondrosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor in adults. Prognosis corresponds with tumor grade but remains variable, especially for individuals with grade (G) II disease. There are currently no biomarkers available for monitoring or prognostication of chondrosarcoma. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has recently emerged as a promising biomarker for a broad range of tumor types. To date, little has been done to study the presence of ctDNA and its potential utility in the management of sarcomas, including chondrosarcoma. In this study, we have assessed ctDNA levels in a cohort of 71 patients, 32 with sarcoma, including 29 individuals with central chondrosarcoma (CS) and 39 with locally aggressive and benign bone and soft tissue tumors, using digital PCR. In patients with CS, ctDNA was detected in pretreatment samples in 14/29 patients, which showed clear correlation with tumor grade as demonstrated by the detection of ctDNA in all patients with GIII and dedifferentiated disease (n = 6) and in 8/17 patients with GII disease, but never associated with GI CS. Notably detection of ctDNA preoperatively in GII disease was associated with a poor outcome. A total of 14 patients with CS had ctDNA levels assessed at multiple time points and in most patients there was a clear reduction following surgical removal. This research lays the foundation for larger studies to assess the utility of ctDNA for chondrosarcoma diagnosis, prognostication, early detection of residual disease and monitoring disease progression. © 2017 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The value of cell-free DNA for molecular pathology.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Caitlin M; Kothari, Prachi D; Mouliere, Florent; Mair, Richard; Somnay, Saira; Benayed, Ryma; Zehir, Ahmet; Weigelt, Britta; Dawson, Sarah-Jane; Arcila, Maria E; Berger, Michael F; Tsui, Dana Wy

2018-04-01

Over the past decade, advances in molecular biology and genomics techniques have revolutionized the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The technological advances in tissue profiling have also been applied to the study of cell-free nucleic acids, an area of increasing interest for molecular pathology. Cell-free nucleic acids are released from tumour cells into the surrounding body fluids and can be assayed non-invasively. The repertoire of genomic alterations in circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) is reflective of both primary tumours and distant metastatic sites, and ctDNA can be sampled multiple times, thereby overcoming the limitations of the analysis of single biopsies. Furthermore, ctDNA can be sampled regularly to monitor response to treatment, to define the evolution of the tumour genome, and to assess the acquisition of resistance and minimal residual disease. Recently, clinical ctDNA assays have been approved for guidance of therapy, which is an exciting first step in translating cell-free nucleic acid research tests into clinical use for oncology. In this review, we discuss the advantages of cell-free nucleic acids as analytes in different body fluids, including blood plasma, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid, and their clinical applications in solid tumours and haematological malignancies. We will also discuss practical considerations for clinical deployment, such as preanalytical factors and regulatory requirements. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Study of DNA interactions with bifenthrin by spectroscopic techniques and molecular modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Pan; Zhang, Guowen; Ma, Yadi; Zhang, Yepeng; Miao, Hong; Wu, Yongning

2013-08-01

The interaction between bifenthrin (BF) and calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) in physiological buffer (pH 7.4) was investigated by UV-vis absorption, fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, coupled with viscosity measurements and molecular docking techniques. It was found that BF molecular could intercalate into the base pairs of ctDNA as evidenced by significant increases in absorption intensity, fluorescence polarization and relative viscosity of ctDNA, decrease in iodide quenching effect, and induced CD spectral changes. The association constant of BF with ctDNA was evaluated to be in the order of 104 L mol-1. Thermodynamic analysis of the binding data obtained at different temperatures suggested that the binding process was primarily driven by hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces, as the values of the enthalpy change (ΔH) and the entropy change (ΔS) were calculated to be -31.13 ± 1.89 kJ mol-1 and -22.79 ± 1.21 J mol-1 K-1, respectively. The results of FT-IR spectra and molecular docking showed that a specific binding mainly existed between BF and adenine and guanine bases.

A comprehensive approach to ascertain the binding mode of curcumin with DNA

Science.gov (United States)

Haris, P.; Mary, Varughese; Aparna, P.; Dileep, K. V.; Sudarsanakumar, C.

2017-03-01

Curcumin is a natural phytochemical from the rhizoma of Curcuma longa, the popular Indian spice that exhibits a wide range of pharmacological properties like antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and antiviral activities. In the published literatures we can see different studies and arguments on the interaction of curcumin with DNA. The intercalative binding, groove binding and no binding of curcumin with DNA were reported. In this context, we conducted a detailed study to understand the mechanism of recognition of dimethylsulfoxide-solubilized curcumin by DNA. The interaction of curcumin with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) was confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The nature of binding and energetics of interaction were studied by Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), UV-visible, fluorescence and melting temperature (Tm) analysis. The experimental data were compared with molecular modeling studies. Our investigation confirmed that dimethylsulfoxide-solubilized curcumin binds in the minor groove of the ctDNA without causing significant structural alteration to the DNA.

Clinical implications of monitoring circulating tumor DNA in patients with colorectal cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schøler, Lone V; Reinert, Thomas; Ørntoft, Mai-Britt W

2017-01-01

.007). Changes in ctDNA levels induced by relapse intervention (n = 19) showed good agreement with changes in tumor volume (κ = 0.41; Spearman ρ = 0.4).Conclusions: Postoperative ctDNA detection provides evidence of residual disease and identifies patients at very high risk of relapse. Longitudinal surveillance...

DNA expressions - A formal notation for DNA

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vliet, Rudy van

2015-01-01

We describe a formal notation for DNA molecules that may contain nicks and gaps. The resulting DNA expressions denote formal DNA molecules. Different DNA expressions may denote the same molecule. Such DNA expressions are called equivalent. We examine which DNA expressions are minimal, which

Circulating tumor DNA functions as an alternative for tissue to overcome tumor heterogeneity in advanced gastric cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Jing; Wang, Haixing; Zang, Wanchun; Li, Beifang; Rao, Guanhua; Li, Lei; Yu, Yang; Li, Zhongwu; Dong, Bin; Lu, Zhihao; Jiang, Zhi; Shen, Lin

2017-09-01

Overcoming tumor heterogeneity is a major challenge for personalized treatment of gastric cancer, especially for human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 targeted therapy. Analysis of circulating tumor DNA allows a more comprehensive analysis of tumor heterogeneity than traditional biopsies in lung cancer and breast cancer, but little is known in gastric cancer. We assessed mutation profiles of ctDNA and primary tumors from 30 patients with advanced gastric cancer, then performed a comprehensive analysis of tumor mutations by multiple biopsies from five patients, and finally analyzed the concordance of HER2 amplification in ctDNA and paired tumor tissues in 70 patients. By comparing with a single tumor sample, ctDNA displayed a low concordance of mutation profile, only approximately 50% (138/275) somatic mutations were found in paired tissue samples, however, when compared with multiple biopsies, most DNA mutations in ctDNA were also shown in paired tumor tissues. ctDNA had a high concordance (91.4%, Kappa index = 0.784, P < 0.001) of HER2 amplification with tumor tissues, suggesting it might be an alternative for tissue. It implied that ctDNA-based assessment could partially overcome the tumor heterogeneity, and might serve as a potential surrogate for HER2 analysis in gastric cancer. © 2017 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

NF-κB regulates DNA double-strand break repair in conjunction with BRCA1-CtIP complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Volcic, Meta; Karl, Sabine; Baumann, Bernd; Salles, Daniela; Daniel, Peter; Fulda, Simone; Wiesmüller, Lisa

2012-01-01

NF-κB is involved in immune responses, inflammation, oncogenesis, cell proliferation and apoptosis. Even though NF-κB can be activated by DNA damage via Ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) signalling, little was known about an involvement in DNA repair. In this work, we dissected distinct DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair mechanisms revealing a stimulatory role of NF-κB in homologous recombination (HR). This effect was independent of chromatin context, cell cycle distribution or cross-talk with p53. It was not mediated by the transcriptional NF-κB targets Bcl2, BAX or Ku70, known for their dual roles in apoptosis and DSB repair. A contribution by Bcl-xL was abrogated when caspases were inhibited. Notably, HR induction by NF-κB required the targets ATM and BRCA2. Additionally, we provide evidence that NF-κB interacts with CtIP-BRCA1 complexes and promotes BRCA1 stabilization, and thereby contributes to HR induction. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed accelerated formation of replication protein A (RPA) and Rad51 foci upon NF-κB activation indicating HR stimulation through DSB resection by the interacting CtIP-BRCA1 complex and Rad51 filament formation. Taken together, these results define multiple NF-κB-dependent mechanisms regulating HR induction, and thereby providing a novel intriguing explanation for both NF-κB-mediated resistance to chemo- and radiotherapies as well as for the sensitization by pharmaceutical intervention of NF-κB activation.

Illustrative cases for monitoring by quantitative analysis of BRAF/NRAS ctDNA mutations in liquid biopsies of metastatic melanoma patients who gained clinical benefits from anti-PD1 antibody therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Seremet, Teofila; Planken, Simon; Schreuer, Max; Jansen, Yanina; Delaunoy, Mélanie; El Housni, Hakim; Lienard, Danielle; Del Marmol, Véronique; Heimann, Pierre; Neyns, Bart

2018-02-01

Anti-programmed death 1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibodies improve the survival of metastatic melanoma patients. Predictive or monitoring biomarkers for response to this therapy could improve the clinical management of these patients. To date, no established biomarkers are available for monitoring the response to immunotherapy. Tumor- specific mutations in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) such as BRAF and NRAS mutations for melanoma patients have been proposed for monitoring of immunotherapy response. We present seven illustrative cases for the use of ctDNA BRAF and NRAS mutations' monitoring in plasma. The cases described exemplify four distinct clinical benefit patterns: rapid and durable complete response (CR), early progression, followed by CR, CR followed by early progression after interrupting treatment and long-term disease stabilization. These representative cases suggest that comprehensive BRAF/NRAS ctDNA monitoring during anti-PD1 therapy is informative and can be of added value for the monitoring of melanoma patients gaining clinical benefit on anti-PD1 treatment. An important advantage of our approach is that using the cartridge system on the Idylla platform for mutation analysis, the results become available the same day 2 h after plasma collection. Therefore, in the future, the ctDNA level can be an element in the clinical management of the patients.

Correlation of binding efficacies of DNA to flavonoids and their induced cellular damage.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Asmita; Majumder, Debashis; Saha, Chabita

2017-05-01

Flavonoids are dietary intakes which are bestowed with several health benefits. The most studied property of flavonoids is their antioxidant efficacy. Among the chosen flavonoids Quercetin, Kaempferol and Myricetin is catagorized as flavonols whereas Apigenin and Luteolin belong to the flavone group. In the present study anti-cancer properties of flavonoids are investigated on the basis of their binding efficacy to ct-DNA and their ability to induce cytotoxicity in K562 leukaemic cells. The binding affinities of the flavonoids with calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) are in the order Quercetin>Myricetin>Luteolin>Kaempferol>Apigenin. Quercetin with fewer OH than myricetin has higher affinity towards DNA suggesting that the number and position of OH influence the binding efficacies of flavonoids to ct-DNA. CD spectra and EtBr displacement studies evidence myricetin and apigenin to be stronger intercalators of DNA compared to quercetin. From comet assay results it is observed that quercetin and myricetin when used in combination induce higher DNA damage in K562 leukemic cells than when tested individually. Higher binding efficacy has been recorded for quercetin to DNA at lower pH, which is the micro environment of cancerous cells, and hence quercetin can act as a potential anti-cancer agent. Presence of Cu also increases cellular damage as recorded by comet assay. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Regulating DNA Self-assembly by DNA-Surface Interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Longfei; Li, Yulin; Wang, Yong; Zheng, Jianwei; Mao, Chengde

2017-12-14

DNA self-assembly provides a powerful approach for preparation of nanostructures. It is often studied in bulk solution and involves only DNA-DNA interactions. When confined to surfaces, DNA-surface interactions become an additional, important factor to DNA self-assembly. However, the way in which DNA-surface interactions influence DNA self-assembly is not well studied. In this study, we showed that weak DNA-DNA interactions could be stabilized by DNA-surface interactions to allow large DNA nanostructures to form. In addition, the assembly can be conducted isothermally at room temperature in as little as 5 seconds. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Is photocleavage of DNA by YOYO-1 using a synchrotron radiation light source sequence dependent?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gilroy, Emma L.; Hoffmann, Søren Vrønning; Jones, Nykola C.

2011-01-01

) throughout the irradiation period. The dependence of LD signals on DNA sequences and on time in the intense light beam was explored and quantified for single-stranded poly(dA), poly[(dA-dT)2], calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) and Micrococcus luteus DNA (mlDNA). The DNA and ligand regions of the spectrum showed...

DNA-DNA hybridization determined in micro-wells using covalent attachment of DNA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, H.; Angen, Øystein; Mutters, R.

2000-01-01

The present study was aimed at reducing the time and labour used to perform DNA-DNA hybridizations for classification of bacteria at the species level. A micro-well-format DNA hybridization method was developed and validated. DNA extractions were performed by a small-scale method and DNA...... was sheared mechanically into fragments of between 400 and 700 bases. The hybridization conditions were calibrated according to DNA similarities obtained by the spectrophotometric method using strains within the family Pasteurellaceae, Optimal conditions were obtained with 300 ng DNA added per well and bound...... by covalent attachment to NucleoLink. Hybridization was performed with 500 ng DNA, 5% (w/w) of which was labelled with photo-activatable biotin (competitive hybridization) for 2.5 h at 65 degrees C in 2 x SSC followed by stringent washing with 2 x SSC at the same temperature. The criteria for acceptance...

DNA double-strand breaks as potential indicators for the biological effects of ionising radiation exposure from cardiac CT and conventional coronary angiography: a randomised, controlled study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geisel, Dominik; Zimmermann, Elke; Rief, Matthias; Greupner, Johannes; Hamm, Bernd [Charite Medical School, Department of Radiology, Berlin (Germany); Laule, Michael; Knebel, Fabian [Charite Medical School, Department of Cardiology, Berlin (Germany); Dewey, Marc [Charite Medical School, Department of Radiology, Berlin (Germany); Charite, Institut fuer Radiologie, Berlin (Germany)

2012-08-15

To prospectively compare induced DNA double-strand breaks by cardiac computed tomography (CT) and conventional coronary angiography (CCA). 56 patients with suspected coronary artery disease were randomised to undergo either CCA or cardiac CT. DNA double-strand breaks were assessed in fluorescence microscopy of blood lymphocytes as indicators of the biological effects of radiation exposure. Radiation doses were estimated using dose-length product (DLP) and dose-area product (DAP) with conversion factors for CT and CCA, respectively. On average there were 0.12 {+-} 0.06 induced double-strand breaks per lymphocyte for CT and 0.29 {+-} 0.18 for diagnostic CCA (P < 0.001). This relative biological effect of ionising radiation from CCA was 1.9 times higher (P < 0.001) than the effective dose estimated by conversion factors would have suggested. The correlation between the biological effects and the estimated radiation doses was excellent for CT (r = 0.951, P < 0.001) and moderate to good for CCA (r = 0.862, P < 0.001). One day after radiation, a complete repair of double-strand breaks to background levels was found in both groups. Conversion factors may underestimate the relative biological effects of ionising radiation from CCA. DNA double-strand break assessment may provide a strategy for individualised assessments of radiation. (orig.)

Anthraquinone-chalcone hybrids: synthesis, preliminary antiproliferative evaluation and DNA-interaction studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Marković, Violeta; Debeljak, Nevena; Stanojković, Tatjana; Kolundžija, Branka; Sladić, Dušan; Vujčić, Miroslava; Janović, Barbara; Tanić, Nikola; Perović, Milka; Tešić, Vesna; Antić, Jadranka; Joksović, Milan D

2015-01-07

Novel anthraquinone based chalcone compounds were synthesized starting from 1-acetylanthraquinone in a Claisen-Schmidt reaction and evaluated for their anticancer potential against three human cancer cell lines. Compounds 4a, 4b and 4j showed promising activity in inhibition of HeLa cells with IC50 values ranging from 2.36 to 2.73 μM and low cytotoxicity against healthy MRC-5 cell lines. The effects that compounds produces on the cell cycle were investigated by flow cytometry. It was found that 4a, 4b and 4j cause the accumulation of cells in the S and G2/M phases in a dose-dependent manner and induce caspase-dependent apoptosis. All of three compounds exhibit calf thymus DNA-binding activity. The determined binding constants by absorption titrations (2.65 × 10(3) M(-1), 1.36 × 10(3) M(-1)and 2.51 × 10(3) M(-1) of 4a/CT-DNA, 4b/CT-DNA and 4j/CT-DNA, respectively) together with fluorescence displacement analysis designate 4a, 4b and 4j as strong minor groove binders, but no cleavage of plasmid DNA was observed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Beyond DNA repair: DNA-PK function in cancer

OpenAIRE

Goodwin, Jonathan F.; Knudsen, Karen E.

2014-01-01

The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is a pivotal component of the DNA repair machinery that governs the response to DNA damage, serving to maintain genome integrity. However, the DNA-PK kinase component was initially isolated with transcriptional complexes, and recent findings have illuminated the impact of DNA-PK-mediated transcriptional regulation on tumor progression and therapeutic response. DNA-PK expression has also been correlated with poor outcome in selected tumor types, furthe...

DNA replication stress restricts ribosomal DNA copy number.

Science.gov (United States)

Salim, Devika; Bradford, William D; Freeland, Amy; Cady, Gillian; Wang, Jianmin; Pruitt, Steven C; Gerton, Jennifer L

2017-09-01

Ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) in budding yeast are encoded by ~100-200 repeats of a 9.1kb sequence arranged in tandem on chromosome XII, the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) locus. Copy number of rDNA repeat units in eukaryotic cells is maintained far in excess of the requirement for ribosome biogenesis. Despite the importance of the repeats for both ribosomal and non-ribosomal functions, it is currently not known how "normal" copy number is determined or maintained. To identify essential genes involved in the maintenance of rDNA copy number, we developed a droplet digital PCR based assay to measure rDNA copy number in yeast and used it to screen a yeast conditional temperature-sensitive mutant collection of essential genes. Our screen revealed that low rDNA copy number is associated with compromised DNA replication. Further, subculturing yeast under two separate conditions of DNA replication stress selected for a contraction of the rDNA array independent of the replication fork blocking protein, Fob1. Interestingly, cells with a contracted array grew better than their counterparts with normal copy number under conditions of DNA replication stress. Our data indicate that DNA replication stresses select for a smaller rDNA array. We speculate that this liberates scarce replication factors for use by the rest of the genome, which in turn helps cells complete DNA replication and continue to propagate. Interestingly, tumors from mini chromosome maintenance 2 (MCM2)-deficient mice also show a loss of rDNA repeats. Our data suggest that a reduction in rDNA copy number may indicate a history of DNA replication stress, and that rDNA array size could serve as a diagnostic marker for replication stress. Taken together, these data begin to suggest the selective pressures that combine to yield a "normal" rDNA copy number.

DNA replication stress restricts ribosomal DNA copy number

Science.gov (United States)

Salim, Devika; Bradford, William D.; Freeland, Amy; Cady, Gillian; Wang, Jianmin

2017-01-01

Ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) in budding yeast are encoded by ~100–200 repeats of a 9.1kb sequence arranged in tandem on chromosome XII, the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) locus. Copy number of rDNA repeat units in eukaryotic cells is maintained far in excess of the requirement for ribosome biogenesis. Despite the importance of the repeats for both ribosomal and non-ribosomal functions, it is currently not known how “normal” copy number is determined or maintained. To identify essential genes involved in the maintenance of rDNA copy number, we developed a droplet digital PCR based assay to measure rDNA copy number in yeast and used it to screen a yeast conditional temperature-sensitive mutant collection of essential genes. Our screen revealed that low rDNA copy number is associated with compromised DNA replication. Further, subculturing yeast under two separate conditions of DNA replication stress selected for a contraction of the rDNA array independent of the replication fork blocking protein, Fob1. Interestingly, cells with a contracted array grew better than their counterparts with normal copy number under conditions of DNA replication stress. Our data indicate that DNA replication stresses select for a smaller rDNA array. We speculate that this liberates scarce replication factors for use by the rest of the genome, which in turn helps cells complete DNA replication and continue to propagate. Interestingly, tumors from mini chromosome maintenance 2 (MCM2)-deficient mice also show a loss of rDNA repeats. Our data suggest that a reduction in rDNA copy number may indicate a history of DNA replication stress, and that rDNA array size could serve as a diagnostic marker for replication stress. Taken together, these data begin to suggest the selective pressures that combine to yield a “normal” rDNA copy number. PMID:28915237

DNA replication stress restricts ribosomal DNA copy number.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Devika Salim

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs in budding yeast are encoded by ~100-200 repeats of a 9.1kb sequence arranged in tandem on chromosome XII, the ribosomal DNA (rDNA locus. Copy number of rDNA repeat units in eukaryotic cells is maintained far in excess of the requirement for ribosome biogenesis. Despite the importance of the repeats for both ribosomal and non-ribosomal functions, it is currently not known how "normal" copy number is determined or maintained. To identify essential genes involved in the maintenance of rDNA copy number, we developed a droplet digital PCR based assay to measure rDNA copy number in yeast and used it to screen a yeast conditional temperature-sensitive mutant collection of essential genes. Our screen revealed that low rDNA copy number is associated with compromised DNA replication. Further, subculturing yeast under two separate conditions of DNA replication stress selected for a contraction of the rDNA array independent of the replication fork blocking protein, Fob1. Interestingly, cells with a contracted array grew better than their counterparts with normal copy number under conditions of DNA replication stress. Our data indicate that DNA replication stresses select for a smaller rDNA array. We speculate that this liberates scarce replication factors for use by the rest of the genome, which in turn helps cells complete DNA replication and continue to propagate. Interestingly, tumors from mini chromosome maintenance 2 (MCM2-deficient mice also show a loss of rDNA repeats. Our data suggest that a reduction in rDNA copy number may indicate a history of DNA replication stress, and that rDNA array size could serve as a diagnostic marker for replication stress. Taken together, these data begin to suggest the selective pressures that combine to yield a "normal" rDNA copy number.

A Molecular Dynamics-Quantum Mechanics Theoretical Study of DNA-Mediated Charge Transport in Hydrated Ionic Liquids.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Zhenyu; Kubar, Tomas; Mu, Yuguang; Shao, Fangwei

2018-05-08

Charge transport (CT) through biomolecules is of high significance in the research fields of biology, nanotechnology, and molecular devices. Inspired by our previous work that showed the binding of ionic liquid (IL) facilitated charge transport in duplex DNA, in silico simulation is a useful means to understand the microscopic mechanism of the facilitation phenomenon. Here molecular dynamics simulations (MD) of duplex DNA in water and hydrated ionic liquids were employed to explore the helical parameters. Principal component analysis was further applied to capture the subtle conformational changes of helical DNA upon different environmental impacts. Sequentially, CT rates were calculated by a QM/MM simulation of the flickering resonance model based upon MD trajectories. Herein, MD simulation illustrated that the binding of ionic liquids can restrain dynamic conformation and lower the on-site energy of the DNA base. Confined movement among the adjacent base pairs was highly related to the increase of electronic coupling among base pairs, which may lead DNA to a CT facilitated state. Sequentially combining MD and QM/MM analysis, the rational correlations among the binding modes, the conformational changes, and CT rates illustrated the facilitation effects from hydrated IL on DNA CT and supported a conformational-gating mechanism.

Serial circulating tumour DNA analysis during multimodality treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer: a prospective biomarker study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tie, Jeanne; Cohen, Joshua D; Wang, Yuxuan; Li, Lu; Christie, Michael; Simons, Koen; Elsaleh, Hany; Kosmider, Suzanne; Wong, Rachel; Yip, Desmond; Lee, Margaret; Tran, Ben; Rangiah, David; Burge, Matthew; Goldstein, David; Singh, Madhu; Skinner, Iain; Faragher, Ian; Croxford, Matthew; Bampton, Carolyn; Haydon, Andrew; Jones, Ian T; S Karapetis, Christos; Price, Timothy; Schaefer, Mary J; Ptak, Jeanne; Dobbyn, Lisa; Silliman, Natallie; Kinde, Isaac; Tomasetti, Cristian; Papadopoulos, Nickolas; Kinzler, Kenneth; Volgestein, Bert; Gibbs, Peter

2018-02-02

For patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), adjuvant chemotherapy selection following surgery remains a major clinical dilemma. Here, we investigated the ability of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) to improve risk stratification in patients with LARC. We enrolled patients with LARC (T3/T4 and/or N+) planned for neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Plasma samples were collected pretreatment, postchemoradiotherapy and 4-10 weeks after surgery. Somatic mutations in individual patient's tumour were identified via massively parallel sequencing of 15 genes commonly mutated in colorectal cancer. We then designed personalised assays to quantify ctDNA in plasma samples. Patients received adjuvant therapy at clinician discretion, blinded to the ctDNA results. We analysed 462 serial plasma samples from 159 patients. ctDNA was detectable in 77%, 8.3% and 12% of pretreatment, postchemoradiotherapy and postsurgery plasma samples. Significantly worse recurrence-free survival was seen if ctDNA was detectable after chemoradiotherapy (HR 6.6; Pguide patient selection for adjuvant chemotherapy. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

DNA Origami-Graphene Hybrid Nanopore for DNA Detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Barati Farimani, Amir; Dibaeinia, Payam; Aluru, Narayana R

2017-01-11

DNA origami nanostructures can be used to functionalize solid-state nanopores for single molecule studies. In this study, we characterized a nanopore in a DNA origami-graphene heterostructure for DNA detection. The DNA origami nanopore is functionalized with a specific nucleotide type at the edge of the pore. Using extensive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we computed and analyzed the ionic conductivity of nanopores in heterostructures carpeted with one or two layers of DNA origami on graphene. We demonstrate that a nanopore in DNA origami-graphene gives rise to distinguishable dwell times for the four DNA base types, whereas for a nanopore in bare graphene, the dwell time is almost the same for all types of bases. The specific interactions (hydrogen bonds) between DNA origami and the translocating DNA strand yield different residence times and ionic currents. We also conclude that the speed of DNA translocation decreases due to the friction between the dangling bases at the pore mouth and the sequencing DNA strands.

Circulating cell-free DNA and circulating tumor cells, the "liquid biopsies" in ovarian cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Xianliang; Zhang, Lei; Chen, Yajuan; Qing, Chen

2017-11-13

Limited understanding of ovarian cancer (OC) genome portrait has hindered the therapeutic advances. The serial monitoring of tumor genotypes is becoming increasingly attainable with circulating cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) emerging as "liquid biopsies". They represent non-invasive biomarkers and are viable, as they can be isolated from human plasma, serum and other body fluids. Molecular characterization of circulating tumor DNA (ct-DNA) and CTCs offer unique potentials to better understand the biology of metastasis and resistance to therapies. The liquid biopsies may also give innovative insights into the process of rapid and accurate identification, resistant genetic alterations and a real time monitoring of treatment responses. In addition, liquid biopsies are shedding light on elucidating signal pathways involved in invasiveness and metastasis competence; but the detection and molecular characterization of ct-DNA and CTCs are still challenging, since they are rare, and the amount of available samples are very limited. This review will focus on the clinical potential of ct-DNA and CTCs in both the early and advanced diagnosis, prognosis, and in the identification of resistance mutations in OC.

Antigen-antibody reactions of UV-irradiated phage DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fink, A.

1976-01-01

The observation of others could be confirmed that UV-irradiated DNA is a better immunogen than unirradiated DNA. The author's immune sera contained a high amount of antibodies with a specific action against photoproducts in the DNA. The thymine dimer was identified as relevant photoproduct and thus as antigenic determinant. In comparison, the amount of unspecific antibodies reacting with denaturated DNA was low and varied between sera. Thymin-dimer antibodies showed a high specificity without cross-reaction with other pyrimidine dimers such as anti CC and anti CT; they belong to the class of IgG molecules. UV-irradiated dinucleotide dTpT is sufficient to induce the formation of antibodies reacting with the cis-syn thymine dimers in UV-irradiated DNA. Antibody binding is proportional to the UV doses applied to the DNA. When using completely denaturated DNA, there is a linear increase changing into a plateau at higher doses. The extent of antigen-antibody binding is strongly dependent on the degree of denaturation of the DNA. With increasing denaturation, the antibody binding of the DNA increases. The antigen-antibody reaction can thus be used to estimate the degree of denaturation of the DNA. There were no signs of an influence of the degree of denaturation of the DNA on the quantum yield of thymine dimers. The different amounts of antibodies is therefore due to the masking of thymine dimers in native DNA. When irradiating intact phage particles, there was no sign of an influence of the phages' protein covers on the antibody binding capacity of DNA compared with DNA irradiated in vitro. (orig.) [de

Preanalytical blood sample workup for cell-free DNA analysis using Droplet Digital PCR for future molecular cancer diagnostics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Ginkel, Joost H.; van den Broek, Daan A.; van Kuik, Joyce; Linders, Dorothé; de Weger, Roel; Willems, Stefan M.; Huibers, Manon M.H.

2017-01-01

In current molecular cancer diagnostics, using blood samples of cancer patients for the detection of genetic alterations in plasma (cell-free) circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is an emerging practice. Since ctDNA levels in blood are low, highly sensitive Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) can be used for

Photo-degradation of CT-DNA with a series of carbothioamide ruthenium (II) complexes - Synthesis and structural analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Muthuraj, V.; Umadevi, M.

2018-04-01

The present research article is related with the method of preparation, structure and spectroscopic properties of a series of carbothioamide ruthenium (II) complexes with N and S donor ligands namely, 2-((6-chloro-4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl)methylene) hydrazine carbothioamide (ClChrTs)/2-((6-methoxy-4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl)methylene)hydrazine carbothioamide (MeOChrTS). The synthesized complexes were characterized by several techniques using analytical methods as well as by spectral techniques such as FT-IR, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, ESI mass and thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA). The IR spectra shows that the ligand acts as a neutral bidentate with N and S donor atoms. The biological activity of the prepared compounds and metal complexes were tested against cell line of calf-thymus DNA via an intercalation mechanism (MCF-7). In addition, the interaction of Ru(II) complexes and its free ligands with CT-DNA were also investigated by titration with UV-Vis spectra, fluorescence spectra, and Circular dichroism studies. Results suggest that both of the two Ru(II) complexes can bind with calf-thymus DNA via an intercalation mechanism.

Validation of liquid biopsy: plasma cell-free DNA testing in clinical management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veldore VH

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Vidya H Veldore,1,* Anuradha Choughule,2,* Tejaswi Routhu,1 Nitin Mandloi,1 Vanita Noronha,2 Amit Joshi,2 Amit Dutt,3 Ravi Gupta,1 Ramprasad Vedam,1 Kumar Prabhash2 1MedGenome Labs Private Ltd,, Bangalore, India; 2Tata Memorial Centre, Parel, Mumbai, India; 3The Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Center, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Plasma cell-free tumor DNA, or circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA, from liquid biopsy is a potential source of tumor genetic material, in the absence of tissue biopsy, for EGFR testing. Our validation study reiterates the clinical utility of ctDNA next generation sequencing (NGS for EGFR mutation testing in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC. A total of 163 NSCLC cases were included in the validation, of which 132 patients had paired tissue biopsy and ctDNA. We chose to validate ctDNA using deep sequencing with custom designed bioinformatics methods that could detect somatic mutations at allele frequencies as low as 0.01%. Benchmarking allele specific real time PCR as one of the standard methods for tissue-based EGFR mutation testing, the ctDNA NGS test was validated on all the plasma derived cell-free DNA samples. We observed a high concordance (96.96% between tissue biopsy and ctDNA for oncogenic driver mutations in Exon 19 and Exon 21 of the EGFR gene. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy of the assay were 91.1%, 100% 100%, 95.6%, and 97%, respectively. A false negative rate of 3% was observed. A subset of mutations was also verified on droplet digital PCR. Sixteen percent EGFR mutation positivity was observed in patients where only liquid biopsy was available, thus creating options for targeted therapy. This is the first and largest study from India, demonstrating successful validation of circulating cell-free DNA as a clinically

Interaction of zinc and cobalt with dipeptides and their DNA binding ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

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Concentrated CT DNA stock solutions were pre- pared in tris .... the SH, NH and NH2 hydrogen exchange with D2O the changes in ... which is an index of the interaction between the. DNA and ... Since ESI-MS is a powerful new approach for.

Loss of maintenance DNA methylation results in abnormal DNA origin firing during DNA replication

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haruta, Mayumi [Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601 (Japan); Shimada, Midori, E-mail: midorism@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp [Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601 (Japan); Nishiyama, Atsuya; Johmura, Yoshikazu [Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601 (Japan); Le Tallec, Benoît; Debatisse, Michelle [Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, 26 rue d’Ulm, CNRS UMR 3244, 75248 ParisCedex 05 (France); Nakanishi, Makoto, E-mail: mkt-naka@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp [Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601 (Japan)

2016-01-22

The mammalian maintenance methyltransferase DNMT1 [DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 1] mediates the inheritance of the DNA methylation pattern during replication. Previous studies have shown that depletion of DNMT1 causes a severe growth defect and apoptosis in differentiated cells. However, the detailed mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain poorly understood. Here we show that conditional ablation of Dnmt1 in murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) resulted in an aberrant DNA replication program showing an accumulation of late-S phase replication and causing severely defective growth. Furthermore, we found that the catalytic activity and replication focus targeting sequence of DNMT1 are required for a proper DNA replication program. Taken together, our findings suggest that the maintenance of DNA methylation by DNMT1 plays a critical role in proper regulation of DNA replication in mammalian cells. - Highlights: • DNMT1 depletion results in an abnormal DNA replication program. • Aberrant DNA replication is independent of the DNA damage checkpoint in DNMT1cKO. • DNMT1 catalytic activity and RFT domain are required for proper DNA replication. • DNMT1 catalytic activity and RFT domain are required for cell proliferation.

Loss of maintenance DNA methylation results in abnormal DNA origin firing during DNA replication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haruta, Mayumi; Shimada, Midori; Nishiyama, Atsuya; Johmura, Yoshikazu; Le Tallec, Benoît; Debatisse, Michelle; Nakanishi, Makoto

2016-01-01

The mammalian maintenance methyltransferase DNMT1 [DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 1] mediates the inheritance of the DNA methylation pattern during replication. Previous studies have shown that depletion of DNMT1 causes a severe growth defect and apoptosis in differentiated cells. However, the detailed mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain poorly understood. Here we show that conditional ablation of Dnmt1 in murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) resulted in an aberrant DNA replication program showing an accumulation of late-S phase replication and causing severely defective growth. Furthermore, we found that the catalytic activity and replication focus targeting sequence of DNMT1 are required for a proper DNA replication program. Taken together, our findings suggest that the maintenance of DNA methylation by DNMT1 plays a critical role in proper regulation of DNA replication in mammalian cells. - Highlights: • DNMT1 depletion results in an abnormal DNA replication program. • Aberrant DNA replication is independent of the DNA damage checkpoint in DNMT1cKO. • DNMT1 catalytic activity and RFT domain are required for proper DNA replication. • DNMT1 catalytic activity and RFT domain are required for cell proliferation.

DNA stable-isotope probing (DNA-SIP).

Science.gov (United States)

Dunford, Eric A; Neufeld, Josh D

2010-08-02

DNA stable-isotope probing (DNA-SIP) is a powerful technique for identifying active microorganisms that assimilate particular carbon substrates and nutrients into cellular biomass. As such, this cultivation-independent technique has been an important methodology for assigning metabolic function to the diverse communities inhabiting a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic environments. Following the incubation of an environmental sample with stable-isotope labelled compounds, extracted nucleic acid is subjected to density gradient ultracentrifugation and subsequent gradient fractionation to separate nucleic acids of differing densities. Purification of DNA from cesium chloride retrieves labelled and unlabelled DNA for subsequent molecular characterization (e.g. fingerprinting, microarrays, clone libraries, metagenomics). This JoVE video protocol provides visual step-by-step explanations of the protocol for density gradient ultracentrifugation, gradient fractionation and recovery of labelled DNA. The protocol also includes sample SIP data and highlights important tips and cautions that must be considered to ensure a successful DNA-SIP analysis.

The dynamic interplay between DNA topoisomerases and DNA topology.

Science.gov (United States)

Seol, Yeonee; Neuman, Keir C

2016-11-01

Topological properties of DNA influence its structure and biochemical interactions. Within the cell, DNA topology is constantly in flux. Transcription and other essential processes, including DNA replication and repair, not only alter the topology of the genome but also introduce additional complications associated with DNA knotting and catenation. These topological perturbations are counteracted by the action of topoisomerases, a specialized class of highly conserved and essential enzymes that actively regulate the topological state of the genome. This dynamic interplay among DNA topology, DNA processing enzymes, and DNA topoisomerases is a pervasive factor that influences DNA metabolism in vivo. Building on the extensive structural and biochemical characterization over the past four decades that has established the fundamental mechanistic basis of topoisomerase activity, scientists have begun to explore the unique roles played by DNA topology in modulating and influencing the activity of topoisomerases. In this review we survey established and emerging DNA topology-dependent protein-DNA interactions with a focus on in vitro measurements of the dynamic interplay between DNA topology and topoisomerase activity.

Ancient DNA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Willerslev, Eske; Cooper, Alan

2004-01-01

ancient DNA, palaeontology, palaeoecology, archaeology, population genetics, DNA damage and repair......ancient DNA, palaeontology, palaeoecology, archaeology, population genetics, DNA damage and repair...

Heat degradation of eukaryotic and bacterial DNA: an experimental model for paleomicrobiology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nguyen-Hieu Tung

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Theoretical models suggest that DNA degradation would sharply limit the PCR-based detection of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic DNA within ancient specimens. However, the relative extent of decay of eukaryote and prokaryote DNA over time is a matter of debate. In this study, the murine macrophage cell line J774, alone or infected with Mycobacterium smegmatis bacteria, were killed after exposure to 90°C dry heat for intervals ranging from 1 to 48 h in order to compare eukaryotic cells, extracellular bacteria and intracellular bacteria. The sizes of the resulting mycobacterial rpoB and murine rpb2 homologous gene fragments were then determined by real-time PCR and fluorescent probing. Findings The cycle threshold (Ct values of PCR-amplified DNA fragments from J774 cells and the M. smegmatis negative controls (without heat exposure varied from 26–33 for the J774 rpb2 gene fragments and from 24–29 for M. smegmatis rpoB fragments. After 90°C dry heat incubation for up to 48 h, the Ct values of test samples increased relative to those of the controls for each amplicon size. For each dry heat exposure time, the Ct values of the 146-149-bp fragments were lower than those of 746-747-bp fragments. During the 4- to 24-h dry heat incubation, the non-infected J774 cell DNA was degraded into 597-bp rpb2 fragments. After 48 h, however, only 450-bp rpb2 fragments of both non-infected and infected J774 cells could be amplified. In contrast, the 746-bp rpoB fragments of M. smegmatis DNA could be amplified after the 48-h dry heat exposure in all experiments. Infected and non-infected J774 cell DNA was degraded more rapidly than M. smegmatis DNA after dry heat exposure (ANOVA test, p  Conclusion In this study, mycobacterial DNA was more resistant to dry-heat stress than eukaryotic DNA. Therefore, the detection of large, experimental, ancient mycobacterial DNA fragments is a suitable approach for paleomicrobiological studies.

Repulsive DNA-DNA interactions accelerate viral DNA packaging in phage Phi29.

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, Nicholas; delToro, Damian; Grimes, Shelley; Jardine, Paul J; Smith, Douglas E

2014-06-20

We use optical tweezers to study the effect of attractive versus repulsive DNA-DNA interactions on motor-driven viral packaging. Screening of repulsive interactions accelerates packaging, but induction of attractive interactions by spermidine(3+) causes heterogeneous dynamics. Acceleration is observed in a fraction of complexes, but most exhibit slowing and stalling, suggesting that attractive interactions promote nonequilibrium DNA conformations that impede the motor. Thus, repulsive interactions facilitate packaging despite increasing the energy of the theoretical optimum spooled DNA conformation.

In vitro study on the interaction of 4,4-dimethylcurcumin with calf thymus DNA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Bing-Mi, E-mail: liubingmi@163.com [Department of Pharmacy, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036 (China); Bai, Chong-Liang [Centre for Molecular Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 (China); Zhang, Jun; Liu, Yang; Dong, Bo-Yang; Zhang, Yi-Tong [Department of Pharmacy, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036 (China); Liu, Bin, E-mail: liubinzehao@163.com [Department of Pharmacy, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036 (China)

2015-10-15

The interaction of 4,4-dimethylcurcumin (DMCU), a synthesized analog of curcumin, with calf-thymus DNA (ct-DNA) was investigated using fluorescence, absorption, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, coupled with viscosity measurements and molecular docking techniques. DMCU was found to bind to ct-DNA with moderate binding affinity through groove binding as evidenced by a decrease in the absorption intensity in combination with no obvious change in the relative specific viscosity of ct-DNA and the CD spectrum. Thermodynamic analysis of the fluorescence data obtained at different temperatures suggested that the binding process was spontaneous and was primarily driven by hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces. Furthermore, competitive binding experiments with ethidium bromide and 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole as probes showed that DMCU could preferentially bind in the minor groove of double-stranded DNA. The results obtained from the molecular docking studies were consistent with these experimental results. This study explored the potential applicability of the spectroscopic properties of DMCU for studying its interactions with relevant biological or biomimicking targets. - Highlights: • 4,4-dimethylcurcumin (DMCU) has strong fluorescence characteristics. • DMCU could bind to DNA through groove binding. • Docking studies revealed that DMCU bound to the A–T region in the minor groove.

Antimicrobial activity, cytotoxicity and DNA binding studies of carbon dots

Science.gov (United States)

Jhonsi, Mariadoss Asha; Ananth, Devanesan Arul; Nambirajan, Gayathri; Sivasudha, Thilagar; Yamini, Rekha; Bera, Soumen; Kathiravan, Arunkumar

2018-05-01

In recent years, quantum dots (QDs) are one of the most promising nanomaterials in life sciences community due to their unexploited potential in biomedical applications; particularly in bio-labeling and sensing. In the advanced nanomaterials, carbon dots (CDs) have shown promise in next generation bioimaging and drug delivery studies. Therefore the knowledge of the exact nature of interaction with biomolecules is of great interest to designing better biosensors. In this study, the interaction between CDs derived from tamarind and calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) has been studied by vital spectroscopic techniques, which revealed that the CDs could interact with DNA via intercalation. The apparent association constant has been deduced from the absorption spectral changes of ct-DNA-CDs using the Benesi-Hildebrand equation. From the DNA induced emission quenching experiments the apparent DNA binding constant of the CDs (Kapp) have also been evaluated. Furthermore, we have analyzed the antibacterial and antifungal activity of CDs using disc diffusion assay method which exhibited excellent activity against E. coli and C. albicans with inhibition zone in the range of 7-12 mm. The biocompatible nature of CDs was confirmed by an in vitro cytotoxicity test on L6 normal rat myoblast cells by using MTT assay. The cell viability is not affected till the high dosage of CDs (200 μg/mL) for >48 h. As a consequence of the work, future development of CDs for microbial control and DNA sensing among the various biomolecules is possible in view of emerging biofields.

Efficient Sleeping Beauty DNA Transposition From DNA Minicircles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nynne Sharma

2013-01-01

Full Text Available DNA transposon-based vectors have emerged as new potential delivery tools in therapeutic gene transfer. Such vectors are now showing promise in hematopoietic stem cells and primary human T cells, and clinical trials with transposon-engineered cells are on the way. However, the use of plasmid DNA as a carrier of the vector raises safety concerns due to the undesirable administration of bacterial sequences. To optimize vectors based on the Sleeping Beauty (SB DNA transposon for clinical use, we examine here SB transposition from DNA minicircles (MCs devoid of the bacterial plasmid backbone. Potent DNA transposition, directed by the hyperactive SB100X transposase, is demonstrated from MC donors, and the stable transfection rate is significantly enhanced by expressing the SB100X transposase from MCs. The stable transfection rate is inversely related to the size of circular donor, suggesting that a MC-based SB transposition system benefits primarily from an increased cellular uptake and/or enhanced expression which can be observed with DNA MCs. DNA transposon and transposase MCs are easily produced, are favorable in size, do not carry irrelevant DNA, and are robust substrates for DNA transposition. In accordance, DNA MCs should become a standard source of DNA transposons not only in therapeutic settings but also in the daily use of the SB system.

DNA profiling of trace DNA recovered from bedding.

Science.gov (United States)

Petricevic, Susan F; Bright, Jo-Anne; Cockerton, Sarah L

2006-05-25

Trace DNA is often detected on handled items and worn clothing examined in forensic laboratories. In this study, the potential transfer of trace DNA to bedding by normal contact, when an individual sleeps in a bed, is examined. Volunteers slept one night on a new, lower bed sheet in their own bed and one night in a bed foreign to them. Samples from the sheets were collected and analysed by DNA profiling. The results indicate that the DNA profile of an individual can be obtained from bedding after one night of sleeping in a bed. The DNA profile of the owner of the bed could also be detected in the foreign bed experiments. Since mixed DNA profiles can be obtained from trace DNA on bedding, caution should be exercised when drawing conclusions from DNA profiling results obtained from such samples. This transfer may have important repercussions in sexual assault investigations.

Development and utility of an internal threshold control (ITC real-time PCR assay for exogenous DNA detection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiyi Ni

Full Text Available Sensitive and specific tests for detecting exogenous DNA molecules are useful for infectious disease diagnosis, gene therapy clinical trial safety, and gene doping surveillance. Taqman real-time PCR using specific sequence probes provides an effective approach to accurately and quantitatively detect exogenous DNA. However, one of the major challenges in these analyses is to eliminate false positive signals caused by either non-targeted exogenous or endogenous DNA sequences, or false negative signals caused by impurities that inhibit PCR. Although multiplex Taqman PCR assays have been applied to address these problems by adding extra primer-probe sets targeted to endogenous DNA sequences, the differences between targets can lead to different detection efficiencies. To avoid these complications, a Taqman PCR-based approach that incorporates an internal threshold control (ITC has been developed. In this single reaction format, the target sequence and ITC template are co-amplified by the same primers, but are detected by different probes each with a unique fluorescent dye. Sample DNA, a prescribed number of ITC template molecules set near the limit of sensitivity, a single pair of primers, target probe and ITC probe are added to one reaction. Fluorescence emission signals are obtained simultaneously to determine the cycle thresholds (Ct for amplification of the target and ITC sequences. The comparison of the target Ct with the ITC Ct indicates if a sample is a true positive for the target (i.e. Ct less than or equal to the ITC Ct or negative (i.e. Ct greater than the ITC Ct. The utility of this approach was demonstrated in a nonhuman primate model of rAAV vector mediated gene doping in vivo and in human genomic DNA spiked with plasmid DNA.

DNA2—An Important Player in DNA Damage Response or Just Another DNA Maintenance Protein?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elzbieta Pawłowska

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The human DNA2 (DNA replication helicase/nuclease 2 protein is expressed in both the nucleus and mitochondria, where it displays ATPase-dependent nuclease and helicase activities. DNA2 plays an important role in the removing of long flaps in DNA replication and long-patch base excision repair (LP-BER, interacting with the replication protein A (RPA and the flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1. DNA2 can promote the restart of arrested replication fork along with Werner syndrome ATP-dependent helicase (WRN and Bloom syndrome protein (BLM. In mitochondria, DNA2 can facilitate primer removal during strand-displacement replication. DNA2 is involved in DNA double strand (DSB repair, in which it is complexed with BLM, RPA and MRN for DNA strand resection required for homologous recombination repair. DNA2 can be a major protein involved in the repair of complex DNA damage containing a DSB and a 5′ adduct resulting from a chemical group bound to DNA 5′ ends, created by ionizing radiation and several anticancer drugs, including etoposide, mitoxantrone and some anthracyclines. The role of DNA2 in telomere end maintenance and cell cycle regulation suggests its more general role in keeping genomic stability, which is impaired in cancer. Therefore DNA2 can be an attractive target in cancer therapy. This is supported by enhanced expression of DNA2 in many cancer cell lines with oncogene activation and premalignant cells. Therefore, DNA2 can be considered as a potential marker, useful in cancer therapy. DNA2, along with PARP1 inhibition, may be considered as a potential target for inducing synthetic lethality, a concept of killing tumor cells by targeting two essential genes.

Viral-Cellular DNA Junctions as Molecular Markers for Assessing Intra-Tumor Heterogeneity in Cervical Cancer and for the Detection of Circulating Tumor DNA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katrin Carow

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The development of cervical cancer is frequently accompanied by the integration of human papillomaviruses (HPV DNA into the host genome. Viral-cellular junction sequences, which arise in consequence, are highly tumor specific. By using these fragments as markers for tumor cell origin, we examined cervical cancer clonality in the context of intra-tumor heterogeneity. Moreover, we assessed the potential of these fragments as molecular tumor markers and analyzed their suitability for the detection of circulating tumor DNA in sera of cervical cancer patients. For intra-tumor heterogeneity analyses tumors of 8 patients with up to 5 integration sites per tumor were included. Tumor islands were micro-dissected from cryosections of several tissue blocks representing different regions of the tumor. Each micro-dissected tumor area served as template for a single junction-specific PCR. For the detection of circulating tumor-DNA (ctDNA junction-specific PCR-assays were applied to sera of 21 patients. Samples were collected preoperatively and during the course of disease. In 7 of 8 tumors the integration site(s were shown to be homogenously distributed throughout different tumor regions. Only one tumor displayed intra-tumor heterogeneity. In 5 of 21 analyzed preoperative serum samples we specifically detected junction fragments. Junction-based detection of ctDNA was significantly associated with reduced recurrence-free survival. Our study provides evidence that HPV-DNA integration is as an early step in cervical carcinogenesis. Clonality with respect to HPV integration opens new perspectives for the application of viral-cellular junction sites as molecular biomarkers in a clinical setting such as disease monitoring.

Circulating tumor DNA changes for early monitoring of anti-PD1 immunotherapy: a proof-of-concept study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabel, L; Riva, F; Servois, V; Livartowski, A; Daniel, C; Rampanou, A; Lantz, O; Romano, E; Milder, M; Buecher, B; Piperno-Neumann, S; Bernard, V; Baulande, S; Bieche, I; Pierga, J Y; Proudhon, C; Bidard, F-C

2017-08-01

Recent clinical results support the use of new immune checkpoint blockers (ICB), such as anti-PD-1 (e.g. nivolumab and pembrolizumab) and anti-PD-L1 antibodies. Radiological evaluation of ICB efficacy during therapy is challenging due to tumor immune infiltration. Changes of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) levels during therapy could be a promising tool for very accurate monitoring of treatment efficacy, but data are lacking with ICB. This prospective pilot study was conducted in patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer, uveal melanoma, or microsatellite-instable colorectal cancer treated by nivolumab or pembrolizumab monotherapy at Institut Curie. ctDNA levels were assessed at baseline and after 8 weeks (w8) by bidirectional pyrophosphorolysis-activated polymerization, droplet digital PCR or next-generation sequencing depending on the mutation type. Radiological evaluation of efficacy of treatment was carried out by using immune-related response criteria. ctDNA was detected at baseline in 10 out of 15 patients. At w8, a significant correlation (r = 0.86; P = 0.002) was observed between synchronous changes in ctDNA levels and tumor size. Patients in whom ctDNA levels became undetectable at w8 presented a marked and lasting response to therapy. ctDNA detection at w8 was also a significant prognostic factor in terms of progression-free survival (hazard ratio = 10.2; 95% confidence interval 2.5-41, P < 0.001) and overall survival (hazard ratio = 15; 95% confidence interval 2.5-94.9, P = 0.004). This proof-of-principle study is the first to demonstrate that quantitative ctDNA monitoring is a valuable tool to assess tumor response in patients treated with anti-PD-1 drugs. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Multi-spectroscopic method study the interaction of anti-inflammatory drug ketoprofen and calf thymus DNA and its analytical application

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Hongqin; Cai, Changqun; Gong, Hang; Chen, Xiaoming

2011-06-01

Interactions of the anti-inflammatory drug ketoprofen with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) in aqueous solution have been studied by multi-spectroscopic method including resonance light scattering (RLS) technique, ultraviolet spectra (UV), 1H NMR, etc. The characteristics of RLS spectra, the effective factors and optimum conditions of the reaction have been unequivocally investigated. Mechanism investigations have shown that ketoprofen can bind to ctDNA by groove binding and form large particles, which resulted in the enhancement of RLS intensity. In Critic acid-Na 2HPO 4 buffer (pH = 6.5), ketoprofen has a maximum peak 451.5 nm and the RLS intensity is remarkably enhanced by trace amount of ctDNA due to the interaction between ketoprofen and ctDNA. The enhancement of RLS signal is directly proportional to the concentration of ctDNA in the range of 1.20 × 10 -6-1.0 × 10 -5 mol/L, and its detection limit (3 σ) is 1.33 × 10 -9 mol/L. The method is simple, rapid, practical and relatively free from interference generated by coexisting substance, and was applied to the determination of trace amounts of nucleic acid in synthetic samples with satisfactory results.

Stopped-flow kinetic studies of poly(amidoamine) dendrimer-calf thymus DNA to form dendriplexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Dey, Debabrata; Kumar, Santosh; Maiti, Souvik; Dhara, Dibakar

2013-11-07

Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers are known to be highly efficient nonviral carriers in gene delivery. Dendrimer-mediated transfection is known to be a function of the dendrimer to DNA charge ratio as well as the size of the dendrimer. In the present study, the binding kinetics of four PAMAM dendrimers (G1, G2, G3, and G4) with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) has been studied using stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy. The effect of dendrimer-to-DNA charge ratio and dendrimer generation on the binding kinetics was investigated. In most cases, the results of dendrimer-CT-DNA binding can be explained by a two-step reaction mechanism: a rapid electrostatic binding between the dendrimer and DNA, followed by a conformational change of the dendrimer-DNA complex that ultimately leads to DNA condensation. It was observed that the charge ratio on the dendrimer and the DNA phosphate groups, as well as the dendrimer generation (size), has a marked effect on the kinetics of binding between the DNA and the dendrimers. The rate constant (k'1) of the first step was much higher compared to that of the second step (k'2), and both were found to increase with an increase in dendrimer concentration. Among the four generations of dendrimers, G4 exhibited significantly faster binding kinetics compared to the three smaller generation dendrimers.

Structure of DNA toroids and electrostatic attraction of DNA duplexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cherstvy, A G

2005-01-01

DNA-DNA electrostatic attraction is considered as the driving force for the formation of DNA toroids in the presence of DNA condensing cations. This attraction comes from the DNA helical charge distribution and favours hexagonal toroidal cross-sections. The latter is in agreement with recent cryo-electron microscopy studies on DNA condensed with cobalt hexammine. We treat the DNA-DNA interactions within the modern theory of electrostatic interaction between helical macromolecules. The size and thickness of the toroids is calculated within a simple model; other models of stability of DNA toroids are discussed and compared

A new insight into the interaction of ZnO with calf thymus DNA through surface defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Sumita; Chatterjee, Sabyasachi; Pramanik, Srikrishna; Devi, Parukuttyamma Sujatha; Kumar, Gopinatha Suresh

2018-01-01

Experimental evidences on the binding interaction of ZnO and Calf Thymus (CT) DNA using several biophysical techniques are the centre of interest of the present study. The interaction of ZnO with CT DNA has been investigated in detail by absorption spectral study, fluorescence titration, Raman analysis, zeta potential measurement, viscometric experiment along with thermal melting study and microscopic analysis. Steady-state fluorescence study revealed the quenching (48%) of the surface defect related peak intensity of ZnO on interaction with DNA. The optimized concentration of ZnO and DNA to obtain this level of quenching has been found to be 0.049mM and 1.027μM, respectively. Additional fluorescence study with 8-hydroxy-5-quinoline (HQ) as a fluorescence probe for Zn 2+ ruled out the dissolution effect of ZnO under the experimental conditions. DNA conjugation on the surface of ZnO was also supported by Raman study. The quantitative variation in conductivity as well as electrophoretic mobility indicated significant interaction of ZnO with the DNA molecule. Circular dichroism (CD) and viscometry titrations provided clear evidence in support of the conformational retention of the DNA on interaction with ZnO. The binding interaction was found to be predominantly entropy driven in nature. The bio-physical studies presented in this paper exploring ZnO-CT DNA interaction could add a new horizon to understand the interaction between metal oxide and DNA. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

DNA repair synthesis in human fibroblasts requires DNA polymerase delta

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishida, C.; Reinhard, P.; Linn, S.

1988-01-01

When UV-irradiated cultured diploid human fibroblasts were permeabilized with Brij-58 then separated from soluble material by centrifugation, conservative DNA repair synthesis could be restored by a soluble factor obtained from the supernatant of similarly treated HeLa cells. Extensive purification of this factor yielded a 10.2 S, 220,000-dalton polypeptide with the DNA polymerase and 3'- to 5'-exonuclease activities reported for DNA polymerase delta II. Monoclonal antibody to KB cell DNA polymerase alpha, while binding to HeLa DNA polymerase alpha, did not bind to the HeLa DNA polymerase delta. Moreover, at micromolar concentrations N2-(p-n-butylphenyl)-2'-deoxyguanosine 5'-triphosphate (BuPdGTP) and 2-(p-n-butylanilino)-2'-deoxyadenosine 5'-triphosphate (BuAdATP) were potent inhibitors of DNA polymerase alpha, but did not inhibit the DNA polymerase delta. Neither purified DNA polymerase alpha nor beta could promote repair DNA synthesis in the permeabilized cells. Furthermore, under conditions which inhibited purified DNA polymerase alpha by greater than 90%, neither monoclonal antibodies to DNA polymerase alpha, BuPdGTP, nor BuAdATP was able to inhibit significantly the DNA repair synthesis mediated by the DNA polymerase delta. Thus, it appears that a major portion of DNA repair synthesis induced by UV irradiation might be catalyzed by DNA polymerase delta. When xeroderma pigmentosum human diploid fibroblasts were utilized, DNA repair synthesis dependent upon ultraviolet light could be restored by addition of both T4 endonuclease V and DNA polymerase delta, but not by addition of either one alone

DNA translocation by human uracil DNA glycosylase: the case of single-stranded DNA and clustered uracils.

Science.gov (United States)

Schonhoft, Joseph D; Stivers, James T

2013-04-16

Human uracil DNA glycosylase (hUNG) plays a central role in DNA repair and programmed mutagenesis of Ig genes, requiring it to act on sparsely or densely spaced uracil bases located in a variety of contexts, including U/A and U/G base pairs, and potentially uracils within single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). An interesting question is whether the facilitated search mode of hUNG, which includes both DNA sliding and hopping, changes in these different contexts. Here we find that hUNG uses an enhanced local search mode when it acts on uracils in ssDNA, and also, in a context where uracils are densely clustered in duplex DNA. In the context of ssDNA, hUNG performs an enhanced local search by sliding with a mean sliding length larger than that of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). In the context of duplex DNA, insertion of high-affinity abasic product sites between two uracil lesions serves to significantly extend the apparent sliding length on dsDNA from 4 to 20 bp and, in some cases, leads to directionally biased 3' → 5' sliding. The presence of intervening abasic product sites mimics the situation where hUNG acts iteratively on densely spaced uracils. The findings suggest that intervening product sites serve to increase the amount of time the enzyme remains associated with DNA as compared to nonspecific DNA, which in turn increases the likelihood of sliding as opposed to falling off the DNA. These findings illustrate how the search mechanism of hUNG is not predetermined but, instead, depends on the context in which the uracils are located.

Human SIRT6 promotes DNA end resection through CtIP deacetylation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaidi, Abderrahmane; Weinert, Brian T; Choudhary, Chunaram

2010-01-01

SIRT6 belongs to the sirtuin family of protein lysine deacetylases, which regulate aging and genome stability. We found that human SIRT6 has a role in promoting DNA end resection, a crucial step in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair by homologous recombination. SIRT6 depletion impaired the accu...

Evaluation of DNA binding, DNA cleavage, protein binding, radical scavenging and in vitro cytotoxic activities of ruthenium(II) complexes containing 2,4-dihydroxy benzylidene ligands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohanraj, Maruthachalam; Ayyannan, Ganesan; Raja, Gunasekaran; Jayabalakrishnan, Chinnasamy, E-mail: drcjbstar@gmail.com

2016-12-01

The new ruthenium(II) complexes with hydrazone ligands, 4-Methyl-benzoic acid (2,4-dihydroxy-benzylidene)-hydrazide (HL{sup 1}), 4-Methoxy-benzoic acid (2,4-dihydroxy-benzylidene)-hydrazide (HL{sup 2}), 4-Bromo-benzoic acid (2,4-dihydroxy-benzylidene)-hydrazide (HL{sup 3}), were synthesized and characterized by various spectro analytical techniques. The molecular structures of the ligands were confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. The DNA binding studies of the ligands and complexes were examined by absorption, fluorescence, viscosity and cyclic voltammetry methods. The results indicated that the ligands and complexes could interact with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) through intercalation. The DNA cleavage activity of the complexes was evaluated by gel electrophoresis assay, which revealed that the complexes are good DNA cleaving agents. The binding interaction of the ligands and complexes with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated using fluorescence spectroscopic method. Antioxidant studies showed that the complexes have a strong radical scavenging properties. Further, the cytotoxic effect of the complexes examined on cancerous cell lines showed that the complexes exhibit significant anticancer activity. - Highlights: • Synthesis of ruthenium(II) hydrazone complexes • Molecular structure of the ligands was elucidated by single crystal X-ray diffraction method. • The ligands and complexes interact with CT-DNA via intercalation. • The complexes possess significant antioxidant activity against DPPH, OH and NO radicals. • The complex 6 shows higher IC{sub 50} value than the other complexes against cancer cells.

DNA-based watermarks using the DNA-Crypt algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barnekow Angelika

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the application of watermarks based on DNA sequences to identify the unauthorized use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs protected by patents. Predicted mutations in the genome can be corrected by the DNA-Crypt program leaving the encrypted information intact. Existing DNA cryptographic and steganographic algorithms use synthetic DNA sequences to store binary information however, although these sequences can be used for authentication, they may change the target DNA sequence when introduced into living organisms. Results The DNA-Crypt algorithm and image steganography are based on the same watermark-hiding principle, namely using the least significant base in case of DNA-Crypt and the least significant bit in case of the image steganography. It can be combined with binary encryption algorithms like AES, RSA or Blowfish. DNA-Crypt is able to correct mutations in the target DNA with several mutation correction codes such as the Hamming-code or the WDH-code. Mutations which can occur infrequently may destroy the encrypted information, however an integrated fuzzy controller decides on a set of heuristics based on three input dimensions, and recommends whether or not to use a correction code. These three input dimensions are the length of the sequence, the individual mutation rate and the stability over time, which is represented by the number of generations. In silico experiments using the Ypt7 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae shows that the DNA watermarks produced by DNA-Crypt do not alter the translation of mRNA into protein. Conclusion The program is able to store watermarks in living organisms and can maintain the original information by correcting mutations itself. Pairwise or multiple sequence alignments show that DNA-Crypt produces few mismatches between the sequences similar to all steganographic algorithms.

DNA-based watermarks using the DNA-Crypt algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Heider, Dominik; Barnekow, Angelika

2007-05-29

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the application of watermarks based on DNA sequences to identify the unauthorized use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) protected by patents. Predicted mutations in the genome can be corrected by the DNA-Crypt program leaving the encrypted information intact. Existing DNA cryptographic and steganographic algorithms use synthetic DNA sequences to store binary information however, although these sequences can be used for authentication, they may change the target DNA sequence when introduced into living organisms. The DNA-Crypt algorithm and image steganography are based on the same watermark-hiding principle, namely using the least significant base in case of DNA-Crypt and the least significant bit in case of the image steganography. It can be combined with binary encryption algorithms like AES, RSA or Blowfish. DNA-Crypt is able to correct mutations in the target DNA with several mutation correction codes such as the Hamming-code or the WDH-code. Mutations which can occur infrequently may destroy the encrypted information, however an integrated fuzzy controller decides on a set of heuristics based on three input dimensions, and recommends whether or not to use a correction code. These three input dimensions are the length of the sequence, the individual mutation rate and the stability over time, which is represented by the number of generations. In silico experiments using the Ypt7 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae shows that the DNA watermarks produced by DNA-Crypt do not alter the translation of mRNA into protein. The program is able to store watermarks in living organisms and can maintain the original information by correcting mutations itself. Pairwise or multiple sequence alignments show that DNA-Crypt produces few mismatches between the sequences similar to all steganographic algorithms.

DNA-based watermarks using the DNA-Crypt algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Heider, Dominik; Barnekow, Angelika

2007-01-01

Background The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the application of watermarks based on DNA sequences to identify the unauthorized use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) protected by patents. Predicted mutations in the genome can be corrected by the DNA-Crypt program leaving the encrypted information intact. Existing DNA cryptographic and steganographic algorithms use synthetic DNA sequences to store binary information however, although these sequences can be used for authentication, they may change the target DNA sequence when introduced into living organisms. Results The DNA-Crypt algorithm and image steganography are based on the same watermark-hiding principle, namely using the least significant base in case of DNA-Crypt and the least significant bit in case of the image steganography. It can be combined with binary encryption algorithms like AES, RSA or Blowfish. DNA-Crypt is able to correct mutations in the target DNA with several mutation correction codes such as the Hamming-code or the WDH-code. Mutations which can occur infrequently may destroy the encrypted information, however an integrated fuzzy controller decides on a set of heuristics based on three input dimensions, and recommends whether or not to use a correction code. These three input dimensions are the length of the sequence, the individual mutation rate and the stability over time, which is represented by the number of generations. In silico experiments using the Ypt7 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae shows that the DNA watermarks produced by DNA-Crypt do not alter the translation of mRNA into protein. Conclusion The program is able to store watermarks in living organisms and can maintain the original information by correcting mutations itself. Pairwise or multiple sequence alignments show that DNA-Crypt produces few mismatches between the sequences similar to all steganographic algorithms. PMID:17535434

DNA Open states and DNA hydratation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lema-Larre, B. de; Martin-Landrove, M

1995-01-01

It is a very well-known fact that an protonic exchange exists among natural DNA filaments and synthetic polynucleotides with the solvent (1--2). The existence of DNA open states, that is to say states for which the interior of the DNA molecule is exposed to the external environment, it has been demonstrated by means of proton-deuterium exchange (3). This work has carried out experiments measuring the dispersion of the traverse relaxation rate (4), as a pulsation rate function in a Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) pulses sequence rate, to determine changes in the moist layer of the DNA molecule. The experiments were carried out under different experimental conditions in order to vary the probability that open states occurs, such as temperature or the exposure to electromagnetic fields. Some theoretical models were supposed to adjust the experimental results including those related to DNA non linear dynamic [es

Buccal DNA collection: comparison of buccal swabs with FTA cards.

Science.gov (United States)

Milne, Elizabeth; van Bockxmeer, Frank M; Robertson, Laila; Brisbane, Joanna M; Ashton, Lesley J; Scott, Rodney J; Armstrong, Bruce K

2006-04-01

Collection and analysis of DNA, most commonly from blood or buccal cells, is becoming more common in epidemiologic studies. Buccal samples, which are painless to take and relatively easily collected, are often the preferred source. There are several buccal cell collection methods: swabs, brushes, mouthwash, and treated cards, such as FTA or IsoCode cards. Few studies have systematically compared methods of buccal cell collection with respect to DNA yield and amplification success under similar conditions. We compared buccal DNA collection and amplification using buccal swabs and FTA cards in 122 control subjects from our Australian case-control study of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Buccal DNA was quantified using a real-time PCR for beta-actin and genotyped at the loci of three polymorphisms (MTHFR 677C>T, ACE I/D, and XPD 1012G>A). PCR was successful with DNA from buccal swabs for 62% to 89% of subjects and from FTA cards for 83% to 100% of subjects, depending on the locus. The matched pair odds ratios (95% confidence interval) comparing success of FTA cards with buccal swabs are as follows: MTHFR 677C>T using PCR-RFLP, 12.5 (11.6-13.5) and using real-time PCR, 130.0 (113.1-152.8); ACE I/D using PCR-amplified fragment length polymorphism, 3.36 (3.2-3.5); XPD 1012G>A using real-time PCR, 150.0 (132.7-172.3). FTA cards are a robust DNA collection method and generally produce DNA suitable for PCR more reliably than buccal swabs. There are, however, technical challenges in handling discs punched from FTA cards that intending users should be aware of.

Complexes of poly(ethylene glycol)-based cationic random copolymer and calf thymus DNA: a complete biophysical characterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Nisha, C K; Manorama, Sunkara V; Ganguli, Munia; Maiti, Souvik; Kizhakkedathu, Jayachandran N

2004-03-16

Complete biophysical characterization of complexes (polyplexes) of cationic polymers and DNA is needed to understand the mechanism underlying nonviral therapeutic gene transfer. In this article, we propose a new series of synthesized random cationic polymers (RCPs) from methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) monomethacrylate (MePEGMA) and (3-(methacryloylamino)propyl)trimethylammonium chloride with different mole ratios (32:68, 11:89, and 6:94) which could be used as a model system to address and answer the basic questions relating to the mechanism of the interaction of calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) and cationic polymers. The solubility of the complexes of CT-DNA and RCP was followed by turbidity measurements. It has been observed that complexes of RCP with 68 mol % MePEGMA precipitate near the charge neutralization point, whereas complexes of the other two polymers are water-soluble and stable at all compositions. Dnase 1 digestion experiments show that DNA is inaccessible when it forms complexes with RCP. Ethidium bromide exclusion and gel electrophoretic mobility show that both polymers are capable of binding with CT-DNA. Atomic force microscopy images in conjunction with light scattering experiments showed that the complexes are spherical in nature and 75-100 nm in diameter. Circular dichroism spectroscopy studies indicated that the secondary structure of DNA in the complexes is not perturbed due to the presence of poly(ethylene glycol) segments in the polymer. Furthermore, we used a combination of spectroscopic and calorimetric techniques to determine complete thermodynamic profiles accompanying the helix-coil transition of CT-DNA in the complexes. UV and differential scanning calorimetry melting experiments revealed that DNA in the complexes is more stable than in the free state and the extent of stability depends on the polymer composition. Isothermal titration calorimetry experiments showed that the binding of these RCPs to CT-DNA is associated with small exothermic

Photochemistry of psoralen-DNA adducts, biological effects of psoralen-DNA adducts, applications of psoralen-DNA photochemistry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shi, Yun-bo

1988-03-01

This thesis consists of three main parts and totally eight chapters. In Part I, The author will present studies on the photochemistry of psoralen-DNA adducts, specifically, the wavelength dependencies for the photoreversals of thymidine-HMT (4'-hydroxymethyl-4, 5', 8-trimenthylpsoralen) monoadducts and diadduct and the same adducts incorporated in DNA helices and the wavelength dependecies for the photocrossslinking of thymidine-HMT monoadducts in double-stranded helices. In Part II, The author will report some biological effects of psoralen-DNA adducts, i.e., the effects on double-stranded DNA stability, DNA structure, and transcription by E. coli and T7 RNA polymerases. Finally, The author will focus on the applications of psoralen-DNA photochemistry to investigation of protein-DNA interaction during transcription, which includes the interaction of E. coli and T7 RNA polymerases with DNA in elongation complexes arrested at specific psoralen-DNA adduct sites as revealed by DNase I footprinting experiments. 123 refs., 52 figs., 12 tabs.

Photochemistry of psoralen-DNA adducts, biological effects of psoralen-DNA adducts, applications of psoralen-DNA photochemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi, Yun-bo.

1988-03-01

This thesis consists of three main parts and totally eight chapters. In Part I, The author will present studies on the photochemistry of psoralen-DNA adducts, specifically, the wavelength dependencies for the photoreversals of thymidine-HMT (4'-hydroxymethyl-4, 5', 8-trimenthylpsoralen) monoadducts and diadduct and the same adducts incorporated in DNA helices and the wavelength dependecies for the photocrossslinking of thymidine-HMT monoadducts in double-stranded helices. In Part II, The author will report some biological effects of psoralen-DNA adducts, i.e., the effects on double-stranded DNA stability, DNA structure, and transcription by E. coli and T7 RNA polymerases. Finally, The author will focus on the applications of psoralen-DNA photochemistry to investigation of protein-DNA interaction during transcription, which includes the interaction of E. coli and T7 RNA polymerases with DNA in elongation complexes arrested at specific psoralen-DNA adduct sites as revealed by DNase I footprinting experiments. 123 refs., 52 figs., 12 tabs

Synthesis, DNA Binding, and Anticancer Properties of Bis-Naphthalimide Derivatives with Lysine-Modified Polyamine Linkers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Huang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A series of bis-naphthalimide derivatives with different diamine linkers were designed and synthesized. All of the synthesized bis-naphthalimide derivatives were characterized by NMR and HRMS spectra. The binding ability between the compounds and CT DNA was evaluated by using UV–Vis titration experiments. The bis-naphthalimide compound with an ethylenediamine linker showed the largest binding constant with CT DNA. Hence, it was used as the model compound to study the DNA binding selectivity by UV–Vis titration aiming at different DNA duplexes. As a result, this compound showed binding preference to AT-rich duplexes. The DNA binding modes of the compounds were also measured by viscosity titration. The cytotoxicity of the compounds was evaluated by MTT assay. Compounds with 1,6-diaminohexane or 1,4-phenylenedimethanamine linkers showed higher cytotoxicity compared with other bis-naphthalimide derivatives.

Transcription-induced DNA supercoiling: New roles of intranucleosomal DNA loops in DNA repair and transcription.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerasimova, N S; Pestov, N A; Kulaeva, O I; Clark, D J; Studitsky, V M

2016-05-26

RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription through chromatin is accompanied by formation of small intranucleosomal DNA loops. Pol II captured within a small loop drives accumulation of DNA supercoiling, facilitating further transcription. DNA breaks relieve supercoiling and induce Pol II arrest, allowing detection of DNA damage hidden in chromatin structure.

Human DNA ligase III bridges two DNA ends to promote specific intermolecular DNA end joining

Science.gov (United States)

Kukshal, Vandna; Kim, In-Kwon; Hura, Gregory L.; Tomkinson, Alan E.; Tainer, John A.; Ellenberger, Tom

2015-01-01

Mammalian DNA ligase III (LigIII) functions in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA metabolism. In the nucleus, LigIII has functional redundancy with DNA ligase I whereas LigIII is the only mitochondrial DNA ligase and is essential for the survival of cells dependent upon oxidative respiration. The unique LigIII zinc finger (ZnF) domain is not required for catalytic activity but senses DNA strand breaks and stimulates intermolecular ligation of two DNAs by an unknown mechanism. Consistent with this activity, LigIII acts in an alternative pathway of DNA double strand break repair that buttresses canonical non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and is manifest in NHEJ-defective cancer cells, but how LigIII acts in joining intermolecular DNA ends versus nick ligation is unclear. To investigate how LigIII efficiently joins two DNAs, we developed a real-time, fluorescence-based assay of DNA bridging suitable for high-throughput screening. On a nicked duplex DNA substrate, the results reveal binding competition between the ZnF and the oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide-binding domain, one of three domains constituting the LigIII catalytic core. In contrast, these domains collaborate and are essential for formation of a DNA-bridging intermediate by adenylated LigIII that positions a pair of blunt-ended duplex DNAs for efficient and specific intermolecular ligation. PMID:26130724

Preanalytical blood sample workup for cell-free DNA analysis using Droplet Digital PCR for future molecular cancer diagnostics.

Science.gov (United States)

van Ginkel, Joost H; van den Broek, Daan A; van Kuik, Joyce; Linders, Dorothé; de Weger, Roel; Willems, Stefan M; Huibers, Manon M H

2017-10-01

In current molecular cancer diagnostics, using blood samples of cancer patients for the detection of genetic alterations in plasma (cell-free) circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is an emerging practice. Since ctDNA levels in blood are low, highly sensitive Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) can be used for detecting rare mutational targets. In order to perform ddPCR on blood samples, a standardized procedure for processing and analyzing blood samples is necessary to facilitate implementation into clinical practice. Therefore, we assessed the technical sample workup procedure for ddPCR on blood plasma samples. Blood samples from healthy individuals, as well as lung cancer patients were analyzed. We compared different methods and protocols for sample collection, storage, centrifugation, isolation, and quantification. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) concentrations of several wild-type targets and BRAF and EGFR-mutant ctDNA concentrations quantified by ddPCR were primary outcome measurements. Highest cfDNA concentrations were measured in blood collected in serum tubes. No significant differences in cfDNA concentrations were detected between various time points of up to 24 h until centrifugation. Highest cfDNA concentrations were detected after DNA isolation with the Quick cfDNA Serum & Plasma Kit, while plasma isolation using the QIAamp Circulating Nucleic Acid Kit yielded the most consistent results. DdPCR results on cfDNA are highly dependent on multiple factors during preanalytical sample workup, which need to be addressed during the development of this diagnostic tool for cancer diagnostics in the future. © 2017 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cytotoxic Activities and DNA Binding Properties of 1-Methyl-7H-indeno[1,2-b]Quinolinium-7-(4-dimethylamino) Benzylidene Triflate

OpenAIRE

Li, Wen; Ji, Yuan Yuan; Wang, Jian Wen; Zhu, Yong Ming

2012-01-01

The interaction of calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) with a novel synthesized pyrazolo[1,5-a]indole compound 1-methyl-7H-indeno[1,2-b]quinolinium-7-(4-dimethylamino) benzylidene triflate (MIDBT) was extensively studied by various spectroscopic techniques, viscosity measurements, and gel electrophoresis. The UV-visible observation implied that the compound interacted with ct-DNA by two binding modes, intercalating into the DNA base pairs and attaching to the helix exterior of DNA. The results of the fl...

Charge transfer through DNA/DNA duplexes and DNA/RNA hybrids: complex theoretical and experimental studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Kratochvílová, Irena; Vala, Martin; Weiter, Martin; Špérová, Miroslava; Schneider, Bohdan; Páv, Ondřej; Šebera, Jakub; Rosenberg, Ivan; Sychrovský, Vladimír

2013-01-01

Oligonucleotides conduct electric charge via various mechanisms and their characterization and understanding is a very important and complicated task. In this work, experimental (temperature dependent steady state fluorescence spectroscopy, time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy) and theoretical (Density Functional Theory) approaches were combined to study charge transfer processes in short DNA/DNA and RNA/DNA duplexes with virtually equivalent sequences. The experimental results were consistent with the theoretical model - the delocalized nature of HOMO orbitals and holes, base stacking, electronic coupling and conformational flexibility formed the conditions for more effective short distance charge transfer processes in RNA/DNA hybrids. RNA/DNA and DNA/DNA charge transfer properties were strongly connected with temperature affected structural changes of molecular systems - charge transfer could be used as a probe of even tiny changes of molecular structures and settings. © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Single-molecule detection and characterization of DNA replication based on DNA origami].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qi; Fan, Youjie; Li, Bin

2014-08-01

To investigate single-molecule detection and characterization of DNA replication. Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) as the template of DNA replication was attached to DNA origami by a hybridization reaction based on the complementary base-pairing principle. DNA replication catalyzed by E.coli DNA polymerase I Klenow Fragment (KF) was detected using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The height variations between the ssDNA and the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), the distribution of KF during DNA replication and biotin-streptavidin (BA) complexes on the DNA strand after replication were detected. Agarose gel electrophoresis was employed to analyze the changes in the DNA after replication. The designed ssDNA could be anchored on the target positions of over 50% of the DNA origami. The KF was capable of binding to the ssDNA fixed on DNA origami and performing its catalytic activities, and was finally dissociated from the DNA after replication. The height of DNA strand increased by about 0.7 nm after replication. The addition of streptavidin also resulted in an DNA height increase to about 4.9 nm due to the formation of BA complexes on the biotinylated dsDNA. The resulting dsDNA and BA complex were subsequently confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The combination of AFM and DNA origami allows detection and characterization of DNA replication at the single molecule level, and this approach provides better insights into the mechanism of DNA polymerase and the factors affecting DNA replication.

Multiple conformational states of DnaA protein regulate its interaction with DnaA boxes in the initiation of DNA replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Meera J; Bhatia, Lavesh; Yilmaz, Gulden; Biswas-Fiss, Esther E; Biswas, Subhasis B

2017-09-01

DnaA protein is the initiator of genomic DNA replication in prokaryotes. It binds to specific DNA sequences in the origin of DNA replication and unwinds small AT-rich sequences downstream for the assembly of the replisome. The mechanism of activation of DnaA that enables it to bind and organize the origin DNA and leads to replication initiation remains unclear. In this study, we have developed double-labeled fluorescent DnaA probes to analyze conformational states of DnaA protein upon binding DNA, nucleotide, and Soj sporulation protein using Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). Our studies demonstrate that DnaA protein undergoes large conformational changes upon binding to substrates and there are multiple distinct conformational states that enable it to initiate DNA replication. DnaA protein adopted a relaxed conformation by expanding ~15Å upon binding ATP and DNA to form the ATP·DnaA·DNA complex. Hydrolysis of bound ATP to ADP led to a contraction of DnaA within the complex. The relaxed conformation of DnaA is likely required for the formation of the multi-protein ATP·DnaA·DNA complex. In the initiation of sporulation, Soj binding to DnaA prevented relaxation of its conformation. Soj·ADP appeared to block the activation of DnaA, suggesting a mechanism for Soj·ADP in switching initiation of DNA replication to sporulation. Our studies demonstrate that multiple conformational states of DnaA protein regulate its binding to DNA in the initiation of DNA replication. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DNA damage, homology-directed repair, and DNA methylation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Concetta Cuozzo

2007-07-01

Full Text Available To explore the link between DNA damage and gene silencing, we induced a DNA double-strand break in the genome of Hela or mouse embryonic stem (ES cells using I-SceI restriction endonuclease. The I-SceI site lies within one copy of two inactivated tandem repeated green fluorescent protein (GFP genes (DR-GFP. A total of 2%-4% of the cells generated a functional GFP by homology-directed repair (HR and gene conversion. However, approximately 50% of these recombinants expressed GFP poorly. Silencing was rapid and associated with HR and DNA methylation of the recombinant gene, since it was prevented in Hela cells by 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. ES cells deficient in DNA methyl transferase 1 yielded as many recombinants as wild-type cells, but most of these recombinants expressed GFP robustly. Half of the HR DNA molecules were de novo methylated, principally downstream to the double-strand break, and half were undermethylated relative to the uncut DNA. Methylation of the repaired gene was independent of the methylation status of the converting template. The methylation pattern of recombinant molecules derived from pools of cells carrying DR-GFP at different loci, or from an individual clone carrying DR-GFP at a single locus, was comparable. ClustalW analysis of the sequenced GFP molecules in Hela and ES cells distinguished recombinant and nonrecombinant DNA solely on the basis of their methylation profile and indicated that HR superimposed novel methylation profiles on top of the old patterns. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and RNA analysis revealed that DNA methyl transferase 1 was bound specifically to HR GFP DNA and that methylation of the repaired segment contributed to the silencing of GFP expression. Taken together, our data support a mechanistic link between HR and DNA methylation and suggest that DNA methylation in eukaryotes marks homologous recombined segments.

Compatibility of DNA IQ™, QIAamp® DNA Investigator, and QIAsymphony® DNA Investigator® with various fingerprint treatments.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Sze-Wah; Ip, Stephen C Y; Lam, Tze-Tsun; Tan, Tung-Fai; Yeung, Wai-Lung; Tam, Wai-Ming

2017-03-01

Latent fingerprint and touch DNA are the two most important contact evidence for individualization in forensic science which provide complementary information that can lead to direct and unequivocal identification of the culprit. In order to retrieve useful information from both fingerprints and DNA, which are usually mingled together, one strategy is to perform fingerprint examination prior to DNA analysis since common DNA sampling technique such as swabbing could disturb or even destroy fingerprint details. Here, we describe the compatibility of three automatic DNA extraction systems, namely, DNA IQ™, QIAamp ® DNA Investigator, and QIAsymphony ® DNA Investigator ® , with respective to the effects of various fingerprint detection techniques. Our results demonstrate that Super Glue fingerprint treatment followed by DNA IQ™ extraction shows better effectiveness in DNA profiling. Aluminum powder dusting offers the least interference to the three DNA extraction systems above. Magnetic powder dusting, on the other hand, strongly impedes DNA recovery. Physical Developer is the most intrusive, which yields profiles with poor quality, including lower peak heights, poor peak height ratios, and poor intra-color balance. In terms of the choice of extraction method, DNA IQ™ system is recommended for sampling after fingerprint treatments, but not the two DNA Investigator systems.

Evaluation of Cassia tora Linn. against oxidative stress-induced DNA and cell membrane damage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R Sunil Kumar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: The present study aims to evaluate antioxidants and protective role of Cassia tora Linn. against oxidative stress-induced DNA and cell membrane damage. Materials and Methods: The total and profiles of flavonoids were identified and quantified through reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. In vitro antioxidant activity was determined using standard antioxidant assays. The protective role of C. tora extracts against oxidative stress-induced DNA and cell membrane damage was examined by electrophoretic and scanning electron microscopic studies, respectively. Results: The total flavonoid content of CtEA was 106.8 ± 2.8 mg/g d.w.QE, CtME was 72.4 ± 1.12 mg/g d.w.QE, and CtWE was 30.4 ± 0.8 mg/g d.w.QE. The concentration of flavonoids present in CtEA in decreasing order: quercetin >kaempferol >epicatechin; in CtME: quercetin >rutin >kaempferol; whereas, in CtWE: quercetin >rutin >kaempferol. The CtEA inhibited free radical-induced red blood cell hemolysis and cell membrane morphology better than CtME as confirmed by a scanning electron micrograph. CtEA also showed better protection than CtME and CtWE against free radical-induced DNA damage as confirmed by electrophoresis. Conclusion: C. tora contains flavonoids and inhibits oxidative stress and can be used for many health benefits and pharmacotherapy.

Human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) types in Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lian, L.H.; Koh, C.L.; Lim, M.E.

2000-01-01

Each human cell contains hundreds of mitochondria and thousands of double-stranded circular mtDNA. The delineation of human mtDNA variation and genetics over the past decade has provided unique and often startling insights into human evolution, degenerative diseases, and aging. Each mtDNA of 16,569 base pairs, encodes 13 polypeptides essential to the enzymes of the mitochondrial energy generating pathway, plus the necessary tRNAs and rRNAs. The highly polymorphic noncoding D-(displacement) loop region, also called the control region, is approximately 1.2 kb long. It contains two well-characterized hypervariable (HV-) regions, HV1 and HV2. MtDNA identification is usually based on these sequence differences. According to the TWTGDAM (Technical Working Group for DNA Analysis Methods), the minimum requirement for a mtDNA database for HV1 is from positions 16024 to 16365 and for HV2, from positions 00073 to 00340. The targeted Malaysian population subgroups for this study were mainly the Malays, Chinese, Indians, and indigenous Ibans, Bidayuhs, Kadazan-Dusuns, and Bajaus. Research methodologies undertaken included DNA extraction of samples from unrelated individuals, amplification of the specific regions via the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and preparation of template DNA for sequencing by using an automated DNA sequencer. Sufficient nucleotide sequence data were generated from the mtDNA analysis. When the sequences were analyzed, sequence variations were found to be caused by nucleotide substitutions, insertions, and deletions. Of the three causes of the sequence variations, nucleotide substitutions (86.1%) accounted for the vast majority of polymorphism. It is noted that transitions (83.5%) were predominant when compared to the significantly lower frequencies of transversions (2.6%). Insertions (0.9%) and deletions (13.0%) were rather rare and found only in HV2. The data generated will also form the basis of a Malaysian DNA sequence database of mtDNA D

Loss of maintenance DNA methylation results in abnormal DNA origin firing during DNA replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Haruta, Mayumi; Shimada, Midori; Nishiyama, Atsuya; Johmura, Yoshikazu; Le Tallec, Benoît; Debatisse, Michelle; Nakanishi, Makoto

2016-01-22

The mammalian maintenance methyltransferase DNMT1 [DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 1] mediates the inheritance of the DNA methylation pattern during replication. Previous studies have shown that depletion of DNMT1 causes a severe growth defect and apoptosis in differentiated cells. However, the detailed mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain poorly understood. Here we show that conditional ablation of Dnmt1 in murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) resulted in an aberrant DNA replication program showing an accumulation of late-S phase replication and causing severely defective growth. Furthermore, we found that the catalytic activity and replication focus targeting sequence of DNMT1 are required for a proper DNA replication program. Taken together, our findings suggest that the maintenance of DNA methylation by DNMT1 plays a critical role in proper regulation of DNA replication in mammalian cells. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DNA-PK dependent targeting of DNA-ends to a protein complex assembled on matrix attachment region DNA sequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mauldin, S.K.; Getts, R.C.; Perez, M.L.; DiRienzo, S.; Stamato, T.D.

2003-01-01

Full text: We find that nuclear protein extracts from mammalian cells contain an activity that allows DNA ends to associate with circular pUC18 plasmid DNA. This activity requires the catalytic subunit of DNA-PK (DNA-PKcs) and Ku since it was not observed in mutants lacking Ku or DNA-PKcs but was observed when purified Ku/DNA-PKcs was added to these mutant extracts. Competition experiments between pUC18 and pUC18 plasmids containing various nuclear matrix attachment region (MAR) sequences suggest that DNA ends preferentially associate with plasmids containing MAR DNA sequences. At a 1:5 mass ratio of MAR to pUC18, approximately equal amounts of DNA end binding to the two plasmids were observed, while at a 1:1 ratio no pUC18 end-binding was observed. Calculation of relative binding activities indicates that DNA-end binding activities to MAR sequences was 7 to 21 fold higher than pUC18. Western analysis of proteins bound to pUC18 and MAR plasmids indicates that XRCC4, DNA ligase IV, scaffold attachment factor A, topoisomerase II, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase preferentially associate with the MAR plasmid in the absence or presence of DNA ends. In contrast, Ku and DNA-PKcs were found on the MAR plasmid only in the presence of DNA ends. After electroporation of a 32P-labeled DNA probe into human cells and cell fractionation, 87% of the total intercellular radioactivity remained in nuclei after a 0.5M NaCl extraction suggesting the probe was strongly bound in the nucleus. The above observations raise the possibility that DNA-PK targets DNA-ends to a repair and/or DNA damage signaling complex which is assembled on MAR sites in the nucleus

Repulsive DNA-DNA interactions accelerate viral DNA packaging in phage phi29

OpenAIRE

Keller, Nicholas; delToro, Damian; Grimes, Shelley; Jardine, Paul J.; Smith, Douglas E.

2014-01-01

We use optical tweezers to study the effect of attractive versus repulsive DNA-DNA interactions on motor-driven viral packaging. Screening of repulsive interactions accelerates packaging, but induction of attractive interactions by spermidine3+ causes heterogeneous dynamics. Acceleration is observed in a fraction of complexes, but most exhibit slowing and stalling, suggesting that attractive interactions promote nonequilibrium DNA conformations that impede the motor. Thus, repulsive interacti...

Water-soluble Manganese and Iron Mesotetrakis(carboxyl)porphyrin: DNA Binding, Oxidative Cleavage, and Cytotoxic Activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Lei; Jiang, Yi-Yu; Jiang, Tao; Yin, Wei; Yang, Jian-Ping; Cao, Man-Li; Fang, Yu-Qi; Liu, Hai-Yang

2017-06-29

Two new water-soluble metal carboxyl porphyrins, manganese (III) meso -tetrakis (carboxyl) porphyrin and iron (III) meso -tetrakis (carboxyl) porphyrin, were synthesized and characterized. Their interactions with ct-DNA were investigated by UV-Vis titration, fluorescence spectra, viscosity measurement and CD spectra. The results showed they can strongly bind to ct-DNA via outside binding mode. Electrophoresis experiments revealed that both complexes can cleave pBR322 DNA efficiently in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, albeit 2-Mn exhibited a little higher efficiency. The inhibitor tests suggest the oxidative DNA cleavage by these two complexes may involve hydroxyl radical active intermediates. Notably, 2-Mn exhibited considerable photocytotoxicity against Hep G2 cell via triggering a significant generation of ROS and causing disruption of MMP after irradiation.

Diversification of DnaA dependency for DNA replication in cyanobacterial evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohbayashi, Ryudo; Watanabe, Satoru; Ehira, Shigeki; Kanesaki, Yu; Chibazakura, Taku; Yoshikawa, Hirofumi

2016-05-01

Regulating DNA replication is essential for all living cells. The DNA replication initiation factor DnaA is highly conserved in prokaryotes and is required for accurate initiation of chromosomal replication at oriC. DnaA-independent free-living bacteria have not been identified. The dnaA gene is absent in plastids and some symbiotic bacteria, although it is not known when or how DnaA-independent mechanisms were acquired. Here, we show that the degree of dependency of DNA replication on DnaA varies among cyanobacterial species. Deletion of the dnaA gene in Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 shifted DNA replication from oriC to a different site as a result of the integration of an episomal plasmid. Moreover, viability during the stationary phase was higher in dnaA disruptants than in wild-type cells. Deletion of dnaA did not affect DNA replication or cell growth in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 or Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, indicating that functional dependency on DnaA was already lost in some nonsymbiotic cyanobacterial lineages during diversification. Therefore, we proposed that cyanobacteria acquired DnaA-independent replication mechanisms before symbiosis and such an ancestral cyanobacterium was the sole primary endosymbiont to form a plastid precursor.

Mechanisms of mutagenesis: DNA replication in the presence of DNA damage.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Binyan; Xue, Qizhen; Tang, Yong; Cao, Jia; Guengerich, F Peter; Zhang, Huidong

2016-01-01

Environmental mutagens cause DNA damage that disturbs replication and produces mutations, leading to cancer and other diseases. We discuss mechanisms of mutagenesis resulting from DNA damage, from the level of DNA replication by a single polymerase to the complex DNA replisome of some typical model organisms (including bacteriophage T7, T4, Sulfolobus solfataricus, Escherichia coli, yeast and human). For a single DNA polymerase, DNA damage can affect replication in three major ways: reducing replication fidelity, causing frameshift mutations, and blocking replication. For the DNA replisome, protein interactions and the functions of accessory proteins can yield rather different results even with a single DNA polymerase. The mechanism of mutation during replication performed by the DNA replisome is a long-standing question. Using new methods and techniques, the replisomes of certain organisms and human cell extracts can now be investigated with regard to the bypass of DNA damage. In this review, we consider the molecular mechanism of mutagenesis resulting from DNA damage in replication at the levels of single DNA polymerases and complex DNA replisomes, including translesion DNA synthesis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dynamics of DNA conformations and DNA-protein interaction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Metzler, R.; Ambjörnsson, T.; Lomholt, Michael Andersen

2005-01-01

Optical tweezers, atomic force microscopes, patch clamping, or fluorescence techniques make it possible to study both the equilibrium conformations and dynamics of single DNA molecules as well as their interaction with binding proteins. In this paper we address the dynamics of local DNA...... denaturation (bubble breathing), deriving its dynamic response to external physical parameters and the DNA sequence in terms of the bubble relaxation time spectrum and the autocorrelation function of bubble breathing. The interaction with binding proteins that selectively bind to the DNA single strand exposed...... in a denaturation bubble are shown to involve an interesting competition of time scales, varying between kinetic blocking of protein binding up to full binding protein-induced denaturation of the DNA. We will also address the potential to use DNA physics for the design of nanosensors. Finally, we report recent...

Principles of DNA architectonics: design of DNA-based nanoobjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vinogradova, O A; Pyshnyi, D V

2012-01-01

The methods of preparation of monomeric DNA blocks that serve as key building units for the construction of complex DNA objects are described. Examples are given of the formation of DNA blocks based on native and modified oligonucleotide components using hydrogen bonding and nucleic acid-specific types of bonding and also some affinity interactions with RNA, proteins, ligands. The static discrete and periodic two- and three-dimensional DNA objects reported to date are described systematically. Methods used to prove the structures of DNA objects and the prospects for practical application of nanostructures based on DNA and its analogues in biology, medicine and biophysics are considered. The bibliography includes 195 references.

Radiation damage of DNA. Model for direct ionization of DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Kazuo; Tagawa, Seiichi

2004-01-01

Current aspects of radiation damage of DNA, particularly induced by the direct effect of radiation, and author's method of pulse radiolysis are described in relation to behavior of ions formed by radiation and active principles to induce the strand break. In irradiation of DNA solution in water, the direct effect of radiation is derived from ionization of DNA itself and indirect one, from the reaction between DNA and radicals generated from water molecules and the former direct one has been scarcely investigated due to difficulty of experimental approach. Radicals generated in sugar moiety of DNA are shown important in the strand break by recent studies on crystalline DNA irradiated by X-ray, DNA solution by electron and photon beams, hydrated DNA by γ-ray and by high linear energy transfer (LET) ion. Author's pulse radiolysis studies have revealed behaviors of guanine and adenine radical cations in dynamics of DNA oxidation. Since reactions described are the model, the experimental approach is thought necessary for elucidation of the actually occurring DNA damage in living cells. (N.I.)

Radiation-induced DNA damage as a function of DNA hydration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swarts, S.G.; Miao, L.; Wheeler, K.T.; Sevilla, M.D.; Becker, D.

1995-01-01

Radiation-induced DNA damage is produced from the sum of the radicals generated by the direct ionization of the DNA (direct effect) and by the reactions of the DNA with free radicals formed in the surrounding environment (indirect effect). The indirect effect has been believed to be the predominant contributor to radiation-induced intracellular DNA damage, mainly as the result of reactions of bulk water radicals (e.g., OH·) with DNA. However, recent evidence suggests that DNA damage, derived from the irradiation of water molecules that are tightly bound in the hydration layer, may occur as the result of the transfer of electron-loss centers (e.g. holes) and electrons from these water molecules to the DNA. Since this mechanism for damaging DNA more closely parallels that of the direct effect, the irradiation of these tightly bound water molecules may contribute to a quasi-direct effect. These water molecules comprise a large fraction of the water surrounding intracellular DNA and could account for a significant proportion of intracellular radiation-induced DNA damage. Consequently, the authors have attempted to characterize this quasi-direct effect to determine: (1) the extent of the DNA hydration layer that is involved with this effect, and (2) what influence this effect has on the types and quantities of radiation-induced DNA damage

Induction and repair of DNA double-strand breaks in blood lymphocytes of patients undergoing {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT examinations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

May, Matthias S. [University Hospital Erlangen, Department of Radiology, Erlangen (Germany); Brand, Michael; Wuest, Wolfgang; Anders, Katharina; Uder, Michael; Kuefner, Michael A. [University Hospital Erlangen, Department of Radiology, Erlangen (Germany); Kuwert, Torsten; Prante, Olaf; Schmidt, Daniela; Maschauer, Simone [University Hospital Erlangen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Erlangen (Germany); Semelka, Richard C. [University of North Carolina, Department of Radiology, Chapel Hill, NC (United States)

2012-11-15

The purpose of this study was to evaluate DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in blood lymphocytes of patients undergoing positron emission tomography (PET)/CT using {gamma}-H2AX immunofluorescence microscopy and to differentiate between {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and CT-induced DNA lesions. This study was approved by the local Ethics Committee and complies with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements. After written informed consent was obtained, 33 patients underwent whole-body {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT (3 MBq/kg body weight, 170/100 reference mAs at 120 kV). The FDG PET and CT portions were performed as an initial CT immediately followed by the PET. Blood samples were obtained before, at various time points following {sup 18}F-FDG application and up to 24 h after the CT scan. Distinct foci representing DSBs were quantified in isolated lymphocytes using fluorescence microscopy after staining against the phosphorylated histone variant {gamma}-H2AX. The DSB values at the various time points were significantly different (p < 0.001). The median baseline level was 0.08/cell (range 0.06-0.12/cell). Peaks of radiation-induced DSBs were found 30 min after {sup 18}F-FDG administration (median excess foci 0.11/cell, range 0.06-0.27/cell) and 5 min after CT (median excess foci 0.17/cell, range 0.05-0.54/cell). A significant correlation between CT-induced DSBs and dose length product was obtained ({rho} = 0.898, p < 0.001). After 24 h DSB values were still slightly but significantly elevated (median foci 0.11/cell, range 0.10-0.14/cell, p = 0.003) compared to pre-exposure levels. PET/CT-induced DSBs can be monitored using {gamma}-H2AX immunofluorescence microscopy. Peak values may be obtained 30 min after {sup 18}F-FDG injection and 5 min after CT. The radionuclide contributes considerably to the total DSB induction in this setting. (orig.)

Pitfalls of DNA Quantification Using DNA-Binding Fluorescent Dyes and Suggested Solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakayama, Yuki; Yamaguchi, Hiromi; Einaga, Naoki; Esumi, Mariko

2016-01-01

The Qubit fluorometer is a DNA quantification device based on the fluorescence intensity of fluorescent dye binding to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). Qubit is generally considered useful for checking DNA quality before next-generation sequencing because it measures intact dsDNA. To examine the most accurate and suitable methods for quantifying DNA for quality assessment, we compared three quantification methods: NanoDrop, which measures UV absorbance; Qubit; and quantitative PCR (qPCR), which measures the abundance of a target gene. For the comparison, we used three types of DNA: 1) DNA extracted from fresh frozen liver tissues (Frozen-DNA); 2) DNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver tissues comparable to those used for Frozen-DNA (FFPE-DNA); and 3) DNA extracted from the remaining fractions after RNA extraction with Trizol reagent (Trizol-DNA). These DNAs were serially diluted with distilled water and measured using three quantification methods. For Frozen-DNA, the Qubit values were not proportional to the dilution ratio, in contrast with the NanoDrop and qPCR values. This non-proportional decrease in Qubit values was dependent on a lower salt concentration, and over 1 mM NaCl in the DNA solution was required for the Qubit measurement. For FFPE-DNA, the Qubit values were proportional to the dilution ratio and were lower than the NanoDrop values. However, electrophoresis revealed that qPCR reflected the degree of DNA fragmentation more accurately than Qubit. Thus, qPCR is superior to Qubit for checking the quality of FFPE-DNA. For Trizol-DNA, the Qubit values were proportional to the dilution ratio and were consistently lower than the NanoDrop values, similar to FFPE-DNA. However, the qPCR values were higher than the NanoDrop values. Electrophoresis with SYBR Green I and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) quantification demonstrated that Trizol-DNA consisted mostly of non-fragmented ssDNA. Therefore, Qubit is not always the most accurate method for

Multi-spectroscopic and molecular docking studies on the interaction of darunavir, a HIV protease inhibitor with calf thymus DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Jie-Hua; Zhou, Kai-Li; Lou, Yan-Yue; Pan, Dong-Qi

2018-03-15

Molecular interaction of darunavir (DRV), a HIV protease inhibitor with calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (ct-DNA) was studied in physiological buffer (pH7.4) by multi-spectroscopic approaches hand in hand with viscosity measurements and molecular docking technique. The UV absorption and fluorescence results together revealed the formation of a DRV-ct-DNA complex having binding affinities of the order of 10 3 M -1 , which was more in keeping with the groove binding. The results that DRV bound to ct-DNA via groove binding mode was further evidenced by KI quenching studies, viscosity measurements, competitive binding investigations with EB and Rhodamine B and CD spectral analysis. The effect of ionic strength indicated the negligible involvement of electrostatic interaction between DRV and ct-DNA. The thermodynamic parameters regarding the binding interaction of DRV with ct-DNA in terms of enthalpy change (ΔH 0 ) and entropy change (ΔS 0 ) were -63.19kJ mol -1 and -141.92J mol -1 K -1 , indicating that hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces played a predominant role in the binding process. Furthermore, molecular simulation studies suggested that DRV molecule was prone to bind in the A-T rich region of the minor groove of DNA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[What future for circulating tumor DNA? Current data and prospects in colorectal, non-small cell lung and pancreatic cancers].

Science.gov (United States)

Pietrasz, Daniel; Pécuchet, Nicolas; Fabre, Elizabeth; Blons, Hélène; Chevalier, Line; Taly, Valérie; Laurent-Puig, Pierre; Bachet, Jean-Baptiste

2016-01-01

Ten years after the discovery of the predictive value of KRAS status for anti-EGFR antibodies, other genes involved in oncogenesis and therapeutic responses were identified and are now systematically sought. Molecular diagnosis often requires invasive procedures, sometimes iatrogenic, and is limited by feasibility problems, quantity and quality of samples. Identifying these mutations from blood biomarkers would reduce costs and diagnostic delay. The circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is one of the most promising blood biomarkers. In this review, we report and discuss the latest results obtained with ctDNA in colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. If the methods highlighting appear very heterogeneous, the correlation between mutations found in tumor and those identified in the blood exceeds 95 % specificity in numerous studies. The detection sensitivity is in turn strongly related to tumor stage patients. The presence of ctDNA appears as a prognostic factor for progression-free survival and overall survival. Finally, recent studies have shown that the changing rate ctDNA during systemic treatments had a predictive value for therapeutic efficacy. These results allow to consider the use of ctDNA in monitoring patients to identify early recurrence or progression. Copyright © 2015 Société Française du Cancer. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The role of DNA dependent protein kinase in synapsis of DNA ends.

Science.gov (United States)

Weterings, Eric; Verkaik, Nicole S; Brüggenwirth, Hennie T; Hoeijmakers, Jan H J; van Gent, Dik C

2003-12-15

DNA dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) plays a central role in the non-homologous end-joining pathway of DNA double strand break repair. Its catalytic subunit (DNA-PK(CS)) functions as a serine/threonine protein kinase. We show that DNA-PK forms a stable complex at DNA termini that blocks the action of exonucleases and ligases. The DNA termini become accessible after autophosphorylation of DNA-PK(CS), which we demonstrate to require synapsis of DNA ends. Interestingly, the presence of DNA-PK prevents ligation of the two synapsed termini, but allows ligation to another DNA molecule. This alteration of the ligation route is independent of the type of ligase that we used, indicating that the intrinsic architecture of the DNA-PK complex itself is not able to support ligation of the synapsed DNA termini. We present a working model in which DNA-PK creates a stable molecular bridge between two DNA ends that is remodeled after DNA-PK autophosphorylation in such a way that the extreme termini become accessible without disrupting synapsis. We infer that joining of synapsed DNA termini would require an additional protein factor.

DNA to DNA transcription might exist in eukaryotic cells

OpenAIRE

Li, Gao-De

2016-01-01

Till now, in biological sciences, the term, transcription, mainly refers to DNA to RNA transcription. But our recently published experimental findings obtained from Plasmodium falciparum strongly suggest the existence of DNA to DNA transcription in the genome of eukaryotic cells, which could shed some light on the functions of certain noncoding DNA in the human and other eukaryotic genomes.

In vitro DNA binding studies of Aspartame, an artificial sweetener.

Science.gov (United States)

Kashanian, Soheila; Khodaei, Mohammad Mehdi; Kheirdoosh, Fahimeh

2013-03-05

A number of small molecules bind directly and selectively to DNA, by inhibiting replication, transcription or topoisomerase activity. In this work the interaction of native calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) with Aspartame (APM), an artificial sweeteners was studied at physiological pH. DNA binding study of APM is useful to understand APM-DNA interaction mechanism and to provide guidance for the application and design of new and safer artificial sweeteners. The interaction was investigated using spectrophotometric, spectrofluorometric competition experiment and circular dichroism (CD). Hypochromism and red shift are shown in UV absorption band of APM. A strong fluorescence quenching reaction of DNA to APM was observed and the binding constants (Kf) of DNA with APM and corresponding number of binding sites (n) were calculated at different temperatures. Thermodynamic parameters, enthalpy changes (ΔH) and entropy changes (ΔS) were calculated to be +181kJmol(-1) and +681Jmol(-1)K(-1) according to Van't Hoff equation, which indicated that reaction is predominantly entropically driven. Moreover, spectrofluorometric competition experiment and circular dichroism (CD) results are indicative of non-intercalative DNA binding nature of APM. We suggest that APM interacts with calf thymus DNA via groove binding mode with an intrinsic binding constant of 5×10(+4)M(-1). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigation on the toxic interaction of typical plasticizers with calf thymus DNA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Xiaojing [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, China–America CRC for Environment & Health, Shandong University, 27# Shanda South Road, Jinan 250100, Shandong Province (China); Zong, Wansong, E-mail: gaocz@sdu.edu.cn [College of Population, Resources and Environment, Shandong Normal University, 88# East Wenhua Road, Jinan 250014 (China); Liu, Chunguang; Liu, Yang [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, China–America CRC for Environment & Health, Shandong University, 27# Shanda South Road, Jinan 250100, Shandong Province (China); Gao, Canzhu, E-mail: rutaoliu@sdu.edu.cn [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, China–America CRC for Environment & Health, Shandong University, 27# Shanda South Road, Jinan 250100, Shandong Province (China); Liu, Rutao [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, China–America CRC for Environment & Health, Shandong University, 27# Shanda South Road, Jinan 250100, Shandong Province (China)

2015-05-15

The interactions of typical plasticizers dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) were investigated by fluorescence spectroscopic techniques and molecular modeling. Experimental results indicated that the characteristic fluorescence intensity of phthalic acid rose with the increase of DNA concentration; while the characteristic fluorescence intensities of plasticizers decreased with the increase of DNA concentration. Experiments on native and denatured DNA determined that plasticizers interacted with DNA both in groove and electrostatic binding mode. The molecular modeling results further illustrated that there is groove binding between them; hydrogen bonding and Van der Waals interactions were the main forces. With the extension of branched-chains, the binding effects between plasticizers and DNA were weakened, which could be related to the increased steric hindrance. - Highlights: • This work established the binding mode of plasticizers with DNA on molecular level. • The mechanism was explored by fluorescence spectroscopic and molecular docking methods. • There are two kinds of binding mode between DMP, DEP, DBP and DNA, electrostatic and groove. • With the branched chain extension, the binding effect of plasticizers and DNA has been weakened.

Synthesis of DNA

Science.gov (United States)

Mariella, Jr., Raymond P.

2008-11-18

A method of synthesizing a desired double-stranded DNA of a predetermined length and of a predetermined sequence. Preselected sequence segments that will complete the desired double-stranded DNA are determined. Preselected segment sequences of DNA that will be used to complete the desired double-stranded DNA are provided. The preselected segment sequences of DNA are assembled to produce the desired double-stranded DNA.

Differential recruitment of DNA Ligase I and III to DNA repair sites

Science.gov (United States)

Mortusewicz, Oliver; Rothbauer, Ulrich; Cardoso, M. Cristina; Leonhardt, Heinrich

2006-01-01

DNA ligation is an essential step in DNA replication, repair and recombination. Mammalian cells contain three DNA Ligases that are not interchangeable although they use the same catalytic reaction mechanism. To compare the recruitment of the three eukaryotic DNA Ligases to repair sites in vivo we introduced DNA lesions in human cells by laser microirradiation. Time lapse microscopy of fluorescently tagged proteins showed that DNA Ligase III accumulated at microirradiated sites before DNA Ligase I, whereas we could detect only a faint accumulation of DNA Ligase IV. Recruitment of DNA Ligase I and III to repair sites was cell cycle independent. Mutational analysis and binding studies revealed that DNA Ligase I was recruited to DNA repair sites by interaction with PCNA while DNA Ligase III was recruited via its BRCT domain mediated interaction with XRCC1. Selective recruitment of specialized DNA Ligases may have evolved to accommodate the particular requirements of different repair pathways and may thus enhance efficiency of DNA repair. PMID:16855289

Synthesis, DNA Binding and Topoisomerase I Inhibition Activity of Thiazacridine and Imidazacridine Derivatives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth Almeida Lafayette

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Thiazacridine and imidazacridine derivatives have shown promising results as tumors suppressors in some cancer cell lines. For a better understanding of the mechanism of action of these compounds, binding studies of 5-acridin-9-ylmethylidene-3-amino-2-thioxo-thiazolidin-4-one, 5-acridin-9-ylmethylidene-2-thioxo-thiazolidin-4-one, 5-acridin-9-ylmethylidene-2-thioxo-imidazolidin-4-one and 3-acridin-9-ylmethyl-thiazolidin-2,4-dione with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA by electronic absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism spectroscopy were performed. The binding constants ranged from 1.46 × 104 to 6.01 × 104 M−1. UV-Vis, fluorescence and circular dichroism measurements indicated that the compounds interact effectively with ctDNA, both by intercalation or external binding. They demonstrated inhibitory activities to human topoisomerase I, except for 5-acridin-9-ylmethylidene-2-thioxo-1,3-thiazolidin-4-one. These results provide insight into the DNA binding mechanism of imidazacridines and thiazacridines.

Small molecules, inhibitors of DNA-PK, targeting DNA repair and beyond

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David eDavidson

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Many current chemotherapies function by damaging genomic DNA in rapidly dividing cells ultimately leading to cell death. This therapeutic approach differentially targets cancer cells that generally display rapid cell division compared to normal tissue cells. However, although these treatments are initially effective in arresting tumor growth and reducing tumor burden, resistance and disease progression eventually occur. A major mechanism underlying this resistance is increased levels of cellular DNA repair. Most cells have complex mechanisms in place to repair DNA damage that occurs due to environmental exposures or normal metabolic processes. These systems, initially overwhelmed when faced with chemotherapy induced DNA damage, become more efficient under constant selective pressure and as a result chemotherapies become less effective. Thus, inhibiting DNA repair pathways using target specific small molecule inhibitors may overcome cellular resistance to DNA damaging chemotherapies. Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ a major mechanism for the repair of double strand breaks (DSB in DNA is regulated in part by the serine/threonine kinase, DNA dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK. The DNA-PK holoenzyme acts as a scaffold protein tethering broken DNA ends and recruiting other repair molecules. It also has enzymatic activity that may be involved in DNA damage signaling. Because of its’ central role in repair of DSBs, DNA-PK has been the focus of a number of small molecule studies. In these studies specific DNA-PK inhibitors have shown efficacy in synergizing chemotherapies in vitro. However, compounds currently known to specifically inhibit DNA-PK are limited by poor pharmacokinetics: these compounds have poor solubility and have high metabolic lability in vivo leading to short serum half-lives. Future improvement in DNA-PK inhibition will likely be achieved by designing new molecules based on the recently reported crystallographic structure of DNA

Centromeric DNA replication reconstitution reveals DNA loops and ATR checkpoint suppression.

Science.gov (United States)

Aze, Antoine; Sannino, Vincenzo; Soffientini, Paolo; Bachi, Angela; Costanzo, Vincenzo

2016-06-01

Half of the human genome is made up of repetitive DNA. However, mechanisms underlying replication of chromosome regions containing repetitive DNA are poorly understood. We reconstituted replication of defined human chromosome segments using bacterial artificial chromosomes in Xenopus laevis egg extract. Using this approach we characterized the chromatin assembly and replication dynamics of centromeric alpha-satellite DNA. Proteomic analysis of centromeric chromatin revealed replication-dependent enrichment of a network of DNA repair factors including the MSH2-6 complex, which was required for efficient centromeric DNA replication. However, contrary to expectations, the ATR-dependent checkpoint monitoring DNA replication fork arrest could not be activated on highly repetitive DNA due to the inability of the single-stranded DNA binding protein RPA to accumulate on chromatin. Electron microscopy of centromeric DNA and supercoil mapping revealed the presence of topoisomerase I-dependent DNA loops embedded in a protein matrix enriched for SMC2-4 proteins. This arrangement suppressed ATR signalling by preventing RPA hyper-loading, facilitating replication of centromeric DNA. These findings have important implications for our understanding of repetitive DNA metabolism and centromere organization under normal and stressful conditions.

Clinical strains of acinetobacter classified by DNA-DNA hybridization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tjernberg, I.; Ursing, J.

1989-01-01

A collection of Acinetobacter strains consisting of 168 consecutive clinical strains and 30 type and reference strains was studied by DNA-DNA hybridization and a few phenotypic tests. The field strains could be allotted to 13 DNA groups. By means of reference strains ten of these could be identified with groups described by Bouvet and Grimont (1986), while three groups were new; they were given the numbers 13-15. The type strain of A. radioresistens- recently described by Nishimura et al. (1988) - was shown to be a member of DNA group 12, which comprised 31 clinical isolates. Of the 19 strains of A. junii, eight showed hemolytic acitivity on sheep and human blood agar and an additional four strains on human blood agar only. Strains of this species have previously been regarded as non-hemolytic. Reciprocal DNA pairing data for the reference strains of the DNA gropus were treated by UPGMA clustering. The reference strains for A. calcoaceticus, A. baumannii and DNA groups 3 and 13 formed a cluster with about 70% relatedness within the cluster. Other DNA groups joined at levels below 60%. (author)

Clinical strains of acinetobacter classified by DNA-DNA hybridization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tjernberg, I; Ursing, J [Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Lund, Malmoe General Hospital, Malmoe (Sweden)

1989-01-01

A collection of Acinetobacter strains consisting of 168 consecutive clinical strains and 30 type and reference strains was studied by DNA-DNA hybridization and a few phenotypic tests. The field strains could be allotted to 13 DNA groups. By means of reference strains ten of these could be identified with groups described by Bouvet and Grimont (1986), while three groups were new; they were given the numbers 13-15. The type strain of A. radioresistens- recently described by Nishimura et al. (1988) - was shown to be a member of DNA group 12, which comprised 31 clinical isolates. Of the 19 strains of A. junii, eight showed hemolytic acitivity on sheep and human blood agar and an additional four strains on human blood agar only. Strains of this species have previously been regarded as non-hemolytic. Reciprocal DNA pairing data for the reference strains of the DNA gropus were treated by UPGMA clustering. The reference strains for A. calcoaceticus, A. baumannii and DNA groups 3 and 13 formed a cluster with about 70% relatedness within the cluster. Other DNA groups joined at levels below 60%. (author).

Photochemical Acceleration of DNA Strand Displacement by Using Ultrafast DNA Photo-crosslinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Shigetaka; Hashimoto, Hirokazu; Kobayashi, Satoshi; Fujimoto, Kenzo

2017-10-18

DNA strand displacement is an essential reaction in genetic recombination, biological processes, and DNA nanotechnology. In particular, various DNA nanodevices enable complicated calculations. However, it takes time before the output is obtained, so acceleration of DNA strand displacement is required for a rapid-response DNA nanodevice. Herein, DNA strand displacement by using DNA photo-crosslinking to accelerate this displacement is evaluated. The DNA photo-crosslinking of 3-cyanovinylcarbazole ( CNV K) was accelerated at least 20 times, showing a faster DNA strand displacement. The rate of photo-crosslinking is a key factor and the rate of DNA strand displacement is accelerated through ultrafast photo-crosslinking. The rate of DNA strand displacement was regulated by photoirradiation energy. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Binding affinities of Schiff base Fe(II) complex with BSA and calf-thymus DNA: Spectroscopic investigations and molecular docking analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Rudra, Suparna; Dasmandal, Somnath; Patra, Chiranjit; Kundu, Arjama; Mahapatra, Ambikesh

2016-09-01

The binding interaction of a synthesized Schiff base Fe(II) complex with biological macromolecules viz., bovine serum albumin (BSA) and calf thymus(ct)-DNA have been investigated using different spectroscopic techniques coupled with viscosity measurements at physiological pH and 298 K. Regular amendments in emission intensities of BSA upon the action of the complex indicate significant interaction between them, and the binding interaction have been characterized by Stern Volmer plots and thermodynamic binding parameters. On the basis of this quenching technique one binding site with binding constant (Kb = (7.6 ± 0.21) × 105) between complex and protein have been obtained at 298 K. Time-resolved fluorescence studies have also been encountered to understand the mechanism of quenching induced by the complex. Binding affinities of the complex to the fluorophores of BSA namely tryptophan (Trp) and tyrosine (Tyr) have been judged by synchronous fluorescence studies. Secondary structural changes of BSA rooted by the complex has been revealed by CD spectra. On the other hand, hypochromicity of absorption spectra of the complex with the addition of ct-DNA and the gradual reduction in emission intensities of ethidium bromide bound ct-DNA in presence of the complex indicate noticeable interaction between ct-DNA and the complex with the binding constant (4.2 ± 0.11) × 106 M- 1. Life-time measurements have been studied to determine the relative amplitude of binding of the complex to ct-DNA base pairs. Mode of binding interaction of the complex with ct-DNA has been deciphered by viscosity measurements. CD spectra have also been used to understand the changes in ct-DNA structure upon binding with the metal complex. Density functional theory (DFT) and molecular docking analysis have been employed in highlighting the interactive phenomenon and binding location of the complex with the macromolecules.

DNA probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castelino, J.

1992-01-01

The creation of DNA probes for detection of specific nucleotide segments differs from ligand detection in that it is a chemical rather than an immunological reaction. Complementary DNA or RNA is used in place of the antibody and is labelled with 32 P. So far, DNA probes have been successfully employed in the diagnosis of inherited disorders, infectious diseases, and for identification of human oncogenes. The latest approach to the diagnosis of communicable and parasitic infections is based on the use of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) probes. The genetic information of all cells is encoded by DNA and DNA probe approach to identification of pathogens is unique because the focus of the method is the nucleic acid content of the organism rather than the products that the nucleic acid encodes. Since every properly classified species has some unique nucleotide sequences that distinguish it from every other species, each organism's genetic composition is in essence a finger print that can be used for its identification. In addition to this specificity, DNA probes offer other advantages in that pathogens may be identified directly in clinical specimens

DNA polymerase. beta. reaction with ultraviolet-irradiated DNA incised by correndonuclease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nowak, R; Zarebska, Z [Instytut Onkologii, Warsaw (Poland); Zmudzka, B [Polska Akademia Nauk, Warsaw. Inst. Biochemii i Biofizyki

1980-09-19

Covalently closed circular Col E1 DNA was ultraviolet-irradiated with a dose of 60 J/m/sup 2/, thus introducing about 3.2 pyrimidine dimers per DNA molecule. Treatment of irradiated Col E1 DNA with Micrococcus luteus correndonuclease resulted, in the vicinity of pyrimidine dimers, in an average of 3.3 incisions per DNA molecule, and converted DNA to the open circular form. Incised Col E1 DNA stimulated no reaction with calf thymus DNA polymerase ..cap alpha.. but was recognized as a template by DNA polymerase ..beta... The latter enzyme incorporated about 1.6 molecules of dTMP (corresponding to 6 molecules of dNMP) per one correndonuclease incision. The length of the DNA polymerase ..beta.. product was comparable to the anticipated length of the DNA region within which the hydrogen bonds were disrupted owing to dimer formation. The enzyme required Mg/sup 2 +/ and four dNTPs for reaction and was resistant to N-ethylmaleimide or p-mercuribenzoate.

DNA Binding by the Ribosomal DNA Transcription Factor Rrn3 Is Essential for Ribosomal DNA Transcription*

Science.gov (United States)

Stepanchick, Ann; Zhi, Huijun; Cavanaugh, Alice H.; Rothblum, Katrina; Schneider, David A.; Rothblum, Lawrence I.

2013-01-01

The human homologue of yeast Rrn3 is an RNA polymerase I-associated transcription factor that is essential for ribosomal DNA (rDNA) transcription. The generally accepted model is that Rrn3 functions as a bridge between RNA polymerase I and the transcription factors bound to the committed template. In this model Rrn3 would mediate an interaction between the mammalian Rrn3-polymerase I complex and SL1, the rDNA transcription factor that binds to the core promoter element of the rDNA. In the course of studying the role of Rrn3 in recruitment, we found that Rrn3 was in fact a DNA-binding protein. Analysis of the sequence of Rrn3 identified a domain with sequence similarity to the DNA binding domain of heat shock transcription factor 2. Randomization, or deletion, of the amino acids in this region in Rrn3, amino acids 382–400, abrogated its ability to bind DNA, indicating that this domain was an important contributor to DNA binding by Rrn3. Control experiments demonstrated that these mutant Rrn3 constructs were capable of interacting with both rpa43 and SL1, two other activities demonstrated to be essential for Rrn3 function. However, neither of these Rrn3 mutants was capable of functioning in transcription in vitro. Moreover, although wild-type human Rrn3 complemented a yeast rrn3-ts mutant, the DNA-binding site mutant did not. These results demonstrate that DNA binding by Rrn3 is essential for transcription by RNA polymerase I. PMID:23393135

DNA binding by the ribosomal DNA transcription factor rrn3 is essential for ribosomal DNA transcription.

Science.gov (United States)

Stepanchick, Ann; Zhi, Huijun; Cavanaugh, Alice H; Rothblum, Katrina; Schneider, David A; Rothblum, Lawrence I

2013-03-29

The human homologue of yeast Rrn3 is an RNA polymerase I-associated transcription factor that is essential for ribosomal DNA (rDNA) transcription. The generally accepted model is that Rrn3 functions as a bridge between RNA polymerase I and the transcription factors bound to the committed template. In this model Rrn3 would mediate an interaction between the mammalian Rrn3-polymerase I complex and SL1, the rDNA transcription factor that binds to the core promoter element of the rDNA. In the course of studying the role of Rrn3 in recruitment, we found that Rrn3 was in fact a DNA-binding protein. Analysis of the sequence of Rrn3 identified a domain with sequence similarity to the DNA binding domain of heat shock transcription factor 2. Randomization, or deletion, of the amino acids in this region in Rrn3, amino acids 382-400, abrogated its ability to bind DNA, indicating that this domain was an important contributor to DNA binding by Rrn3. Control experiments demonstrated that these mutant Rrn3 constructs were capable of interacting with both rpa43 and SL1, two other activities demonstrated to be essential for Rrn3 function. However, neither of these Rrn3 mutants was capable of functioning in transcription in vitro. Moreover, although wild-type human Rrn3 complemented a yeast rrn3-ts mutant, the DNA-binding site mutant did not. These results demonstrate that DNA binding by Rrn3 is essential for transcription by RNA polymerase I.

Mechanism of Error-Free DNA Replication Past Lucidin-Derived DNA Damage by Human DNA Polymerase κ.

Science.gov (United States)

Yockey, Oliver P; Jha, Vikash; Ghodke, Pratibha P; Xu, Tianzuo; Xu, Wenyan; Ling, Hong; Pradeepkumar, P I; Zhao, Linlin

2017-11-20

DNA damage impinges on genetic information flow and has significant implications in human disease and aging. Lucidin-3-O-primeveroside (LuP) is an anthraquinone derivative present in madder root, which has been used as a coloring agent and food additive. LuP can be metabolically converted to genotoxic compound lucidin, which subsequently forms lucidin-specific N 2 -2'-deoxyguanosine (N 2 -dG) and N 6 -2'-deoxyadenosine (N 6 -dA) DNA adducts. Lucidin is mutagenic and carcinogenic in rodents but has low carcinogenic risks in humans. To understand the molecular mechanism of low carcinogenicity of lucidin in humans, we performed DNA replication assays using site-specifically modified oligodeoxynucleotides containing a structural analogue (LdG) of lucidin-N 2 -dG DNA adduct and determined the crystal structures of DNA polymerase (pol) κ in complex with LdG-bearing DNA and an incoming nucleotide. We examined four human pols (pol η, pol ι, pol κ, and Rev1) in their efficiency and accuracy during DNA replication with LdG; these pols are key players in translesion DNA synthesis. Our results demonstrate that pol κ efficiently and accurately replicates past the LdG adduct, whereas DNA replication by pol η, pol ι is compromised to different extents. Rev1 retains its ability to incorporate dCTP opposite the lesion albeit with decreased efficiency. Two ternary crystal structures of pol κ illustrate that the LdG adduct is accommodated by pol κ at the enzyme active site during insertion and postlesion-extension steps. The unique open active site of pol κ allows the adducted DNA to adopt a standard B-form for accurate DNA replication. Collectively, these biochemical and structural data provide mechanistic insights into the low carcinogenic risk of lucidin in humans.

Poxvirus uracil-DNA glycosylase-An unusual member of the family I uracil-DNA glycosylases: Poxvirus Uracil-DNA Glycosylase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schormann, Norbert [Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama 35294; Zhukovskaya, Natalia [Department of Microbiology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19104; Bedwell, Gregory [Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama 35294; Nuth, Manunya [Department of Microbiology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19104; Gillilan, Richard [MacCHESS (Macromolecular Diffraction Facility at CHESS) Cornell University, Ithaca New York 14853; Prevelige, Peter E. [Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama 35294; Ricciardi, Robert P. [Department of Microbiology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19104; Abramson Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19104; Banerjee, Surajit [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, and NE-CAT Argonne Illinois 60439; Chattopadhyay, Debasish [Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama 35294

2016-11-02

We report that uracil-DNA glycosylases are ubiquitous enzymes, which play a key role repairing damages in DNA and in maintaining genomic integrity by catalyzing the first step in the base excision repair pathway. Within the superfamily of uracil-DNA glycosylases family I enzymes or UNGs are specific for recognizing and removing uracil from DNA. These enzymes feature conserved structural folds, active site residues and use common motifs for DNA binding, uracil recognition and catalysis. Within this family the enzymes of poxviruses are unique and most remarkable in terms of amino acid sequences, characteristic motifs and more importantly for their novel non-enzymatic function in DNA replication. UNG of vaccinia virus, also known as D4, is the most extensively characterized UNG of the poxvirus family. D4 forms an unusual heterodimeric processivity factor by attaching to a poxvirus-specific protein A20, which also binds to the DNA polymerase E9 and recruits other proteins necessary for replication. D4 is thus integrated in the DNA polymerase complex, and its DNA-binding and DNA scanning abilities couple DNA processivity and DNA base excision repair at the replication fork. In conclusion, the adaptations necessary for taking on the new function are reflected in the amino acid sequence and the three-dimensional structure of D4. We provide an overview of the current state of the knowledge on the structure-function relationship of D4.

Molecular dynamics simulations of DNA-free and DNA-bound TAL effectors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hua Wan

Full Text Available TAL (transcriptional activator-like effectors (TALEs are DNA-binding proteins, containing a modular central domain that recognizes specific DNA sequences. Recently, the crystallographic studies of TALEs revealed the structure of DNA-recognition domain. In this article, molecular dynamics (MD simulations are employed to study two crystal structures of an 11.5-repeat TALE, in the presence and absence of DNA, respectively. The simulated results indicate that the specific binding of RVDs (repeat-variable diresidues with DNA leads to the markedly reduced fluctuations of tandem repeats, especially at the two ends. In the DNA-bound TALE system, the base-specific interaction is formed mainly by the residue at position 13 within a TAL repeat. Tandem repeats with weak RVDs are unfavorable for the TALE-DNA binding. These observations are consistent with experimental studies. By using principal component analysis (PCA, the dominant motions are open-close movements between the two ends of the superhelical structure in both DNA-free and DNA-bound TALE systems. The open-close movements are found to be critical for the recognition and binding of TALE-DNA based on the analysis of free energy landscape (FEL. The conformational analysis of DNA indicates that the 5' end of DNA target sequence has more remarkable structural deformability than the other sites. Meanwhile, the conformational change of DNA is likely associated with the specific interaction of TALE-DNA. We further suggest that the arrangement of N-terminal repeats with strong RVDs may help in the design of efficient TALEs. This study provides some new insights into the understanding of the TALE-DNA recognition mechanism.

Autophosphorylation of DNA-PKCS regulates its dynamics at DNA double-strand breaks.

Science.gov (United States)

Uematsu, Naoya; Weterings, Eric; Yano, Ken-ichi; Morotomi-Yano, Keiko; Jakob, Burkhard; Taucher-Scholz, Gisela; Mari, Pierre-Olivier; van Gent, Dik C; Chen, Benjamin P C; Chen, David J

2007-04-23

The DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PK(CS)) plays an important role during the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). It is recruited to DNA ends in the early stages of the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) process, which mediates DSB repair. To study DNA-PK(CS) recruitment in vivo, we used a laser system to introduce DSBs in a specified region of the cell nucleus. We show that DNA-PK(CS) accumulates at DSB sites in a Ku80-dependent manner, and that neither the kinase activity nor the phosphorylation status of DNA-PK(CS) influences its initial accumulation. However, impairment of both of these functions results in deficient DSB repair and the maintained presence of DNA-PK(CS) at unrepaired DSBs. The use of photobleaching techniques allowed us to determine that the kinase activity and phosphorylation status of DNA-PK(CS) influence the stability of its binding to DNA ends. We suggest a model in which DNA-PK(CS) phosphorylation/autophosphorylation facilitates NHEJ by destabilizing the interaction of DNA-PK(CS) with the DNA ends.

Anthraquinones quinizarin and danthron unwind negatively supercoiled DNA and lengthen linear DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verebová, Valéria; Adamcik, Jozef; Danko, Patrik; Podhradský, Dušan; Miškovský, Pavol; Staničová, Jana

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Anthraquinones quinizarin and danthron unwind negatively supercoiled DNA. • Anthraquinones quinizarin and danthron lengthen linear DNA. • Anthraquinones quinizarin and danthron possess middle binding affinity to DNA. • Anthraquinones quinizarin and danthron interact with DNA by intercalating mode. - Abstract: The intercalating drugs possess a planar aromatic chromophore unit by which they insert between DNA bases causing the distortion of classical B-DNA form. The planar tricyclic structure of anthraquinones belongs to the group of chromophore units and enables anthraquinones to bind to DNA by intercalating mode. The interactions of simple derivatives of anthraquinone, quinizarin (1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone) and danthron (1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone), with negatively supercoiled and linear DNA were investigated using a combination of the electrophoretic methods, fluorescence spectrophotometry and single molecule technique an atomic force microscopy. The detection of the topological change of negatively supercoiled plasmid DNA, unwinding of negatively supercoiled DNA, corresponding to appearance of DNA topoisomers with the low superhelicity and an increase of the contour length of linear DNA in the presence of quinizarin and danthron indicate the binding of both anthraquinones to DNA by intercalating mode

Anthraquinones quinizarin and danthron unwind negatively supercoiled DNA and lengthen linear DNA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verebová, Valéria [Institute of Biophysics, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Komenského 73, 041 81 Košice (Slovakia); Adamcik, Jozef [Food and Soft Materials Science, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 9, CH-8092 Zürich (Switzerland); Danko, Patrik; Podhradský, Dušan [Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, P.J. Šafárik University, Moyzesova 11, 041 54 Košice (Slovakia); Miškovský, Pavol [Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Sciences, P.J. Šafárik University, Jesenná 5, 041 54 Košice (Slovakia); Center for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, Faculty of Sciences, P.J. Šafárik University, Jesenná 5, 041 54 Košice (Slovakia); Staničová, Jana, E-mail: jana.stanicova@uvlf.sk [Institute of Biophysics, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Komenského 73, 041 81 Košice (Slovakia)

2014-01-31

Highlights: • Anthraquinones quinizarin and danthron unwind negatively supercoiled DNA. • Anthraquinones quinizarin and danthron lengthen linear DNA. • Anthraquinones quinizarin and danthron possess middle binding affinity to DNA. • Anthraquinones quinizarin and danthron interact with DNA by intercalating mode. - Abstract: The intercalating drugs possess a planar aromatic chromophore unit by which they insert between DNA bases causing the distortion of classical B-DNA form. The planar tricyclic structure of anthraquinones belongs to the group of chromophore units and enables anthraquinones to bind to DNA by intercalating mode. The interactions of simple derivatives of anthraquinone, quinizarin (1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone) and danthron (1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone), with negatively supercoiled and linear DNA were investigated using a combination of the electrophoretic methods, fluorescence spectrophotometry and single molecule technique an atomic force microscopy. The detection of the topological change of negatively supercoiled plasmid DNA, unwinding of negatively supercoiled DNA, corresponding to appearance of DNA topoisomers with the low superhelicity and an increase of the contour length of linear DNA in the presence of quinizarin and danthron indicate the binding of both anthraquinones to DNA by intercalating mode.

Nuclear DNA but not mtDNA controls tumor phenotypes in mouse cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akimoto, Miho; Niikura, Mamoru; Ichikawa, Masami; Yonekawa, Hiromichi; Nakada, Kazuto; Honma, Yoshio; Hayashi, Jun-Ichi

2005-01-01

Recent studies showed high frequencies of homoplasmic mtDNA mutations in various human tumor types, suggesting that the mutated mtDNA haplotypes somehow contribute to expression of tumor phenotypes. We directly addressed this issue by isolating mouse mtDNA-less (ρ 0 ) cells for complete mtDNA replacement between normal cells and their carcinogen-induced transformants, and examined the effect of the mtDNA replacement on expression of tumorigenicity, a phenotype forming tumors in nude mice. The results showed that genome chimera cells carrying nuclear DNA from tumor cells and mtDNA from normal cells expressed tumorigenicity, whereas those carrying nuclear DNA from normal cells and mtDNA from tumor cells did not. These observations provided direct evidence that nuclear DNA, but not mtDNA, is responsible for carcinogen-induced malignant transformation, although it remains possible that mtDNA mutations and resultant respiration defects may influence the degree of malignancy, such as invasive or metastatic properties

Droplet digital PCR for detection and quantification of circulating tumor DNA in plasma of head and neck cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

van Ginkel, Joost H; Huibers, Manon M H; van Es, Robert J J; de Bree, Remco; Willems, Stefan M

2017-06-19

During posttreatment surveillance of head and neck cancer patients, imaging is insufficiently accurate for the early detection of relapsing disease. Free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) may serve as a novel biomarker for monitoring tumor burden during posttreatment surveillance of these patients. In this exploratory study, we investigated whether low level ctDNA in plasma of head and neck cancer patients can be detected using Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR). TP53 mutations were determined in surgically resected primary tumor samples from six patients with high stage (II-IV), moderate to poorly differentiated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Subsequently, mutation specific ddPCR assays were designed. Pretreatment plasma samples from these patients were examined on the presence of ctDNA by ddPCR using the mutation-specific assays. The ddPCR results were evaluated alongside clinicopathological data. In all cases, plasma samples were found positive for targeted TP53 mutations in varying degrees (absolute quantification of 2.2-422 mutational copies/ml plasma). Mutations were detected in wild-type TP53 background templates of 7667-156,667 copies/ml plasma, yielding fractional abundances of down to 0.01%. Our results show that detection of tumor specific TP53 mutations in low level ctDNA from HNSCC patients using ddPCR is technically feasible and provide ground for future research on ctDNA quantification for the use of diagnostic biomarkers in the posttreatment surveillance of HNSCC patients.

Flexible DNA Path in the MCM Double Hexamer Loaded on DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Hizume, Kohji; Kominami, Hiroaki; Kobayashi, Kei; Yamada, Hirofumi; Araki, Hiroyuki

2017-05-16

The formation of the pre-replicative complex (pre-RC) during the G1 phase, which is also called the licensing of DNA replication, is the initial and essential step of faithful DNA replication during the subsequent S phase. It is widely accepted that in the pre-RC, double-stranded DNA passes through the holes of two ring-shaped minichromosome maintenance (MCM) 2-7 hexamers; however, the spatial organization of the DNA and proteins involved in pre-RC formation is unclear. Here we reconstituted the pre-RC from purified DNA and proteins and visualized the complex using atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM revealed that the MCM double hexamers formed elliptical particles on DNA. Analysis of the angle of binding of DNA to the MCM double hexamer suggests that the DNA does not completely pass through both holes of the MCM hexamers, possibly because the DNA exited from the gap between Mcm2 and Mcm5. A DNA loop fastened by the MCM double hexamer was detected in pre-RC samples reconstituted from purified proteins as well as those purified from yeast cells, suggesting a higher-order architecture of the loaded MCM hexamers and DNA strands.

The role of DNA dependent protein kinase in synapsis of DNA ends

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E.P.W.C. Weterings (Eric); N.S. Verkaik (Nicole); H.T. Brüggenwirth (Hennie); D.C. van Gent (Dik); J.H.J. Hoeijmakers (Jan)

2003-01-01

textabstractDNA dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) plays a central role in the non-homologous end-joining pathway of DNA double strand break repair. Its catalytic subunit (DNA-PK(CS)) functions as a serine/threonine protein kinase. We show that DNA-PK forms a stable complex at DNA termini that blocks

DNA-binding proteins essential for protein-primed bacteriophage ø29 DNA replication

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Margarita Salas

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Bacillus subtilis phage Φ29 has a linear, double-stranded DNA 19 kb long with an inverted terminal repeat of 6 nucleotides and a protein covalently linked to the 5’ ends of the DNA. This protein, called terminal protein (TP, is the primer for the initiation of replication, a reaction catalyzed by the viral DNA polymerase at the two DNA ends. The DNA polymerase further elongates the nascent DNA chain in a processive manner, coupling strand displacement with elongation. The viral protein p5 is a single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB that binds to the single strands generated by strand displacement during the elongation process. Viral protein p6 is a double-stranded DNA binding protein (DBP that preferentially binds to the origins of replication at the Φ29 DNA ends and is required for the initiation of replication. Both SSB and DBP are essential for Φ29 DNA amplification. This review focuses on the role of these phage DNA-binding proteins in Φ29 DNA replication both in vitro and in vivo, as well as on the implication of several B. subtilis DNA-binding proteins in different processes of the viral cycle. We will revise the enzymatic activities of the Φ29 DNA polymerase: TP-deoxynucleotidylation, processive DNA polymerization coupled to strand displacement, 3’-5’ exonucleolysis and pyrophosphorolysis. The resolution of the Φ29 DNA polymerase structure has shed light on the translocation mechanism and the determinants responsible for processivity and strand displacement. These two properties have made Φ29 DNA polymerase one of the main enzymes used in the current DNA amplification technologies. The determination of the structure of Φ29 TP revealed the existence of three domains: the priming domain, where the primer residue Ser232, as well as Phe230, involved in the determination of the initiating nucleotide, are located, the intermediate domain, involved in DNA polymerase binding, and the N-terminal domain, responsible for DNA binding

DNA requirements for interaction of the C-terminal region of Ku80 with the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs).

Science.gov (United States)

Radhakrishnan, Sarvan Kumar; Lees-Miller, Susan P

2017-09-01

Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is the major pathway for the repair of ionizing radiation induced DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) in human cells. Critical to NHEJ is the DNA-dependent interaction of the Ku70/80 heterodimer with the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) to form the DNA-PK holoenzyme. However, precisely how Ku recruits DNA-PKcs to DSBs ends to enhance its kinase activity has remained enigmatic, with contradictory findings reported in the literature. Here we address the role of the Ku80 C-terminal region (CTR) in the DNA-dependent interaction of Ku70/80 with DNA-PKcs using purified components and defined DNA structures. Our results show that the Ku80 CTR is required for interaction with DNA-PKcs on short segments of blunt ended 25bp dsDNA or 25bp dsDNA with a 15-base poly dA single stranded (ss) DNA extension, but this requirement is less stringent on longer dsDNA molecules (35bp blunt ended dsDNA) or 25bp duplex DNA with either a 15-base poly dT or poly dC ssDNA extension. Moreover, the DNA-PKcs-Ku complex preferentially forms on 25 bp DNA with a poly-pyrimidine ssDNA extension.Our work clarifies the role of the Ku80 CTR and dsDNA ends on the interaction of DNA-PKcs with Ku and provides key information to guide assembly and biology of NHEJ complexes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of mobile DNA-protein-DNA bridges on DNA configurations: Coarse-grained Monte-Carlo simulations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vries, de R.

2011-01-01

A large literature exists on modeling the influence of sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins on the shape of the DNA double helix in terms of one or a few fixed constraints. This approach is inadequate for the many proteins that bind DNA sequence independently, and that are present in very large

UVA photoactivation of DNA containing halogenated thiopyrimidines induces cytotoxic DNA lesions

Science.gov (United States)

Brem, Reto; Zhang, Xiaohui; Xu, Yao-Zhong; Karran, Peter

2015-01-01

Photochemotherapy, the combination of a photosensitiser and ultraviolet (UV) or visible light, is an effective treatment for skin conditions including cancer. The high mutagenicity and non-selectivity of photochemotherapy regimes warrants the development of alternative approaches. We demonstrate that the thiopyrimidine nucleosides 5-bromo-4-thiodeoxyuridine (SBrdU) and 5-iodo-4-thiodeoxyuridine (SIdU) are incorporated into the DNA of cultured human and mouse cells where they synergistically sensitise killing by low doses of UVA radiation. The DNA halothiopyrimidine/UVA combinations induce DNA interstrand crosslinks, DNA-protein crosslinks, DNA strand breaks, nucleobase damage and lesions that resemble UV-induced pyrimidine(6-4)pyrimidone photoproducts. These are potentially lethal DNA lesions and cells defective in their repair are hypersensitive to killing by SBrdU/UVA and SIdU/UVA. DNA SIdU and SBrdU generate lethal DNA photodamage by partially distinct mechanisms that reflect the different photolabilities of their C–I and C–Br bonds. Although singlet oxygen is involved in photolesion formation, DNA SBrdU and SIdU photoactivation does not detectably increase DNA 8-oxoguanine levels. The absence of significant collateral damage to normal guanine suggests that UVA activation of DNA SIdU or SBrdU might offer a strategy to target hyperproliferative skin conditions that avoids the extensive formation of a known mutagenic DNA lesion. PMID:25747491

DNA probes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castelino, J

1993-12-31

The creation of DNA probes for detection of specific nucleotide segments differs from ligand detection in that it is a chemical rather than an immunological reaction. Complementary DNA or RNA is used in place of the antibody and is labelled with {sup 32}P. So far, DNA probes have been successfully employed in the diagnosis of inherited disorders, infectious diseases, and for identification of human oncogenes. The latest approach to the diagnosis of communicable and parasitic infections is based on the use of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) probes. The genetic information of all cells is encoded by DNA and DNA probe approach to identification of pathogens is unique because the focus of the method is the nucleic acid content of the organism rather than the products that the nucleic acid encodes. Since every properly classified species has some unique nucleotide sequences that distinguish it from every other species, each organism`s genetic composition is in essence a finger print that can be used for its identification. In addition to this specificity, DNA probes offer other advantages in that pathogens may be identified directly in clinical specimens 10 figs, 2 tabs

Dpb11 may function with RPA and DNA to initiate DNA replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruck, Irina; Dhingra, Nalini; Martinez, Matthew P; Kaplan, Daniel L

2017-01-01

Dpb11 is required for the initiation of DNA replication in budding yeast. We found that Dpb11 binds tightly to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) or branched DNA structures, while its human homolog, TopBP1, binds tightly to branched-DNA structures. We also found that Dpb11 binds stably to CDK-phosphorylated RPA, the eukaryotic ssDNA binding protein, in the presence of branched DNA. A Dpb11 mutant specifically defective for DNA binding did not exhibit tight binding to RPA in the presence of DNA, suggesting that Dpb11-interaction with DNA may promote the recruitment of RPA to melted DNA. We then characterized a mutant of Dpb11 that is specifically defective in DNA binding in budding yeast cells. Expression of dpb11-m1,2,3,5,ΔC results in a substantial decrease in RPA recruitment to origins, suggesting that Dpb11 interaction with DNA may be required for RPA recruitment to origins. Expression of dpb11-m1,2,3,5,ΔC also results in diminished GINS interaction with Mcm2-7 during S phase, while Cdc45 interaction with Mcm2-7 is like wild-type. The reduced GINS interaction with Mcm2-7 may be an indirect consequence of diminished origin melting. We propose that the tight interaction between Dpb11, CDK-phosphorylated RPA, and branched-DNA may be required for the essential function of stabilizing melted origin DNA in vivo. We also propose an alternative model, wherein Dpb11-DNA interaction is required for some other function in DNA replication initiation, such as helicase activation.

Electrostatics of DNA-DNA juxtapositions: consequences for type II topoisomerase function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Randall, Graham L; Pettitt, B Montgomery; Buck, Gregory R; Zechiedrich, E Lynn

2006-01-01

Type II topoisomerases resolve problematic DNA topologies such as knots, catenanes, and supercoils that arise as a consequence of DNA replication and recombination. Failure to remove problematic DNA topologies prohibits cell division and can result in cell death or genetic mutation. Such catastrophic consequences make topoisomerases an effective target for antibiotics and anticancer agents. Despite their biological and clinical importance, little is understood about how a topoisomerase differentiates DNA topologies in a molecule that is significantly larger than the topoisomerase itself. It has been proposed that type II topoisomerases recognize angle and curvature between two DNA helices characteristic of knotted and catenated DNA to account for the enzyme's preference to unlink instead of link DNA. Here we consider the electrostatic potential of DNA juxtapositions to determine the possibility of juxtapositions occurring through Brownian diffusion. We found that despite the large negative electrostatic potential formed between two juxtaposed DNA helices, a bulk counterion concentration as small as 50 mM provides sufficient electrostatic screening to prohibit significant interaction beyond an interhelical separation of 3 nm in both hooked and free juxtapositions. This suggests that instead of electrostatics, mechanical forces such as those occurring in anaphase, knots, catenanes, or the writhe of supercoiled DNA may be responsible for the formation of DNA juxtapositions

Mitochondrial DNA copy number threshold in mtDNA depletion myopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Durham, S E; Bonilla, E; Samuels, D C; DiMauro, S; Chinnery, P F

2005-08-09

The authors measured the absolute amount of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) within single muscle fibers from two patients with thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) deficiency and two healthy controls. TK2 deficient fibers containing more than 0.01 mtDNA/microm3 had residual cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity. This defines the minimum amount of wild-type mtDNA molecules required to maintain COX activity in skeletal muscle and provides an explanation for the mosaic histochemical pattern seen in patients with mtDNA depletion syndrome.

Experimental and molecular docking studies on DNA binding interaction of adefovir dipivoxil: Advances toward treatment of hepatitis B virus infections

Science.gov (United States)

Shahabadi, Nahid; Falsafi, Monireh

The toxic interaction of adefovir dipivoxil with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) was investigated in vitro under simulated physiological conditions by multi-spectroscopic techniques and molecular modeling study. The fluorescence spectroscopy and UV absorption spectroscopy indicated drug interacted with CT-DNA in a groove binding mode. The binding constant of UV-visible and the number of binding sites were 3.33 ± 0.2 × 104 L mol-1and 0.99, respectively. The fluorimetric studies showed that the reaction between the drug and CT-DNA is exothermic (ΔH = 34.4 kJ mol-1; ΔS = 184.32 J mol-1 K-1). Circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD) was employed to measure the conformational change of CT-DNA in the presence of adefovir dipivoxil, which verified the groove binding mode. Furthermore, the drug induces detectable changes in its viscosity. The molecular modeling results illustrated that adefovir strongly binds to groove of DNA by relative binding energy of docked structure -16.83 kJ mol-1. This combination of multiple spectroscopic techniques and molecular modeling methods can be widely used in the investigation on the toxic interaction of small molecular pollutants and drugs with bio macromolecules, which contributes to clarify the molecular mechanism of toxicity or side effect in vivo.

DNA Topology and the Initiation of Virus DNA Packaging.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Choon Seok Oh

Full Text Available During progeny assembly, viruses selectively package virion genomes from a nucleic acid pool that includes host nucleic acids. For large dsDNA viruses, including tailed bacteriophages and herpesviruses, immature viral DNA is recognized and translocated into a preformed icosahedral shell, the prohead. Recognition involves specific interactions between the viral packaging enzyme, terminase, and viral DNA recognition sites. Generally, viral DNA is recognized by terminase's small subunit (TerS. The large terminase subunit (TerL contains translocation ATPase and endonuclease domains. In phage lambda, TerS binds a sequence repeated three times in cosB, the recognition site. TerS binding to cosB positions TerL to cut the concatemeric DNA at the adjacent nicking site, cosN. TerL introduces staggered nicks in cosN, generating twelve bp cohesive ends. Terminase separates the cohesive ends and remains bound to the cosB-containing end, in a nucleoprotein structure called Complex I. Complex I docks on the prohead's portal vertex and translocation ensues. DNA topology plays a role in the TerSλ-cosBλ interaction. Here we show that a site, I2, located between cosN and cosB, is critically important for an early DNA packaging step. I2 contains a complex static bend. I2 mutations block DNA packaging. I2 mutant DNA is cut by terminase at cosN in vitro, but in vivo, no cos cleavage is detected, nor is there evidence for Complex I. Models for what packaging step might be blocked by I2 mutations are presented.

Sequence-specific activation of the DNA sensor cGAS by Y-form DNA structures as found in primary HIV-1 cDNA.

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Herzner, Anna-Maria; Hagmann, Cristina Amparo; Goldeck, Marion; Wolter, Steven; Kübler, Kirsten; Wittmann, Sabine; Gramberg, Thomas; Andreeva, Liudmila; Hopfner, Karl-Peter; Mertens, Christina; Zillinger, Thomas; Jin, Tengchuan; Xiao, Tsan Sam; Bartok, Eva; Coch, Christoph; Ackermann, Damian; Hornung, Veit; Ludwig, Janos; Barchet, Winfried; Hartmann, Gunther; Schlee, Martin

2015-10-01

Cytosolic DNA that emerges during infection with a retrovirus or DNA virus triggers antiviral type I interferon responses. So far, only double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) over 40 base pairs (bp) in length has been considered immunostimulatory. Here we found that unpaired DNA nucleotides flanking short base-paired DNA stretches, as in stem-loop structures of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) derived from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), activated the type I interferon-inducing DNA sensor cGAS in a sequence-dependent manner. DNA structures containing unpaired guanosines flanking short (12- to 20-bp) dsDNA (Y-form DNA) were highly stimulatory and specifically enhanced the enzymatic activity of cGAS. Furthermore, we found that primary HIV-1 reverse transcripts represented the predominant viral cytosolic DNA species during early infection of macrophages and that these ssDNAs were highly immunostimulatory. Collectively, our study identifies unpaired guanosines in Y-form DNA as a highly active, minimal cGAS recognition motif that enables detection of HIV-1 ssDNA.

DNA barcode goes two-dimensions: DNA QR code web server.

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Liu, Chang; Shi, Linchun; Xu, Xiaolan; Li, Huan; Xing, Hang; Liang, Dong; Jiang, Kun; Pang, Xiaohui; Song, Jingyuan; Chen, Shilin

2012-01-01

The DNA barcoding technology uses a standard region of DNA sequence for species identification and discovery. At present, "DNA barcode" actually refers to DNA sequences, which are not amenable to information storage, recognition, and retrieval. Our aim is to identify the best symbology that can represent DNA barcode sequences in practical applications. A comprehensive set of sequences for five DNA barcode markers ITS2, rbcL, matK, psbA-trnH, and CO1 was used as the test data. Fifty-three different types of one-dimensional and ten two-dimensional barcode symbologies were compared based on different criteria, such as coding capacity, compression efficiency, and error detection ability. The quick response (QR) code was found to have the largest coding capacity and relatively high compression ratio. To facilitate the further usage of QR code-based DNA barcodes, a web server was developed and is accessible at http://qrfordna.dnsalias.org. The web server allows users to retrieve the QR code for a species of interests, convert a DNA sequence to and from a QR code, and perform species identification based on local and global sequence similarities. In summary, the first comprehensive evaluation of various barcode symbologies has been carried out. The QR code has been found to be the most appropriate symbology for DNA barcode sequences. A web server has also been constructed to allow biologists to utilize QR codes in practical DNA barcoding applications.

DNA barcode goes two-dimensions: DNA QR code web server.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chang Liu

Full Text Available The DNA barcoding technology uses a standard region of DNA sequence for species identification and discovery. At present, "DNA barcode" actually refers to DNA sequences, which are not amenable to information storage, recognition, and retrieval. Our aim is to identify the best symbology that can represent DNA barcode sequences in practical applications. A comprehensive set of sequences for five DNA barcode markers ITS2, rbcL, matK, psbA-trnH, and CO1 was used as the test data. Fifty-three different types of one-dimensional and ten two-dimensional barcode symbologies were compared based on different criteria, such as coding capacity, compression efficiency, and error detection ability. The quick response (QR code was found to have the largest coding capacity and relatively high compression ratio. To facilitate the further usage of QR code-based DNA barcodes, a web server was developed and is accessible at http://qrfordna.dnsalias.org. The web server allows users to retrieve the QR code for a species of interests, convert a DNA sequence to and from a QR code, and perform species identification based on local and global sequence similarities. In summary, the first comprehensive evaluation of various barcode symbologies has been carried out. The QR code has been found to be the most appropriate symbology for DNA barcode sequences. A web server has also been constructed to allow biologists to utilize QR codes in practical DNA barcoding applications.

DNA-membrane complex restoration in Micrococcus radiodurans after X-irradiation: relation to repair, DNA synthesis and DNA degradation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dardalhon-Samsonoff, M; Averbeck, D [Institut du Radium, 75 - Paris (France). Lab. Curie

1980-07-01

The DNA-membrane complex in Micrococcus radiodurans was shown to be essentially constituted of proteins, lipids and DNA. The complex was dissociated immediately after X-irradiation of cells and restored during post-incubation in complete medium. In X-irradiated protoplasts some DNA remained associated with the complex. Restoration of the complex during post-incubation was only seen in a medium favouring DNA polymerase and ligase activities. Under this condition no DNA synthesis occurred, suggesting that complex restoration may involve ligase activity. The complex restoration in the wild type and the X-ray sensitive mutant UV17 of M. radiodurans was strictly dependent on the X-ray dose. It was correlated with survival and DNA degradation but always preceded the onset of DNA synthesis after X-irradiation. At the same dose the complex restoration was about 2 fold lower in mutant than in wild type cells indicating that the restoration of the complex is related to repair capacity. The results are consistent with the idea that the complex protects X-irradiated DNA of M. radiodurans from further breakdown and, subsequently, permits DNA synthesis and repair to occur.

Conformation-dependent DNA attraction

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Weifeng; Nordenskiöld, Lars; Zhou, Ruhong; Mu, Yuguang

2014-05-01

Understanding how DNA molecules interact with other biomolecules is related to how they utilize their functions and is therefore critical for understanding their structure-function relationships. For a long time, the existence of Z-form DNA (a left-handed double helical version of DNA, instead of the common right-handed B-form) has puzzled the scientists, and the definitive biological significance of Z-DNA has not yet been clarified. In this study, the effects of DNA conformation in DNA-DNA interactions are explored by molecular dynamics simulations. Using umbrella sampling, we find that for both B- and Z-form DNA, surrounding Mg2+ ions always exert themselves to screen the Coulomb repulsion between DNA phosphates, resulting in very weak attractive force. On the contrary, a tight and stable bound state is discovered for Z-DNA in the presence of Mg2+ or Na+, benefiting from their hydrophobic nature. Based on the contact surface and a dewetting process analysis, a two-stage binding process of Z-DNA is outlined: two Z-DNA first attract each other through charge screening and Mg2+ bridges to phosphate groups in the same way as that of B-DNA, after which hydrophobic contacts of the deoxyribose groups are formed via a dewetting effect, resulting in stable attraction between two Z-DNA molecules. The highlighted hydrophobic nature of Z-DNA interaction from the current study may help to understand the biological functions of Z-DNA in gene transcription.Understanding how DNA molecules interact with other biomolecules is related to how they utilize their functions and is therefore critical for understanding their structure-function relationships. For a long time, the existence of Z-form DNA (a left-handed double helical version of DNA, instead of the common right-handed B-form) has puzzled the scientists, and the definitive biological significance of Z-DNA has not yet been clarified. In this study, the effects of DNA conformation in DNA-DNA interactions are explored by

DNA replication initiator Cdc6 also regulates ribosomal DNA transcription initiation.

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Huang, Shijiao; Xu, Xiaowei; Wang, Guopeng; Lu, Guoliang; Xie, Wenbing; Tao, Wei; Zhang, Hongyin; Jiang, Qing; Zhang, Chuanmao

2016-04-01

RNA-polymerase-I-dependent ribosomal DNA (rDNA) transcription is fundamental to rRNA processing, ribosome assembly and protein synthesis. However, how this process is initiated during the cell cycle is not fully understood. By performing a proteomic analysis of transcription factors that bind RNA polymerase I during rDNA transcription initiation, we identified that the DNA replication initiator Cdc6 interacts with RNA polymerase I and its co-factors, and promotes rDNA transcription in G1 phase in an ATPase-activity-dependent manner. We further showed that Cdc6 is targeted to the nucleolus during late mitosis and G1 phase in a manner that is dependent on B23 (also known as nucleophosmin, NPM1), and preferentially binds to the rDNA promoter through its ATP-binding domain. Overexpression of Cdc6 increases rDNA transcription, whereas knockdown of Cdc6 results in a decreased association of both RNA polymerase I and the RNA polymerase I transcription factor RRN3 with rDNA, and a reduction of rDNA transcription. Furthermore, depletion of Cdc6 impairs the interaction between RRN3 and RNA polymerase I. Taken together, our data demonstrate that Cdc6 also serves as a regulator of rDNA transcription initiation, and indicate a mechanism by which initiation of rDNA transcription and DNA replication can be coordinated in cells. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Effect of DNA type on response of DNA biosensor for carcinogens

Science.gov (United States)

Sani, Nor Diyana bt. Md.; Heng, Lee Yook; Surif, Salmijah; Lazim, Azwani Mat

2013-11-01

Carcinogens are cancer causing chemicals that can bind to DNA and cause damage to the DNA. These chemicals are available everywhere including in water, air, soil and food. Therefore, a sensor that can detect the presence of these chemicals will be a very useful tool. Since carcinogens bind to DNA, DNA can be used as the biological element in a biosensor. This study has utilized different types of DNA in a biosensor for carcinogen detection. The DNAs include double stranded calf thymus DNA, single stranded calf thymus DNA and guanine rich single stranded DNA. The modified SPE was exposed to a carcinogen followed by interaction with methylene blue which acts as the electroactive indicator. The SPE was then analysed using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Optimization studies were conducted for MB concentration and accumulation time, DNA concentration, as well as effect of buffer concentration, buffer pH and ionic strength. The performance of the biosensor was tested on a group 1 carcinogen, formaldehyde. The results indicated that the usage of guanine rich single stranded DNA also gives higher response as carcinogens prefer to bind with guanine compared to other bases.

Effect of γ-irradiated DNA on the activity of DNA polymerase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leadon, S.A.; Ward, J.F.

1981-01-01

A cell-free assay was developed to measure the effect of γ-irradiated DNA template on the ability of DNA polymerase to copy unirradiated template. Doses as low as 1 krad were able to decrease (approx. 15%) the activity of both bacterial and mammalian DNA polymerases in the assay. The percentage of polymerase activity decreased as the dose received by the template increased. The reduction in DNA polymerase activity was shown to be due to an inhibition of the enzyme by the irradiated DNA. Irradiated poly(dA-dT) was more effective in reducing polymerase activity than calf thymus DNA. Thus the polymerase-inhibition site(s) appears to be associated with base damage, specifically adenine or thymine. Using a free-radical scavenger, OH radicals were found to be involved in producing the damage sites. The interaction between irradiated DNA and DNA polymerase was found to be specific for the enzyme and not for other proteins present in the assay. The inhibition of DNA polymerase occurred prior to or during the initiation of DNA synthesis rather than after initiation of synthesis, i.e., during elongation

Super-resolution optical DNA Mapping via DNA methyltransferase-directed click chemistry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vranken, Charlotte; Deen, Jochem; Dirix, Lieve

2014-01-01

We demonstrate an approach to optical DNA mapping, which enables near single-molecule characterization of whole bacteriophage genomes. Our approach uses a DNA methyltransferase enzyme to target labelling to specific sites and copper-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition to couple a fluorophore...... to the DNA. We achieve a labelling efficiency of ∼70% with an average labelling density approaching one site every 500 bp. Such labelling density bridges the gap between the output of a typical DNA sequencing experiment and the long-range information derived from traditional optical DNA mapping. We lay...... the foundations for a wider-scale adoption of DNA mapping by screening 11 methyltransferases for their ability to direct sequence-specific DNA transalkylation; the first step of the DNA labelling process and by optimizing reaction conditions for fluorophore coupling via a click reaction. Three of 11 enzymes...

Towards a DNA Nanoprocessor: Reusable Tile-Integrated DNA Circuits.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerasimova, Yulia V; Kolpashchikov, Dmitry M

2016-08-22

Modern electronic microprocessors use semiconductor logic gates organized on a silicon chip to enable efficient inter-gate communication. Here, arrays of communicating DNA logic gates integrated on a single DNA tile were designed and used to process nucleic acid inputs in a reusable format. Our results lay the foundation for the development of a DNA nanoprocessor, a small and biocompatible device capable of performing complex analyses of DNA and RNA inputs. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Colloidal Au-enhanced surface plasmon resonance imaging: application in a DNA hybridization process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manera, M G; Spadavecchia, J; Taurino, A; Rella, R

2010-01-01

The detection of the DNA hybridization mechanism using monodispersed gold nanoparticles as labels is an interesting alternative to increase the sensitivity of the SPR imaging technique. DNA-modified Au nanoparticles (DNA-Au NPs) containing single-stranded (ss) portions of DNA were prepared by monitoring their monolayer formation by UV–vis spectroscopy. The hybridization process between specific thio-oligonucleotides immobilized on the DNA–Au NPs and the corresponding complementary strands is reported and compared with the traditional hybridization process on properly self-assembled thin gold films deposited on glass substrates. A remarkable signal amplification is observed, following the incorporation of colloidal Au into a SPR biosensing experiment, resulting in an increased SPR response to DNA–DNA interactions. In particular Fusarium thiolated DNA (5'HS poly(T) 15 ATC CCT CAA AAA CTG CCG CT-3) and trichothecenes complementary DNA (5'-AGC GGC AGT TTT TGA GGG AT-3') sequences have been explored due to their possible application to agro-industry for the control of food quality

DNA-Conjugated Organic Chromophores in DNA Stacking Interactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Filichev, Vyacheslav V.; Pedersen, Erik Bjerregaard

2009-01-01

Since the discovery of the intercalation of acridine derivatives into DNA (1961), chemists have synthesized many intercalators tethered to DNA. Advances in the chemical synthesis of modified nucleosides along with progress in oligonucleotide synthesis have made it possible to introduce organic ch...... review presents those efforts in the design of intercalators/organic chromophores as oligonucleotide conjugates that form a foundation for the generation of novel nucleic acid architectures......Since the discovery of the intercalation of acridine derivatives into DNA (1961), chemists have synthesized many intercalators tethered to DNA. Advances in the chemical synthesis of modified nucleosides along with progress in oligonucleotide synthesis have made it possible to introduce organic...

Genetic polymorphisms in homologous recombination repair genes in healthy Slovenian population and their influence on DNA damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goricar, Katja; Erculj, Nina; Zadel, Maja; Dolzan, Vita

2012-01-01

Homologous recombination (HR) repair is an important mechanism involved in repairing double-strand breaks in DNA and for maintaining genomic stability. Polymorphisms in genes coding for enzymes involved in this pathway may influence the capacity for DNA repair. The aim of this study was to select tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in specific genes involved in HR repair, to determine their allele frequencies in a healthy Slovenian population and their influence on DNA damage detected with comet assay. In total 373 individuals were genotyped for nine tag SNPs in three genes: XRCC3 722C>T, XRCC3 -316A>G, RAD51 -98G>C, RAD51 -61G>T, RAD51 1522T>G, NBS1 553G>C, NBS1 1197A>G, NBS1 37117C>T and NBS1 3474A>C using competitive allele-specific amplification (KASPar assay). Comet assay was performed in a subgroup of 26 individuals to determine the influence of selected SNPs on DNA damage. We observed that age significantly affected genotype frequencies distribution of XRCC3 -316A>G (P = 0.039) in healthy male blood donors. XRCC3 722C>T (P = 0.005), RAD51 -61G>T (P = 0.023) and NBS1 553G>C (P = 0.008) had a statistically significant influence on DNA damage. XRCC3 722C>T, RAD51 -61G>T and NBS1 553G>C polymorphisms significantly affect the repair of damaged DNA and may be of clinical importance as they are common in Slovenian population

Salt-Dependent DNA-DNA Spacings in Intact Bacteriophage lambda Reflect Relative Importance of DNA Self-Repulsion and Bending Energies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

X Qiu; D Rau; V Parsegian; L Fang; C Knobler; W Gelbart

2011-12-31

Using solution synchrotron x-ray scattering, we measure the variation of DNA-DNA d spacings in bacteriophage {lambda} with mono-, di-, and polyvalent salt concentrations, for wild-type [48.5 x 10{sup 3} base pairs (bp)] and short-genome-mutant (37.8 kbp) strains. From the decrease in d spacings with increasing salt, we deduce the relative contributions of DNA self-repulsion and bending to the energetics of packaged phage genomes. We quantify the DNA-DNA interaction energies within the intact phage by combining the measured d spacings in the capsid with measurements of osmotic pressure in DNA assemblies under the same salt conditions in bulk solution. In the commonly used Tris-Mg buffer, the DNA-DNA interaction energies inside the phage capsids are shown to be about 1 kT/bp, an order of magnitude larger than the bending energies.

Human Parvovirus B19 Utilizes Cellular DNA Replication Machinery for Viral DNA Replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Wei; Wang, Zekun; Xiong, Min; Chen, Aaron Yun; Xu, Peng; Ganaie, Safder S; Badawi, Yomna; Kleiboeker, Steve; Nishimune, Hiroshi; Ye, Shui Qing; Qiu, Jianming

2018-03-01

Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection of human erythroid progenitor cells (EPCs) induces a DNA damage response and cell cycle arrest at late S phase, which facilitates viral DNA replication. However, it is not clear exactly which cellular factors are employed by this single-stranded DNA virus. Here, we used microarrays to systematically analyze the dynamic transcriptome of EPCs infected with B19V. We found that DNA metabolism, DNA replication, DNA repair, DNA damage response, cell cycle, and cell cycle arrest pathways were significantly regulated after B19V infection. Confocal microscopy analyses revealed that most cellular DNA replication proteins were recruited to the centers of viral DNA replication, but not the DNA repair DNA polymerases. Our results suggest that DNA replication polymerase δ and polymerase α are responsible for B19V DNA replication by knocking down its expression in EPCs. We further showed that although RPA32 is essential for B19V DNA replication and the phosphorylated forms of RPA32 colocalized with the replicating viral genomes, RPA32 phosphorylation was not necessary for B19V DNA replication. Thus, this report provides evidence that B19V uses the cellular DNA replication machinery for viral DNA replication. IMPORTANCE Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection can cause transient aplastic crisis, persistent viremia, and pure red cell aplasia. In fetuses, B19V infection can result in nonimmune hydrops fetalis and fetal death. These clinical manifestations of B19V infection are a direct outcome of the death of human erythroid progenitors that host B19V replication. B19V infection induces a DNA damage response that is important for cell cycle arrest at late S phase. Here, we analyzed dynamic changes in cellular gene expression and found that DNA metabolic processes are tightly regulated during B19V infection. Although genes involved in cellular DNA replication were downregulated overall, the cellular DNA replication machinery was tightly

From nonspecific DNA-protein encounter complexes to the prediction of DNA-protein interactions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mu Gao

2009-03-01

Full Text Available DNA-protein interactions are involved in many essential biological activities. Because there is no simple mapping code between DNA base pairs and protein amino acids, the prediction of DNA-protein interactions is a challenging problem. Here, we present a novel computational approach for predicting DNA-binding protein residues and DNA-protein interaction modes without knowing its specific DNA target sequence. Given the structure of a DNA-binding protein, the method first generates an ensemble of complex structures obtained by rigid-body docking with a nonspecific canonical B-DNA. Representative models are subsequently selected through clustering and ranking by their DNA-protein interfacial energy. Analysis of these encounter complex models suggests that the recognition sites for specific DNA binding are usually favorable interaction sites for the nonspecific DNA probe and that nonspecific DNA-protein interaction modes exhibit some similarity to specific DNA-protein binding modes. Although the method requires as input the knowledge that the protein binds DNA, in benchmark tests, it achieves better performance in identifying DNA-binding sites than three previously established methods, which are based on sophisticated machine-learning techniques. We further apply our method to protein structures predicted through modeling and demonstrate that our method performs satisfactorily on protein models whose root-mean-square Calpha deviation from native is up to 5 A from their native structures. This study provides valuable structural insights into how a specific DNA-binding protein interacts with a nonspecific DNA sequence. The similarity between the specific DNA-protein interaction mode and nonspecific interaction modes may reflect an important sampling step in search of its specific DNA targets by a DNA-binding protein.

Integrating DNA strand-displacement circuitry with DNA tile self-assembly

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, David Yu; Hariadi, Rizal F.; Choi, Harry M.T.; Winfree, Erik

2013-01-01

DNA nanotechnology has emerged as a reliable and programmable way of controlling matter at the nanoscale through the specificity of Watson–Crick base pairing, allowing both complex self-assembled structures with nanometer precision and complex reaction networks implementing digital and analog behaviors. Here we show how two well-developed frameworks, DNA tile self-assembly and DNA strand-displacement circuits, can be systematically integrated to provide programmable kinetic control of self-assembly. We demonstrate the triggered and catalytic isothermal self-assembly of DNA nanotubes over 10 μm long from precursor DNA double-crossover tiles activated by an upstream DNA catalyst network. Integrating more sophisticated control circuits and tile systems could enable precise spatial and temporal organization of dynamic molecular structures. PMID:23756381

RPA coordinates DNA end resection and prevents formation of DNA hairpins.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Huan; Lisby, Michael; Symington, Lorraine S

2013-05-23

Replication protein A (RPA) is an essential eukaryotic single-stranded DNA binding protein with a central role in DNA metabolism. RPA directly participates in DNA double-strand break repair by stimulating 5'-3' end resection by the Sgs1/BLM helicase and Dna2 endonuclease in vitro. Here we investigated the role of RPA in end resection in vivo, using a heat-inducible degron system that allows rapid conditional depletion of RPA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that RPA depletion eliminated both the Sgs1-Dna2- and Exo1-dependent extensive resection pathways and synergized with mre11Δ to prevent end resection. The short single-stranded DNA tails formed in the absence of RPA were unstable due to 3' strand loss and the formation of fold-back hairpin structures that required resection initiation and Pol32-dependent DNA synthesis. Thus, RPA is required to generate ssDNA, and also to protect ssDNA from degradation and inappropriate annealing that could lead to genome rearrangements. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DNA-based machines.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Fuan; Willner, Bilha; Willner, Itamar

2014-01-01

The base sequence in nucleic acids encodes substantial structural and functional information into the biopolymer. This encoded information provides the basis for the tailoring and assembly of DNA machines. A DNA machine is defined as a molecular device that exhibits the following fundamental features. (1) It performs a fuel-driven mechanical process that mimics macroscopic machines. (2) The mechanical process requires an energy input, "fuel." (3) The mechanical operation is accompanied by an energy consumption process that leads to "waste products." (4) The cyclic operation of the DNA devices, involves the use of "fuel" and "anti-fuel" ingredients. A variety of DNA-based machines are described, including the construction of "tweezers," "walkers," "robots," "cranes," "transporters," "springs," "gears," and interlocked cyclic DNA structures acting as reconfigurable catenanes, rotaxanes, and rotors. Different "fuels", such as nucleic acid strands, pH (H⁺/OH⁻), metal ions, and light, are used to trigger the mechanical functions of the DNA devices. The operation of the devices in solution and on surfaces is described, and a variety of optical, electrical, and photoelectrochemical methods to follow the operations of the DNA machines are presented. We further address the possible applications of DNA machines and the future perspectives of molecular DNA devices. These include the application of DNA machines as functional structures for the construction of logic gates and computing, for the programmed organization of metallic nanoparticle structures and the control of plasmonic properties, and for controlling chemical transformations by DNA machines. We further discuss the future applications of DNA machines for intracellular sensing, controlling intracellular metabolic pathways, and the use of the functional nanostructures for drug delivery and medical applications.

Interaction of dinuclear cadmium(II) 5-Cl-salicylaldehyde complexes with calf-thymus DNA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ristovic, Maja Sumar [Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studenski Trg 12-16, Belgrade (Serbia); Zianna, Ariadni; Psomas, George; Hatzidimitriou, Antonios G. [Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Coutouli-Argyropoulou, Evdoxia [Department of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Lalia-Kantouri, Maria, E-mail: lalia@chem.auth.gr [Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki (Greece)

2016-04-01

Five dinuclear Cd(II) complexes with the anion of 5-Cl-salicylaldehyde (5-Cl-saloH) were synthesized in the absence or presence of the α-diimines: 2,2′-bipyridine (bipy), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (neoc) or 2,2′-dipyridylamine (dpamH) and characterized as [Cd(5-Cl-salo){sub 2}(CH{sub 3}OH)]{sub 2} (1), [Cd(5-Cl-salo){sub 2}(bipy)]{sub 2} (2), [Cd(5-Cl-salo){sub 2}(phen)]{sub 2} (3), [Cd(5-Cl-salo)(neoc)(ONO{sub 2})]{sub 2} (4) and [Cd(5-Cl-salo)(dpamΗ)(ONO{sub 2})]{sub 2} (5). The complexes were characterized by spectroscopic techniques (IR, UV‐vis, {sup 1}H-NMR and {sup 13}C–NMR), elemental analysis and molar conductivity measurements. The structures of four complexes (1–3 and 5) were determined by X-ray crystallography, providing all three possible coordination modes of the ligand 5-Cl-salicylaldehyde, i.e. bidentate or tridentate chelating and/or bridging mode. The complexes bind to calf-thymus (CT) DNA mainly by intercalation, as concluded by the viscosity measurements and present relatively high DNA-binding constants. The complexes exhibit significant ability to displace ethidium bromide (EB) from the EB-DNA complex, thus indirectly proving the intercalation as the most possible binding mode to CT DNA. - Graphical abstract: Cadmium complexes of the formulae [Cd(5-Cl-salo){sub 2}(CH{sub 3}OH)]{sub 2} and [Cd(5-Cl-salo){sub 2}(α-diimine)]{sub 2} or [Cd(5-Cl-salo)(α-diimine)(ONO{sub 2})]{sub 2} have been synthesized and characterized. The complexes bind tightly to CT DNA probably by intercalation competing with ethidium bromide for the intercalation site of DNA. - Highlights: • Synthesis of a series of dinuclear Cd complexes • The complexes characterized by diverse techniques. • The crystal structures of four complexes have been determined. • Intercalation is the most possible binding mode of the complexes to DNA. • The complexes compete with ethidium bromide for the DNA-intercalating sites.

Detection of parvovirus B19 DNA in blood: Viruses or DNA remnants?

Science.gov (United States)

Molenaar-de Backer, M W A; Russcher, A; Kroes, A C M; Koppelman, M H G M; Lanfermeijer, M; Zaaijer, H L

2016-11-01

Parvovirus B19 (B19V) DNA can be detected in blood over a long period after acute infection. Several reports associate the presence of B19V DNA with disease, irrespective of timing of the initial B19V infection. This study aims to analyze the properties of B19V DNA in blood, differentiating between bare, non-infectious strands of DNA and B19V DNA in viable virions. Ten blood donors with asymptomatic acute B19V infection were followed and sampled up to 22 months after infection. The samples were treated with and without an endonuclease and tested for B19V DNA, to distinguish between DNA in virions and naked DNA. In the acute phase of infection, high levels of B19V DNA were detected, concurrent with B19V IgM antibodies. B19V DNA apparently was encapsidated, as indicated by resistance to endonuclease degradation. Subsequently, B19V DNA remained detectable for more than one year in all donors at low levels (<10 5 IU/mL). Approximately 150days after infection B19V DNA became degradable by an endonuclease, indicating that this concerned naked DNA. In some donors a second endonuclease-resistant peak occurred. Detection of B19V DNA in blood by PCR does not necessarily imply that B19V replication takes place and that infectious B19V virions are present. We propose that remnant B19V DNA strands can be released from tissues without active replication. This finding urges to reconsider an assumed role of B19V infection mainly based on B19V DNA detection in blood, a much debated subject in clinical syndromes such as myocarditis and arthritis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of DNA-PK in cellular responses to DNA double-strand breaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, D.J.

2003-01-01

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are probably the most dangerous of the many different types of DNA damage that occur within the cell. DSBs are generated by exogenous agents such as ionizing radiation (IR) or by endogenously generated reactive oxygen species and occur as intermediates during meiotic and V(D)J recombination. The repair of DSBs is of paramount importance to the cell as misrepair of DSBs can lead to cell death or promote tumorigenesis. In eukaryotes there exists two distinct mechanisms for DNA DSB repair: homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). In mammalian cells, however, it is clear that nonhomologous repair of DSBs is highly active and plays a major role in conferring radiation resistance to the cell. The NHEJ machinery minimally consists of the DNA-dependent Protein Kinase (DNA-PK) and a complex of XRCC4 and DNA Ligase IV. The DNA-PK complex is composed of a 470 kDa catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), and the heterodimeric Ku70 and Ku80 DNA end-binding complex. DNA-PKcs is a PI-3 kinase with homology to ATM and ATR in its C-terminal kinase domain. The DNA-PK complex protects and tethers the ends, and directs assembly and, perhaps, the activation of other NHEJ proteins. We have previously demonstrated that the kinase activity of DNA-PK is essential for DNA DSB repair and V(D)J recombination. It is, therefore, of immense interest to determine the in vivo targets of DNA-PKcs and the mechanisms by which phosphorylation of these targets modulates NHEJ. Recent studies have resulted in the identification of a number of protein targets that are phosphorylated by and/or interact with DNA-PKcs. Our laboratory has recently identified autophosphorylation site(s) on DNA-PKcs. We find that phosphorylation at these sites in vivo is an early and essential response to DSBs and demonstrate, for the first time, the localization of DNA-PKcs to the sites of DNA damage in vivo. Furthermore, mutation of these phosphorylation sites in mammalian

Modeling DNA

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Carol

2016-01-01

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is life's most amazing molecule. It carries the genetic instructions that almost every organism needs to develop and reproduce. In the human genome alone, there are some three billion DNA base pairs. The most difficult part of teaching DNA structure, however, may be getting students to visualize something as small as a…

DNA:DNA hybridization studies on the pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs.

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Hood, D W; Dow, C S; Green, P N

1987-03-01

The genomic relatedness among 36 strains of pink-pigmented facultatively methylotrophic bacteria (PPFMs) was estimated by determination of DNA base composition and by DNA:DNA hybridization studies. A reproducible hybridization system was developed for the rapid analysis of multiple DNA samples. Results indicated that the PPFMs comprise four major and several minor homology groups, and that they should remain grouped in a single genus, Methylobacterium.

Conformation-dependent DNA attraction.

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Li, Weifeng; Nordenskiöld, Lars; Zhou, Ruhong; Mu, Yuguang

2014-06-21

Understanding how DNA molecules interact with other biomolecules is related to how they utilize their functions and is therefore critical for understanding their structure-function relationships. For a long time, the existence of Z-form DNA (a left-handed double helical version of DNA, instead of the common right-handed B-form) has puzzled the scientists, and the definitive biological significance of Z-DNA has not yet been clarified. In this study, the effects of DNA conformation in DNA-DNA interactions are explored by molecular dynamics simulations. Using umbrella sampling, we find that for both B- and Z-form DNA, surrounding Mg(2+) ions always exert themselves to screen the Coulomb repulsion between DNA phosphates, resulting in very weak attractive force. On the contrary, a tight and stable bound state is discovered for Z-DNA in the presence of Mg(2+) or Na(+), benefiting from their hydrophobic nature. Based on the contact surface and a dewetting process analysis, a two-stage binding process of Z-DNA is outlined: two Z-DNA first attract each other through charge screening and Mg(2+) bridges to phosphate groups in the same way as that of B-DNA, after which hydrophobic contacts of the deoxyribose groups are formed via a dewetting effect, resulting in stable attraction between two Z-DNA molecules. The highlighted hydrophobic nature of Z-DNA interaction from the current study may help to understand the biological functions of Z-DNA in gene transcription.

Ultrasensitive FRET-based DNA sensor using PNA/DNA hybridization.

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Yang, Lan-Hee; Ahn, Dong June; Koo, Eunhae

2016-12-01

In the diagnosis of genetic diseases, rapid and highly sensitive DNA detection is crucial. Therefore, many strategies for detecting target DNA have been developed, including electrical, optical, and mechanical methods. Herein, a highly sensitive FRET based sensor was developed by using PNA (Peptide Nucleic Acid) probe and QD, in which red color QDs are hybridized with capture probes, reporter probes and target DNAs by EDC-NHS coupling. The hybridized probe with target DNA gives off fluorescent signal due to the energy transfer from QD to Cy5 dye in the reporter probe. Compared to the conventional DNA sensor using DNA probes, the DNA sensor using PNA probes shows higher FRET factor and efficiency due to the higher reactivity between PNA and target DNA. In addition, to elicit the effect of the distance between the donor and the acceptor, we have investigated two types of the reporter probes having Cy5 dyes attached at the different positions of the reporter probes. Results show that the shorter the distance between QDs and Cy5s, the stronger the signal intensity. Furthermore, based on the fluorescence microscopy images using microcapillary chips, the FRET signal is enhanced to be up to 276% times stronger than the signal obtained using the cuvette by the fluorescence spectrometer. These results suggest that the PNA probe system conjugated with QDs can be used as ultrasensitive DNA nanosensors. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Pico-level DNA sensing by hetero-polymetalate, Na10{Dy2W10O30(µ-S)6}·80H2O, cluster

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Dutta, Taposhree; Ganguly, Jhuma; Sarkar, Sabyasachi

2018-04-01

The polyoxometalate dysprosium cluster, (Dy-S-W POM) , Na10[Dy2W10O30(µ-S)6]·80H2O, shows remarkable dsDNA denaturation property. In the presence of 0.22 µmol of this Dy-S-W POM, the melting temperature (Tm) of calf-thymus (CT) dsDNA is decreased to 62.35 °C. Dy-S-W POM shows bleaching of methylene blue (MB). Addition of CT-DNA in the MB bleached solution of Dy-S-W POM apparently intercalates MB. Such trapped MB by CT-DNA responds to its re-oxidation by elemental sulfur formed in the bleaching process involving Dy-S-W POM. This reduction-oxidation property of MB with Dy-S-W POM led to the detection of pico (13.20 pmol) level of DNA even by naked eye, which will be helpful for rapid trace DNA detection in forensic science and DNA-related diagnostics, complimenting time-consuming sophisticated methodology.

Influence of DNA Lesions on Polymerase-Mediated DNA Replication at Single-Molecule Resolution.

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Gahlon, Hailey L; Romano, Louis J; Rueda, David

2017-11-20

Faithful replication of DNA is a critical aspect in maintaining genome integrity. DNA polymerases are responsible for replicating DNA, and high-fidelity polymerases do this rapidly and at low error rates. Upon exposure to exogenous or endogenous substances, DNA can become damaged and this can alter the speed and fidelity of a DNA polymerase. In this instance, DNA polymerases are confronted with an obstacle that can result in genomic instability during replication, for example, by nucleotide misinsertion or replication fork collapse. It is important to know how DNA polymerases respond to damaged DNA substrates to understand the mechanism of mutagenesis and chemical carcinogenesis. Single-molecule techniques have helped to improve our current understanding of DNA polymerase-mediated DNA replication, as they enable the dissection of mechanistic details that can otherwise be lost in ensemble-averaged experiments. These techniques have also been used to gain a deeper understanding of how single DNA polymerases behave at the site of the damage in a DNA substrate. In this review, we evaluate single-molecule studies that have examined the interaction between DNA polymerases and damaged sites on a DNA template.

What Is Mitochondrial DNA?

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... DNA What is mitochondrial DNA? What is mitochondrial DNA? Although most DNA is packaged in chromosomes within ... proteins. For more information about mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA: Molecular Expressions, a web site from the Florida ...

Cooperation between catalytic and DNA binding domains enhances thermostability and supports DNA synthesis at higher temperatures by thermostable DNA polymerases.

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Pavlov, Andrey R; Pavlova, Nadejda V; Kozyavkin, Sergei A; Slesarev, Alexei I

2012-03-13

We have previously introduced a general kinetic approach for comparative study of processivity, thermostability, and resistance to inhibitors of DNA polymerases [Pavlov, A. R., et al. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.99, 13510-13515]. The proposed method was successfully applied to characterize hybrid DNA polymerases created by fusing catalytic DNA polymerase domains with various sequence-nonspecific DNA binding domains. Here we use the developed kinetic analysis to assess basic parameters of DNA elongation by DNA polymerases and to further study the interdomain interactions in both previously constructed and new chimeric DNA polymerases. We show that connecting helix-hairpin-helix (HhH) domains to catalytic polymerase domains can increase thermostability, not only of DNA polymerases from extremely thermophilic species but also of the enzyme from a faculatative thermophilic bacterium Bacillus stearothermophilus. We also demonstrate that addition of Topo V HhH domains extends efficient DNA synthesis by chimerical polymerases up to 105 °C by maintaining processivity of DNA synthesis at high temperatures. We found that reversible high-temperature structural transitions in DNA polymerases decrease the rates of binding of these enzymes to the templates. Furthermore, activation energies and pre-exponential factors of the Arrhenius equation suggest that the mechanism of electrostatic enhancement of diffusion-controlled association plays a minor role in binding of templates to DNA polymerases.

Cooperation between Catalytic and DNA-binding Domains Enhances Thermostability and Supports DNA Synthesis at Higher Temperatures by Thermostable DNA Polymerases

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Pavlov, Andrey R.; Pavlova, Nadejda V.; Kozyavkin, Sergei A.; Slesarev, Alexei I.

2012-01-01

We have previously introduced a general kinetic approach for comparative study of processivity, thermostability, and resistance to inhibitors of DNA polymerases (Pavlov et. al., (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99, 13510–13515). The proposed method was successfully applied to characterize hybrid DNA polymerases created by fusing catalytic DNA polymerase domains with various non-specific DNA binding domains. Here we use the developed kinetic analysis to assess basic parameters of DNA elongation by DNA polymerases and to further study the interdomain interactions in both previously constructed and new chimeric DNA polymerases. We show that connecting Helix-hairpin-Helix (HhH) domains to catalytic polymerase domains can increase thermostability, not only of DNA polymerases from extremely thermophilic species, but also of the enzyme from a faculatative thermophilic bacterium Bacillus stearothermophilus. We also demonstrate that addition of TopoV HhH domains extends efficient DNA synthesis by chimerical polymerases up to 105°C by maintaining processivity of DNA synthesis at high temperatures. We also found that reversible high-temperature structural transitions in DNA polymerases decrease the rates of binding of these enzymes to the templates. Furthermore, activation energies and pre-exponential factors of the Arrhenius equation suggest that the mechanism of electrostatic enhancement of diffusion-controlled association plays a minor role in binding templates to DNA polymerases. PMID:22320201

DNA damage and autophagy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez-Rocha, Humberto; Garcia-Garcia, Aracely; Panayiotidis, Mihalis I.; Franco, Rodrigo

2011-01-01

Both exogenous and endogenous agents are a threat to DNA integrity. Exogenous environmental agents such as ultraviolet (UV) and ionizing radiation, genotoxic chemicals and endogenous byproducts of metabolism including reactive oxygen species can cause alterations in DNA structure (DNA damage). Unrepaired DNA damage has been linked to a variety of human disorders including cancer and neurodegenerative disease. Thus, efficient mechanisms to detect DNA lesions, signal their presence and promote their repair have been evolved in cells. If DNA is effectively repaired, DNA damage response is inactivated and normal cell functioning resumes. In contrast, when DNA lesions cannot be removed, chronic DNA damage triggers specific cell responses such as cell death and senescence. Recently, DNA damage has been shown to induce autophagy, a cellular catabolic process that maintains a balance between synthesis, degradation, and recycling of cellular components. But the exact mechanisms by which DNA damage triggers autophagy are unclear. More importantly, the role of autophagy in the DNA damage response and cellular fate is unknown. In this review we analyze evidence that supports a role for autophagy as an integral part of the DNA damage response.

Biophysics of DNA

CERN Document Server

Vologodskii, Alexander

2015-01-01

Surveying the last sixty years of research, this book describes the physical properties of DNA in the context of its biological functioning. It is designed to enable both students and researchers of molecular biology, biochemistry and physics to better understand the biophysics of DNA, addressing key questions and facilitating further research. The chapters integrate theoretical and experimental approaches, emphasising throughout the importance of a quantitative knowledge of physical properties in building and analysing models of DNA functioning. For example, the book shows how the relationship between DNA mechanical properties and the sequence specificity of DNA-protein binding can be analyzed quantitatively by using our current knowledge of the physical and structural properties of DNA. Theoretical models and experimental methods in the field are critically considered to enable the reader to engage effectively with the current scientific literature on the physical properties of DNA.

Structure of human DNA polymerase iota and the mechanism of DNA synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Makarova, A V; Kulbachinskiy, A V

2012-06-01

Cellular DNA polymerases belong to several families and carry out different functions. Highly accurate replicative DNA polymerases play the major role in cell genome replication. A number of new specialized DNA polymerases were discovered at the turn of XX-XXI centuries and have been intensively studied during the last decade. Due to the special structure of the active site, these enzymes efficiently perform synthesis on damaged DNA but are characterized by low fidelity. Human DNA polymerase iota (Pol ι) belongs to the Y-family of specialized DNA polymerases and is one of the most error-prone enzymes involved in DNA synthesis. In contrast to other DNA polymerases, Pol ι is able to use noncanonical Hoogsteen interactions for nucleotide base pairing. This allows it to incorporate nucleotides opposite various lesions in the DNA template that impair Watson-Crick interactions. Based on the data of X-ray structural analysis of Pol ι in complexes with various DNA templates and dNTP substrates, we consider the structural peculiarities of the Pol ι active site and discuss possible mechanisms that ensure the unique behavior of the enzyme on damaged and undamaged DNA.

Asymmetric PCR for good quality ssDNA generation towards DNA aptamer production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junji Tominaga4

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Aptamers are ssDNA or RNA that binds to wide variety of target molecules with high affinity and specificity producedby systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX. Compared to RNA aptamer, DNA aptamer is muchmore stable, favourable to be used in many applications. The most critical step in DNA SELEX experiment is the conversion ofdsDNA to ssDNA. The purpose of this study was to develop an economic and efficient approach of generating ssDNA byusing asymmetric PCR. Our results showed that primer ratio (sense primer:antisense primer of 20:1 and sense primer amountof 10 to 100 pmol, up to 20 PCR cycles using 20 ng of initial template, in combination with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis,were the optimal conditions for generating good quality and quantity of ssDNA. The generation of ssDNA via this approachcan greatly enhance the success rate of DNA aptamer generation.

Recruitment of DNA methyltransferase I to DNA repair sites

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Mortusewicz, Oliver; Schermelleh, Lothar; Walter, Joachim; Cardoso, M. Cristina; Leonhardt, Heinrich

2005-01-01

In mammalian cells, the replication of genetic and epigenetic information is directly coupled; however, little is known about the maintenance of epigenetic information in DNA repair. Using a laser microirradiation system to introduce DNA lesions at defined subnuclear sites, we tested whether the major DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt1) or one of the two de novo methyltransferases (Dnmt3a, Dnmt3b) are recruited to sites of DNA repair in vivo. Time lapse microscopy of microirradiated mammalian cells expressing GFP-tagged Dnmt1, Dnmt3a, or Dnmt3b1 together with red fluorescent protein-tagged proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) revealed that Dnmt1 and PCNA accumulate at DNA damage sites as early as 1 min after irradiation in S and non-S phase cells, whereas recruitment of Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b was not observed. Deletion analysis showed that Dnmt1 recruitment was mediated by the PCNA-binding domain. These data point to a direct role of Dnmt1 in the restoration of epigenetic information during DNA repair. PMID:15956212

Comparison of DNA strand-break simulated with different DNA models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Wenzhang; Li, Junli; Qiu, Rui; Yan, Congchong; Zeng, Zhi; Li, Chunyan

2013-01-01

Full text of the publication follows. In Monte Carlo simulation of DNA damage, the geometric model of DNA is of great importance. To study the influence of DNA model on the simulation of DNA damage, three DNA models were created in this paper. They were a volume model and two atomic models with different parameters. Direct DNA strand-break induced by low-energy electrons were simulated respectively with the three models. The results show that most of the energy depositions in the DNA segments do not lead to strand-breaks. The simple single strand-break (SSB) tends to be the predominant damage type, and the contribution of complex double strand-break (DSB) to the total DSB cannot be neglected. Among the yields of all the three DNA target models applied here, the yields of the volume model are the highest, the yields of the atomic model with double van der Waals radii (r) take the second place, whereas the yields of the atomic model with single r come last. On average, the ratios of SSB yields are approximately equivalent to the corresponding ratios of the models' volume. However, there seems to be no clear relationship between the DSB yields and the models' volume. (authors)

DNA-Mediated Electrochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Gorodetsky, Alon A.; Buzzeo, Marisa C.

2009-01-01

The base pair stack of DNA has been demonstrated as a medium for long range charge transport chemistry both in solution and at DNA-modified surfaces. This chemistry is exquisitely sensitive to structural perturbations in the base pair stack as occur with lesions, single base mismatches, and protein binding. We have exploited this sensitivity for the development of reliable electrochemical assays based on DNA charge transport at self-assembled DNA monolayers. Here we discuss the characteristic features, applications, and advantages of DNA-mediated electrochemistry. PMID:18980370

Modification of DNA radiolysis by DNA-binding proteins: Structural aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davidkova, M.; Stisova, V.; Goffinont, S.; Gillard, N.; Castaing, B.; Spotheim-Maurizot, M.

2006-01-01

Formation of specific complexes between proteins and their cognate DNA modulates the yields and the location of radiation damage on both partners of the complex. The radiolysis of DNA-protein complexes is studied for: (1) the Escherichia coli lactose operator-repressor complex, (2) the complex between DNA bearing an analogue of an abasic site and the repair protein Fpg of Lactococcus lactis. Experimental patterns of DNA damages are presented and compared to predicted damage distribution obtained using an improved version of the stochastic model RADACK. The same method is used for predicting the location of damages on the proteins. At doses lower than a threshold that depends on the system, proteins protect their specific binding site on DNA while at high doses, the studied complexes are disrupted mainly through protein damage. The loss of binding ability is the functional consequence of the amino-acids modification by OH . radicals. Many of the most probably damaged amino acids are essential for the DNA-protein interaction and within a complex are protected by DNA. (authors)

RAD51 interconnects between DNA replication, DNA repair and immunity.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Souparno; Srinivasan, Kalayarasan; Abdisalaam, Salim; Su, Fengtao; Raj, Prithvi; Dozmorov, Igor; Mishra, Ritu; Wakeland, Edward K; Ghose, Subroto; Mukherjee, Shibani; Asaithamby, Aroumougame

2017-05-05

RAD51, a multifunctional protein, plays a central role in DNA replication and homologous recombination repair, and is known to be involved in cancer development. We identified a novel role for RAD51 in innate immune response signaling. Defects in RAD51 lead to the accumulation of self-DNA in the cytoplasm, triggering a STING-mediated innate immune response after replication stress and DNA damage. In the absence of RAD51, the unprotected newly replicated genome is degraded by the exonuclease activity of MRE11, and the fragmented nascent DNA accumulates in the cytosol, initiating an innate immune response. Our data suggest that in addition to playing roles in homologous recombination-mediated DNA double-strand break repair and replication fork processing, RAD51 is also implicated in the suppression of innate immunity. Thus, our study reveals a previously uncharacterized role of RAD51 in initiating immune signaling, placing it at the hub of new interconnections between DNA replication, DNA repair, and immunity. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Correction of the lack of commutability between plasmid DNA and genomic DNA for quantification of genetically modified organisms using pBSTopas as a model.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Li; Wu, Yuhua; Wu, Gang; Cao, Yinglong; Lu, Changming

2014-10-01

Plasmid calibrators are increasingly applied for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). To evaluate the commutability between plasmid DNA (pDNA) and genomic DNA (gDNA) as calibrators, a plasmid molecule, pBSTopas, was constructed, harboring a Topas 19/2 event-specific sequence and a partial sequence of the rapeseed reference gene CruA. Assays of the pDNA showed similar limits of detection (five copies for Topas 19/2 and CruA) and quantification (40 copies for Topas 19/2 and 20 for CruA) as those for the gDNA. Comparisons of plasmid and genomic standard curves indicated that the slopes, intercepts, and PCR efficiency for pBSTopas were significantly different from CRM Topas 19/2 gDNA for quantitative analysis of GMOs. Three correction methods were used to calibrate the quantitative analysis of control samples using pDNA as calibrators: model a, or coefficient value a (Cva); model b, or coefficient value b (Cvb); and the novel model c or coefficient formula (Cf). Cva and Cvb gave similar estimated values for the control samples, and the quantitative bias of the low concentration sample exceeded the acceptable range within ±25% in two of the four repeats. Using Cfs to normalize the Ct values of test samples, the estimated values were very close to the reference values (bias -13.27 to 13.05%). In the validation of control samples, model c was more appropriate than Cva or Cvb. The application of Cf allowed pBSTopas to substitute for Topas 19/2 gDNA as a calibrator to accurately quantify the GMO.

The Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-Associated Protein SWIB5 Influences mtDNA Architecture and Homologous Recombination

KAUST Repository

Blomme, Jonas

2017-04-19

In addition to the nucleus, mitochondria and chloroplasts in plant cells also contain genomes. Efficient DNA repair pathways are crucial in these organelles to fix damage resulting from endogenous and exogenous factors. Plant organellar genomes are complex compared with their animal counterparts, and although several plant-specific mediators of organelle DNA repair have been reported, many regulators remain to be identified. Here, we show that a mitochondrial SWI/SNF (nucleosome remodeling) complex B protein, SWIB5, is capable of associating with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in Arabidopsis thaliana. Gainand loss-of-function mutants provided evidence for a role of SWIB5 in influencing mtDNA architecture and homologous recombination at specific intermediate-sized repeats both under normal and genotoxic conditions. SWIB5 interacts with other mitochondrial SWIB proteins. Gene expression and mutant phenotypic analysis of SWIB5 and SWIB family members suggests a link between organellar genome maintenance and cell proliferation. Taken together, our work presents a protein family that influences mtDNA architecture and homologous recombination in plants and suggests a link between organelle functioning and plant development.

Establishment of Cre-mediated HBV recombinant cccDNA (rcccDNA) cell line for cccDNA biology and antiviral screening assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Min; Li, Jin; Yue, Lei; Bai, Lu; Li, Yaming; Chen, Jieliang; Zhang, Xiaonan; Yuan, Zhenghong

2018-04-01

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), existing in hepatocyte nuclei as a stable minichromosome, plays a central role in the life cycle of the virus and permits the persistence of infection. Despite being essential for HBV infection, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of cccDNA formation, regulation and degradation, and there is no therapeutic agents directly targeting cccDNA, fore mostly due to the lack of robust, reliable and quantifiable HBV cccDNA models. In this study, combined the Cre/loxP and sleeping beauty transposons system, we established HepG2-derived cell lines integrated with 2-60 copies of monomeric HBV genome flanked by loxP sites (HepG2-HBV/loxP). After Cre expression via adenoviral transduction, 3.3-kb recombinant cccDNA (rcccDNA) bearing a chimeric intron can be produced in the nuclei of these HepG2-HBV/loxP cells. The rcccDNA could be accurately quantified by quantitative PCR using specific primers and cccDNA pool generated in this model could be easily detected by Southern blotting using the digoxigenin probe system. We demonstrated that the rcccDNA was epigenetically organized as the natural minichromosome and served as the template supporting pgRNA transcription and viral replication. As the expression of HBV S antigen (HBsAg) is dependent on the newly generated cccDNA, HBsAg is the surrogate marker of cccDNA. Additionally, the efficacies of 3 classes of anti-HBV agents were evaluated in HepG2-HBV/loxP cells and antiviral activities with different mechanisms were confirmed. These data collectively suggested that HepG2-HBV/loxP cell system will be powerful platform for studying cccDNA related biological mechanisms and developing novel cccDNA targeting drugs. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DNA preservation in silk.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yawen; Zheng, Zhaozhu; Gong, He; Liu, Meng; Guo, Shaozhe; Li, Gang; Wang, Xiaoqin; Kaplan, David L

2017-06-27

The structure of DNA is susceptible to alterations at high temperature and on changing pH, irradiation and exposure to DNase. Options to protect and preserve DNA during storage are important for applications in genetic diagnosis, identity authentication, drug development and bioresearch. In the present study, the stability of total DNA purified from human dermal fibroblast cells, as well as that of plasmid DNA, was studied in silk protein materials. The DNA/silk mixtures were stabilized on filter paper (silk/DNA + filter) or filter paper pre-coated with silk and treated with methanol (silk/DNA + PT-filter) as a route to practical utility. After air-drying and water extraction, 50-70% of the DNA and silk could be retrieved and showed a single band on electrophoretic gels. 6% silk/DNA + PT-filter samples provided improved stability in comparison with 3% silk/DNA + filter samples and DNA + filter samples for DNA preservation, with ∼40% of the band intensity remaining at 37 °C after 40 days and ∼10% after exposure to UV light for 10 hours. Quantitative analysis using the PicoGreen assay confirmed the results. The use of Tris/borate/EDTA (TBE) buffer enhanced the preservation and/or extraction of the DNA. The DNA extracted after storage maintained integrity and function based on serving as a functional template for PCR amplification of the gene for zinc finger protein 750 (ZNF750) and for transgene expression of red fluorescence protein (dsRed) in HEK293 cells. The high molecular weight and high content of a crystalline beta-sheet structure formed on the coated surfaces likely accounted for the preservation effects observed for the silk/DNA + PT-filter samples. Although similar preservation effects were also obtained for lyophilized silk/DNA samples, the rapid and simple processing available with the silk-DNA-filter membrane system makes it appealing for future applications.

DNA methyltransferase 3A gene polymorphism contributes to daily life stress susceptibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barliana MI

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Melisa I Barliana,1,2 Shintya N Amalya,1 Ivan S Pradipta,3 Sofa D Alfian,3 Arif SW Kusuma,1,2 Tiana Milanda,1,4 Rizky Abdulah3,4 1Department of Biological Pharmacy, Biotechnology Pharmacy Laboratory, 2Pharmacy Services Development Research Center, 3Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Clinical Pharmacy Laboratory, 4Center for Drug Discovery and Product Development, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Jatinangor, West Java, Indonesia Abstract: Daily life stress markedly affects the response toward stressful stimuli. DNA methy­lation is one of the factors that regulate this response, and is a normal mechanism of somatic cell growth, but its regulatory gene variations may cause alterations in the stress response. The aim of the present study was to investigate genotypic variants of the DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A gene in 129 healthy subjects and evaluate its association with daily life stress. Blood samples were collected, and genomic DNA was isolated. DNA was amplified using specific tetra primers for DNMT3A (C/T rs11683424 and visualized following 2% agarose gel electrophoresis. The association of DNMT3A genetic variants with daily life stress was analyzed using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10. We observed that the distribution of subjects with genotype CC (wild type, CT (heteromutant, and TT (homomutant was 13.95%, 81.4%, and 4.65%, respectively. Genetic variations significantly affected the daily life stress condition (p=0.04 in Indonesian healthy subjects, but most of the subjects with the CT phenotype were classified in a stress condition. Keywords: daily life stressor, DNA methylation, epigenetic, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10, rs11683424, DNMT3A

Enzymatic activities and DNA substrate specificity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA helicase XPB.

Science.gov (United States)

Balasingham, Seetha V; Zegeye, Ephrem Debebe; Homberset, Håvard; Rossi, Marie L; Laerdahl, Jon K; Bohr, Vilhelm A; Tønjum, Tone

2012-01-01

XPB, also known as ERCC3 and RAD25, is a 3' → 5' DNA repair helicase belonging to the superfamily 2 of helicases. XPB is an essential core subunit of the eukaryotic basal transcription factor complex TFIIH. It has two well-established functions: in the context of damaged DNA, XPB facilitates nucleotide excision repair by unwinding double stranded DNA (dsDNA) surrounding a DNA lesion; while in the context of actively transcribing genes, XPB facilitates initiation of RNA polymerase II transcription at gene promoters. Human and other eukaryotic XPB homologs are relatively well characterized compared to conserved homologs found in mycobacteria and archaea. However, more insight into the function of bacterial helicases is central to understanding the mechanism of DNA metabolism and pathogenesis in general. Here, we characterized Mycobacterium tuberculosis XPB (Mtb XPB), a 3'→5' DNA helicase with DNA-dependent ATPase activity. Mtb XPB efficiently catalyzed DNA unwinding in the presence of significant excess of enzyme. The unwinding activity was fueled by ATP or dATP in the presence of Mg(2+)/Mn(2+). Consistent with the 3'→5' polarity of this bacterial XPB helicase, the enzyme required a DNA substrate with a 3' overhang of 15 nucleotides or more. Although Mtb XPB efficiently unwound DNA model substrates with a 3' DNA tail, it was not active on substrates containing a 3' RNA tail. We also found that Mtb XPB efficiently catalyzed ATP-independent annealing of complementary DNA strands. These observations significantly enhance our understanding of the biological roles of Mtb XPB.

Enzymatic activities and DNA substrate specificity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA helicase XPB.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seetha V Balasingham

Full Text Available XPB, also known as ERCC3 and RAD25, is a 3' → 5' DNA repair helicase belonging to the superfamily 2 of helicases. XPB is an essential core subunit of the eukaryotic basal transcription factor complex TFIIH. It has two well-established functions: in the context of damaged DNA, XPB facilitates nucleotide excision repair by unwinding double stranded DNA (dsDNA surrounding a DNA lesion; while in the context of actively transcribing genes, XPB facilitates initiation of RNA polymerase II transcription at gene promoters. Human and other eukaryotic XPB homologs are relatively well characterized compared to conserved homologs found in mycobacteria and archaea. However, more insight into the function of bacterial helicases is central to understanding the mechanism of DNA metabolism and pathogenesis in general. Here, we characterized Mycobacterium tuberculosis XPB (Mtb XPB, a 3'→5' DNA helicase with DNA-dependent ATPase activity. Mtb XPB efficiently catalyzed DNA unwinding in the presence of significant excess of enzyme. The unwinding activity was fueled by ATP or dATP in the presence of Mg(2+/Mn(2+. Consistent with the 3'→5' polarity of this bacterial XPB helicase, the enzyme required a DNA substrate with a 3' overhang of 15 nucleotides or more. Although Mtb XPB efficiently unwound DNA model substrates with a 3' DNA tail, it was not active on substrates containing a 3' RNA tail. We also found that Mtb XPB efficiently catalyzed ATP-independent annealing of complementary DNA strands. These observations significantly enhance our understanding of the biological roles of Mtb XPB.

Superimposed Code Theoretic Analysis of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Codes and DNA Computing

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

DNA strand and its Watson - Crick complement can be used to perform mathematical computation. This research addresses how the...Acid dsDNA double stranded DNA MOSAIC Mobile Stream Processing Cluster PCR Polymerase Chain Reaction RAM Random Access Memory ssDNA single stranded DNA WC Watson – Crick A Adenine C Cytosine G Guanine T Thymine ...are 5′→3′ and strands with strikethrough are 3′→5′. A dsDNA duplex formed between a strand and its reverse complement is called a

Efficient DNA ligation in DNA–RNA hybrid helices by Chlorella virus DNA ligase

Science.gov (United States)

Lohman, Gregory J. S.; Zhang, Yinhua; Zhelkovsky, Alexander M.; Cantor, Eric J.; Evans, Thomas C.

2014-01-01

Single-stranded DNA molecules (ssDNA) annealed to an RNA splint are notoriously poor substrates for DNA ligases. Herein we report the unexpectedly efficient ligation of RNA-splinted DNA by Chlorella virus DNA ligase (PBCV-1 DNA ligase). PBCV-1 DNA ligase ligated ssDNA splinted by RNA with kcat ≈ 8 x 10−3 s−1 and KM DNA ligase produced only 5′-adenylylated DNA with a 20-fold lower kcat and a KM ≈ 300 nM. The rate of ligation increased with addition of Mn2+, but was strongly inhibited by concentrations of NaCl >100 mM. Abortive adenylylation was suppressed at low ATP concentrations (8, leading to increased product yields. The ligation reaction was rapid for a broad range of substrate sequences, but was relatively slower for substrates with a 5′-phosphorylated dC or dG residue on the 3′ side of the ligation junction. Nevertheless, PBCV-1 DNA ligase ligated all sequences tested with 10-fold less enzyme and 15-fold shorter incubation times than required when using T4 DNA ligase. Furthermore, this ligase was used in a ligation-based detection assay system to show increased sensitivity over T4 DNA ligase in the specific detection of a target mRNA. PMID:24203707

DNA Polymerases λ and β: The Double-Edged Swords of DNA Repair

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Elisa Mentegari

2016-08-01

Full Text Available DNA is constantly exposed to both endogenous and exogenous damages. More than 10,000 DNA modifications are induced every day in each cell’s genome. Maintenance of the integrity of the genome is accomplished by several DNA repair systems. The core enzymes for these pathways are the DNA polymerases. Out of 17 DNA polymerases present in a mammalian cell, at least 13 are specifically devoted to DNA repair and are often acting in different pathways. DNA polymerases β and λ are involved in base excision repair of modified DNA bases and translesion synthesis past DNA lesions. Polymerase λ also participates in non-homologous end joining of DNA double-strand breaks. However, recent data have revealed that, depending on their relative levels, the cell cycle phase, the ratio between deoxy- and ribo-nucleotide pools and the interaction with particular auxiliary proteins, the repair reactions carried out by these enzymes can be an important source of genetic instability, owing to repair mistakes. This review summarizes the most recent results on the ambivalent properties of these enzymes in limiting or promoting genetic instability in mammalian cells, as well as their potential use as targets for anticancer chemotherapy.

DNA Polymerases λ and β: The Double-Edged Swords of DNA Repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Mentegari, Elisa; Kissova, Miroslava; Bavagnoli, Laura; Maga, Giovanni; Crespan, Emmanuele

2016-08-31

DNA is constantly exposed to both endogenous and exogenous damages. More than 10,000 DNA modifications are induced every day in each cell's genome. Maintenance of the integrity of the genome is accomplished by several DNA repair systems. The core enzymes for these pathways are the DNA polymerases. Out of 17 DNA polymerases present in a mammalian cell, at least 13 are specifically devoted to DNA repair and are often acting in different pathways. DNA polymerases β and λ are involved in base excision repair of modified DNA bases and translesion synthesis past DNA lesions. Polymerase λ also participates in non-homologous end joining of DNA double-strand breaks. However, recent data have revealed that, depending on their relative levels, the cell cycle phase, the ratio between deoxy- and ribo-nucleotide pools and the interaction with particular auxiliary proteins, the repair reactions carried out by these enzymes can be an important source of genetic instability, owing to repair mistakes. This review summarizes the most recent results on the ambivalent properties of these enzymes in limiting or promoting genetic instability in mammalian cells, as well as their potential use as targets for anticancer chemotherapy.

DNA Polymerases Drive DNA Sequencing-by-Synthesis Technologies: Both Past and Present

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheng-Yao eChen

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Next-generation sequencing (NGS technologies have revolutionized modern biological and biomedical research. The engines responsible for this innovation are DNA polymerases; they catalyze the biochemical reaction for deriving template sequence information. In fact, DNA polymerase has been a cornerstone of DNA sequencing from the very beginning. E. coli DNA polymerase I proteolytic (Klenow fragment was originally utilized in Sanger's dideoxy chain terminating DNA sequencing chemistry. From these humble beginnings followed an explosion of organism-specific, genome sequence information accessible via public database. Family A/B DNA polymerases from mesophilic/thermophilic bacteria/archaea were modified and tested in today's standard capillary electrophoresis (CE and NGS sequencing platforms. These enzymes were selected for their efficient incorporation of bulky dye-terminator and reversible dye-terminator nucleotides respectively. Third generation, real-time single molecule sequencing platform requires slightly different enzyme properties. Enterobacterial phage ⱷ29 DNA polymerase copies long stretches of DNA and possesses a unique capability to efficiently incorporate terminal phosphate-labeled nucleoside polyphosphates. Furthermore, ⱷ29 enzyme has also been utilized in emerging DNA sequencing technologies including nanopore-, and protein-transistor-based sequencing. DNA polymerase is, and will continue to be, a crucial component of sequencing technologies.

Post-cardiac arrest level of free-plasma DNA and DNA-histone complexes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jeppesen, A N; Hvas, A-M; Grejs, A M

2017-01-01

Background Plasma DNA-histone complexes and total free-plasma DNA have the potential to quantify the ischaemia-reperfusion damages occurring after cardiac arrest. Furthermore, DNA-histone complexes may have the potential of being a target for future treatment. The aim was to examine if plasma DNA-histone...... after 22, 46 and 70 h. Samples for DNA-histone complexes were quantified by Cell Death Detection ELISAplus. The total free-plasma DNA analyses were quantified with qPCR by analysing the Beta-2 microglobulin gene. The control group comprised 40 healthy individuals. Results We found no difference...... in the level of DNA-histone complexes between the 22-h sample and healthy individuals (P = 0.10). In the 46-h sample, there was an increased level of DNA-histone complexes in non-survivors compared with survivors 30 days after the cardiac arrest (P

Replicating animal mitochondrial DNA

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Emily A. McKinney

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The field of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA replication has been experiencing incredible progress in recent years, and yet little is certain about the mechanism(s used by animal cells to replicate this plasmid-like genome. The long-standing strand-displacement model of mammalian mtDNA replication (for which single-stranded DNA intermediates are a hallmark has been intensively challenged by a new set of data, which suggests that replication proceeds via coupled leading-and lagging-strand synthesis (resembling bacterial genome replication and/or via long stretches of RNA intermediates laid on the mtDNA lagging-strand (the so called RITOLS. The set of proteins required for mtDNA replication is small and includes the catalytic and accessory subunits of DNA polymerase y, the mtDNA helicase Twinkle, the mitochondrial single-stranded DNA-binding protein, and the mitochondrial RNA polymerase (which most likely functions as the mtDNA primase. Mutations in the genes coding for the first three proteins are associated with human diseases and premature aging, justifying the research interest in the genetic, biochemical and structural properties of the mtDNA replication machinery. Here we summarize these properties and discuss the current models of mtDNA replication in animal cells.

Radiation and DNA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riabchenko, N I

1979-01-01

Consideration is given to the effects of ionizing radiation on the structure of DNA. Physical and chemical methods of determining radiation damage to the primary (polynucleotide chain and nitrogenous base) and secondary (helical) structure of DNA are discussed, and the effects of ionizing radiation on deoxyribonucleoprotein complexes are considered. The radiolysis of DNA in vitro and in bacterial and mammalian cells is examined and cellular mechanisms for the repair of radiation-damaged DNA are considered, taking into account single-strand and double-strand breaks, gamma-radiation damage and deoxyribonucleoprotein-membrane complex damage. Postradiation DNA degradation in bacteria and lymphatic cells is also discussed.

A versatile non-radioactive assay for DNA methyltransferase activity and DNA binding

Science.gov (United States)

Frauer, Carina; Leonhardt, Heinrich

2009-01-01

We present a simple, non-radioactive assay for DNA methyltransferase activity and DNA binding. As most proteins are studied as GFP fusions in living cells, we used a GFP binding nanobody coupled to agarose beads (GFP nanotrap) for rapid one-step purification. Immobilized GFP fusion proteins were subsequently incubated with different fluorescently labeled DNA substrates. The absolute amounts and molar ratios of GFP fusion proteins and bound DNA substrates were determined by fluorescence spectroscopy. In addition to specific DNA binding of GFP fusion proteins, the enzymatic activity of DNA methyltransferases can also be determined by using suicide DNA substrates. These substrates contain the mechanism-based inhibitor 5-aza-dC and lead to irreversible covalent complex formation. We obtained covalent complexes with mammalian DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1), which were resistant to competition with non-labeled canonical DNA substrates, allowing differentiation between methyltransferase activity and DNA binding. By comparison, the Dnmt1C1229W catalytic site mutant showed DNA-binding activity, but no irreversible covalent complex formation. With this assay, we could also confirm the preference of Dnmt1 for hemimethylated CpG sequences. The rapid optical read-out in a multi-well format and the possibility to test several different substrates in direct competition allow rapid characterization of sequence-specific binding and enzymatic activity. PMID:19129216

enDNA-Prot: Identification of DNA-Binding Proteins by Applying Ensemble Learning

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Ruifeng Xu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available DNA-binding proteins are crucial for various cellular processes, such as recognition of specific nucleotide, regulation of transcription, and regulation of gene expression. Developing an effective model for identifying DNA-binding proteins is an urgent research problem. Up to now, many methods have been proposed, but most of them focus on only one classifier and cannot make full use of the large number of negative samples to improve predicting performance. This study proposed a predictor called enDNA-Prot for DNA-binding protein identification by employing the ensemble learning technique. Experiential results showed that enDNA-Prot was comparable with DNA-Prot and outperformed DNAbinder and iDNA-Prot with performance improvement in the range of 3.97–9.52% in ACC and 0.08–0.19 in MCC. Furthermore, when the benchmark dataset was expanded with negative samples, the performance of enDNA-Prot outperformed the three existing methods by 2.83–16.63% in terms of ACC and 0.02–0.16 in terms of MCC. It indicated that enDNA-Prot is an effective method for DNA-binding protein identification and expanding training dataset with negative samples can improve its performance. For the convenience of the vast majority of experimental scientists, we developed a user-friendly web-server for enDNA-Prot which is freely accessible to the public.

Master equation approach to DNA breathing in heteropolymer DNA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ambjörnsson, Tobias; Banik, Suman K; Lomholt, Michael A

2007-01-01

After crossing an initial barrier to break the first base-pair (bp) in double-stranded DNA, the disruption of further bps is characterized by free energies up to a few k(B)T. Thermal motion within the DNA double strand therefore causes the opening of intermittent single-stranded denaturation zones......, the DNA bubbles. The unzipping and zipping dynamics of bps at the two zipper forks of a bubble, where the single strand of the denatured zone joins the still intact double strand, can be monitored by single molecule fluorescence or NMR methods. We here establish a dynamic description of this DNA breathing...... in a heteropolymer DNA with given sequence in terms of a master equation that governs the time evolution of the joint probability distribution for the bubble size and position along the sequence. The transfer coefficients are based on the Poland-Scheraga free energy model. We derive the autocorrelation function...

DNA fingerprinting, DNA barcoding, and next generation sequencing technology in plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Sucher, Nikolaus J; Hennell, James R; Carles, Maria C

2012-01-01

DNA fingerprinting of plants has become an invaluable tool in forensic, scientific, and industrial laboratories all over the world. PCR has become part of virtually every variation of the plethora of approaches used for DNA fingerprinting today. DNA sequencing is increasingly used either in combination with or as a replacement for traditional DNA fingerprinting techniques. A prime example is the use of short, standardized regions of the genome as taxon barcodes for biological identification of plants. Rapid advances in "next generation sequencing" (NGS) technology are driving down the cost of sequencing and bringing large-scale sequencing projects into the reach of individual investigators. We present an overview of recent publications that demonstrate the use of "NGS" technology for DNA fingerprinting and DNA barcoding applications.

Mixed DNA/Oligo(ethylene glycol) Functionalized Gold Surface Improve DNA Hybridization in Complex Media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, C.; Gamble, L.; Grainger, D.; Castner, D.

2006-01-01

Reliable, direct 'sample-to-answer' capture of nucleic acid targets from complex media would greatly improve existing capabilities of DNA microarrays and biosensors. This goal has proven elusive for many current nucleic acid detection technologies attempting to produce assay results directly from complex real-world samples, including food, tissue, and environmental materials. In this study, we have investigated mixed self-assembled thiolated single-strand DNA (ssDNA) monolayers containing a short thiolated oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) surface diluent on gold surfaces to improve the specific capture of DNA targets from complex media. Both surface composition and orientation of these mixed DNA monolayers were characterized with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS). XPS results from sequentially adsorbed ssDNA/OEG monolayers on gold indicate that thiolated OEG diluent molecules first incorporate into the thiolated ssDNA monolayer and, upon longer OEG exposures, competitively displace adsorbed ssDNA molecules from the gold surface. NEXAFS polarization dependence results (followed by monitoring the N 1s→π* transition) indicate that adsorbed thiolated ssDNA nucleotide base-ring structures in the mixed ssDNA monolayers are oriented more parallel to the gold surface compared to DNA bases in pure ssDNA monolayers. This supports ssDNA oligomer reorientation towards a more upright position upon OEG mixed adlayer incorporation. DNA target hybridization on mixed ssDNA probe/OEG monolayers was monitored by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Improvements in specific target capture for these ssDNA probe surfaces due to incorporation of the OEG diluent were demonstrated using two model biosensing assays, DNA target capture from complete bovine serum and from salmon genomic DNA mixtures. SPR results demonstrate that OEG incorporation into the ssDNA adlayer improves surface resistance to both nonspecific DNA and protein

Novel water soluble morpholine substituted Zn(II) phthalocyanine: Synthesis, characterization, DNA/BSA binding, DNA photocleavage and topoisomerase I inhibition.

Science.gov (United States)

Barut, Burak; Demirbaş, Ümit; Özel, Arzu; Kantekin, Halit

2017-12-01

In this study, novel peripherally tetra 3-morpholinophenol substituted zinc(II) phthalocyanine (4) and its water soluble form quaternized zinc(II) phthalocyanine (ZnQ) were synthesized for the first time. These novel compounds were characterized by a combination of different spectroscopic techniques such as FT-IR, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, UV-vis and mass. The DNA binding of ZnQ was investigated using UV-vis absorption titration, competitive ethidium bromide, thermal denaturation and viscosity experiments that the ZnQ bound to CT-DNA via intercalation mode. ZnQ indicated photocleavage activity on supercoiled pBR322 plasmid DNA via formation of singlet oxygen under irradiation at 700nm. Besides, the topoisomerase I inhibitory effect experiments showed that ZnQ inhibited topoisomerase I enzyme in a concentration-dependent manner. The bovine serum albumin (BSA) binding experiments indicated that ZnQ bound to proteins through a static quenching mechanism. All of these results claim that ZnQ has potential agent for photodynamic therapy owing to its nucleic acid interactions and photobiological or photochemical properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Escherichia coli DnaE Polymerase Couples Pyrophosphatase Activity to DNA Replication.

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Fabio Lapenta

Full Text Available DNA Polymerases generate pyrophosphate every time they catalyze a step of DNA elongation. This elongation reaction is generally believed as thermodynamically favoured by the hydrolysis of pyrophosphate, catalyzed by inorganic pyrophosphatases. However, the specific action of inorganic pyrophosphatases coupled to DNA replication in vivo was never demonstrated. Here we show that the Polymerase-Histidinol-Phosphatase (PHP domain of Escherichia coli DNA Polymerase III α subunit features pyrophosphatase activity. We also show that this activity is inhibited by fluoride, as commonly observed for inorganic pyrophosphatases, and we identified 3 amino acids of the PHP active site. Remarkably, E. coli cells expressing variants of these catalytic residues of α subunit feature aberrant phenotypes, poor viability, and are subject to high mutation frequencies. Our findings indicate that DNA Polymerases can couple DNA elongation and pyrophosphate hydrolysis, providing a mechanism for the control of DNA extension rate, and suggest a promising target for novel antibiotics.

Regulation of the DNA Damage Response by DNA-PKcs Inhibitory Phosphorylation of ATM.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yi; Lee, Ji-Hoon; Jiang, Wenxia; Crowe, Jennie L; Zha, Shan; Paull, Tanya T

2017-01-05

Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) regulates the DNA damage response as well as DNA double-strand break repair through homologous recombination. Here we show that ATM is hyperactive when the catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) is chemically inhibited or when the DNA-PKcs gene is deleted in human cells. Pre-incubation of ATM protein with active DNA-PKcs also significantly reduces ATM activity in vitro. We characterize several phosphorylation sites in ATM that are targets of DNA-PKcs and show that phospho-mimetic mutations at these residues significantly inhibit ATM activity and impair ATM signaling upon DNA damage. In contrast, phospho-blocking mutations at one cluster of sites increase the frequency of apoptosis during normal cell growth. DNA-PKcs, which is integral to the non-homologous end joining pathway, thus negatively regulates ATM activity through phosphorylation of ATM. These observations illuminate an important regulatory mechanism for ATM that also controls DNA repair pathway choice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spermine attenuates the action of the DNA intercalator, actinomycin D, on DNA binding and the inhibition of transcription and DNA replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Sheng-Yu; Lee, Alan Yueh-Luen; Lee, Yueh-Luen; Lai, Yi-Hua; Chen, Jeremy J W; Wu, Wen-Lin; Yuann, Jeu-Ming P; Su, Wang-Lin; Chuang, Show-Mei; Hou, Ming-Hon

2012-01-01

The anticancer activity of DNA intercalators is related to their ability to intercalate into the DNA duplex with high affinity, thereby interfering with DNA replication and transcription. Polyamines (spermine in particular) are almost exclusively bound to nucleic acids and are involved in many cellular processes that require nucleic acids. Until now, the effects of polyamines on DNA intercalator activities have remained unclear because intercalation is the most important mechanism employed by DNA-binding drugs. Herein, using actinomycin D (ACTD) as a model, we have attempted to elucidate the effects of spermine on the action of ACTD, including its DNA-binding ability, RNA and DNA polymerase interference, and its role in the transcription and replication inhibition of ACTD within cells. We found that spermine interfered with the binding and stabilization of ACTD to DNA. The presence of increasing concentrations of spermine enhanced the transcriptional and replication activities of RNA and DNA polymerases, respectively, in vitro treated with ActD. Moreover, a decrease in intracellular polyamine concentrations stimulated by methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG) enhanced the ACTD-induced inhibition of c-myc transcription and DNA replication in several cancer cell lines. The results indicated that spermine attenuates ACTD binding to DNA and its inhibition of transcription and DNA replication both in vitro and within cells. Finally, a synergistic antiproliferative effect of MGBG and ACTD was observed in a cell viability assay. Our findings will be of significant relevance to future developments in combination with cancer therapy by enhancing the anticancer activity of DNA interactors through polyamine depletion.

Spermine attenuates the action of the DNA intercalator, actinomycin D, on DNA binding and the inhibition of transcription and DNA replication.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheng-Yu Wang

Full Text Available The anticancer activity of DNA intercalators is related to their ability to intercalate into the DNA duplex with high affinity, thereby interfering with DNA replication and transcription. Polyamines (spermine in particular are almost exclusively bound to nucleic acids and are involved in many cellular processes that require nucleic acids. Until now, the effects of polyamines on DNA intercalator activities have remained unclear because intercalation is the most important mechanism employed by DNA-binding drugs. Herein, using actinomycin D (ACTD as a model, we have attempted to elucidate the effects of spermine on the action of ACTD, including its DNA-binding ability, RNA and DNA polymerase interference, and its role in the transcription and replication inhibition of ACTD within cells. We found that spermine interfered with the binding and stabilization of ACTD to DNA. The presence of increasing concentrations of spermine enhanced the transcriptional and replication activities of RNA and DNA polymerases, respectively, in vitro treated with ActD. Moreover, a decrease in intracellular polyamine concentrations stimulated by methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone (MGBG enhanced the ACTD-induced inhibition of c-myc transcription and DNA replication in several cancer cell lines. The results indicated that spermine attenuates ACTD binding to DNA and its inhibition of transcription and DNA replication both in vitro and within cells. Finally, a synergistic antiproliferative effect of MGBG and ACTD was observed in a cell viability assay. Our findings will be of significant relevance to future developments in combination with cancer therapy by enhancing the anticancer activity of DNA interactors through polyamine depletion.

DNA Repair Mechanisms and the Bypass of DNA Damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Science.gov (United States)

Boiteux, Serge; Jinks-Robertson, Sue

2013-01-01

DNA repair mechanisms are critical for maintaining the integrity of genomic DNA, and their loss is associated with cancer predisposition syndromes. Studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have played a central role in elucidating the highly conserved mechanisms that promote eukaryotic genome stability. This review will focus on repair mechanisms that involve excision of a single strand from duplex DNA with the intact, complementary strand serving as a template to fill the resulting gap. These mechanisms are of two general types: those that remove damage from DNA and those that repair errors made during DNA synthesis. The major DNA-damage repair pathways are base excision repair and nucleotide excision repair, which, in the most simple terms, are distinguished by the extent of single-strand DNA removed together with the lesion. Mistakes made by DNA polymerases are corrected by the mismatch repair pathway, which also corrects mismatches generated when single strands of non-identical duplexes are exchanged during homologous recombination. In addition to the true repair pathways, the postreplication repair pathway allows lesions or structural aberrations that block replicative DNA polymerases to be tolerated. There are two bypass mechanisms: an error-free mechanism that involves a switch to an undamaged template for synthesis past the lesion and an error-prone mechanism that utilizes specialized translesion synthesis DNA polymerases to directly synthesize DNA across the lesion. A high level of functional redundancy exists among the pathways that deal with lesions, which minimizes the detrimental effects of endogenous and exogenous DNA damage. PMID:23547164

Force induced DNA melting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santosh, Mogurampelly; Maiti, Prabal K

2009-01-01

When pulled along the axis, double-strand DNA undergoes a large conformational change and elongates by roughly twice its initial contour length at a pulling force of about 70 pN. The transition to this highly overstretched form of DNA is very cooperative. Applying a force perpendicular to the DNA axis (unzipping), double-strand DNA can also be separated into two single-stranded DNA, this being a fundamental process in DNA replication. We study the DNA overstretching and unzipping transition using fully atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and argue that the conformational changes of double-strand DNA associated with either of the above mentioned processes can be viewed as force induced DNA melting. As the force at one end of the DNA is increased the DNA starts melting abruptly/smoothly above a critical force depending on the pulling direction. The critical force f m , at which DNA melts completely decreases as the temperature of the system is increased. The melting force in the case of unzipping is smaller compared to the melting force when the DNA is pulled along the helical axis. In the case of melting through unzipping, the double-strand separation has jumps which correspond to the different energy minima arising due to sequence of different base pairs. The fraction of Watson-Crick base pair hydrogen bond breaking as a function of force does not show smooth and continuous behavior and consists of plateaus followed by sharp jumps.

DNA repair in DNA-polymerase-deficient mutants of Escherichia coli

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, D.W.; Tait, R.C.; Harris, A.L.

1975-01-01

Escherichia coli mutants deficient in DNA polymerase I, in DNA polymerases I and II, or in DNA polymerase III can efficiently and completely execute excision-repair and postreplication repair of the uv-damaged DNA at 30 0 C and 43 0 C when assayed by alkaline sucrose gradients. Repair by Pol I - and Pol I - , Pol II - cells is inhibited by 1-β-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (araC) at 43 0 C but not at 30 0 C, whereas that by Pol III - cells is insensitive to araC at any temperature. Thus, either Pol I or Pol III is required for complete and efficient repair, and in their absence Pol II mediates a limited, incomplete dark repair of uv-damaged DNA

Methylation of DNA Ligase 1 by G9a/GLP Recruits UHRF1 to Replicating DNA and Regulates DNA Methylation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferry, Laure; Fournier, Alexandra; Tsusaka, Takeshi; Adelmant, Guillaume; Shimazu, Tadahiro; Matano, Shohei; Kirsh, Olivier; Amouroux, Rachel; Dohmae, Naoshi; Suzuki, Takehiro; Filion, Guillaume J; Deng, Wen; de Dieuleveult, Maud; Fritsch, Lauriane; Kudithipudi, Srikanth; Jeltsch, Albert; Leonhardt, Heinrich; Hajkova, Petra; Marto, Jarrod A; Arita, Kyohei; Shinkai, Yoichi; Defossez, Pierre-Antoine

2017-08-17

DNA methylation is an essential epigenetic mark in mammals that has to be re-established after each round of DNA replication. The protein UHRF1 is essential for this process; it has been proposed that the protein targets newly replicated DNA by cooperatively binding hemi-methylated DNA and H3K9me2/3, but this model leaves a number of questions unanswered. Here, we present evidence for a direct recruitment of UHRF1 by the replication machinery via DNA ligase 1 (LIG1). A histone H3K9-like mimic within LIG1 is methylated by G9a and GLP and, compared with H3K9me2/3, more avidly binds UHRF1. Interaction with methylated LIG1 promotes the recruitment of UHRF1 to DNA replication sites and is required for DNA methylation maintenance. These results further elucidate the function of UHRF1, identify a non-histone target of G9a and GLP, and provide an example of a histone mimic that coordinates DNA replication and DNA methylation maintenance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ancient mtDNA genetic variants modulate mtDNA transcription and replication.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarit Suissa

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Although the functional consequences of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA genetic backgrounds (haplotypes, haplogroups have been demonstrated by both disease association studies and cell culture experiments, it is not clear which of the mutations within the haplogroup carry functional implications and which are "evolutionary silent hitchhikers". We set forth to study the functionality of haplogroup-defining mutations within the mtDNA transcription/replication regulatory region by in vitro transcription, hypothesizing that haplogroup-defining mutations occurring within regulatory motifs of mtDNA could affect these processes. We thus screened >2500 complete human mtDNAs representing all major populations worldwide for natural variation in experimentally established protein binding sites and regulatory regions comprising a total of 241 bp in each mtDNA. Our screen revealed 77/241 sites showing point mutations that could be divided into non-fixed (57/77, 74% and haplogroup/sub-haplogroup-defining changes (i.e., population fixed changes, 20/77, 26%. The variant defining Caucasian haplogroup J (C295T increased the binding of TFAM (Electro Mobility Shift Assay and the capacity of in vitro L-strand transcription, especially of a shorter transcript that maps immediately upstream of conserved sequence block 1 (CSB1, a region associated with RNA priming of mtDNA replication. Consistent with this finding, cybrids (i.e., cells sharing the same nuclear genetic background but differing in their mtDNA backgrounds harboring haplogroup J mtDNA had a >2 fold increase in mtDNA copy number, as compared to cybrids containing haplogroup H, with no apparent differences in steady state levels of mtDNA-encoded transcripts. Hence, a haplogroup J regulatory region mutation affects mtDNA replication or stability, which may partially account for the phenotypic impact of this haplogroup. Our analysis thus demonstrates, for the first time, the functional impact of particular mtDNA

Footprinting of Chlorella virus DNA ligase bound at a nick in duplex DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Odell, M; Shuman, S

1999-05-14

The 298-amino acid ATP-dependent DNA ligase of Chlorella virus PBCV-1 is the smallest eukaryotic DNA ligase known. The enzyme has intrinsic specificity for binding to nicked duplex DNA. To delineate the ligase-DNA interface, we have footprinted the enzyme binding site on DNA and the DNA binding site on ligase. The size of the exonuclease III footprint of ligase bound a single nick in duplex DNA is 19-21 nucleotides. The footprint is asymmetric, extending 8-9 nucleotides on the 3'-OH side of the nick and 11-12 nucleotides on the 5'-phosphate side. The 5'-phosphate moiety is essential for the binding of Chlorella virus ligase to nicked DNA. Here we show that the 3'-OH moiety is not required for nick recognition. The Chlorella virus ligase binds to a nicked ligand containing 2',3'-dideoxy and 5'-phosphate termini, but cannot catalyze adenylation of the 5'-end. Hence, the 3'-OH is important for step 2 chemistry even though it is not itself chemically transformed during DNA-adenylate formation. A 2'-OH cannot substitute for the essential 3'-OH in adenylation at a nick or even in strand closure at a preadenylated nick. The protein side of the ligase-DNA interface was probed by limited proteolysis of ligase with trypsin and chymotrypsin in the presence and absence of nicked DNA. Protease accessible sites are clustered within a short segment from amino acids 210-225 located distal to conserved motif V. The ligase is protected from proteolysis by nicked DNA. Protease cleavage of the native enzyme prior to DNA addition results in loss of DNA binding. These results suggest a bipartite domain structure in which the interdomain segment either comprises part of the DNA binding site or undergoes a conformational change upon DNA binding. The domain structure of Chlorella virus ligase inferred from the solution experiments is consistent with the structure of T7 DNA ligase determined by x-ray crystallography.

DNA Repair Systems

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

DNA molecule which makes it ideal for storage and propagation of genetic information. ... of these errors are broadly referred to as DNA repair. DNA can ... changes occur in the human genome per day. ..... nails, frequent physical and mental.

Thioredoxin suppresses microscopic hopping of T7 DNA polymerase on duplex DNA

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Etson, Candice M.; Hamdan, Samir M.; Richardson, Charles C.; Oijen, Antoine M. van; Richardson, Charles C.

2010-01-01

The DNA polymerases involved in DNA replication achieve high processivity of nucleotide incorporation by forming a complex with processivity factors. A model system for replicative DNA polymerases, the bacteriophage T7 DNA polymerase (gp5), encoded by gene 5, forms a tight, 1:1 complex with

BAF is a cytosolic DNA sensor that leads to exogenous DNA avoiding autophagy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Shouhei; Koujin, Takako; Kojidani, Tomoko; Osakada, Hiroko; Mori, Chie; Hiraoka, Yasushi; Haraguchi, Tokuko

2015-06-02

Knowledge of the mechanisms by which a cell detects exogenous DNA is important for controlling pathogen infection, because most pathogens entail the presence of exogenous DNA in the cytosol, as well as for understanding the cell's response to artificially transfected DNA. The cellular response to pathogen invasion has been well studied. However, spatiotemporal information of the cellular response immediately after exogenous double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) appears in the cytosol is lacking, in part because of difficulties in monitoring when exogenous dsDNA enters the cytosol of the cell. We have recently developed a method to monitor endosome breakdown around exogenous materials using transfection reagent-coated polystyrene beads incorporated into living human cells as the objective for microscopic observations. In the present study, using dsDNA-coated polystyrene beads (DNA-beads) incorporated into living cells, we show that barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF) bound to exogenous dsDNA immediately after its appearance in the cytosol at endosome breakdown. The BAF(+) DNA-beads then assembled a nuclear envelope (NE)-like membrane and avoided autophagy that targeted the remnants of the endosome membranes. Knockdown of BAF caused a significant decrease in the assembly of NE-like membranes and increased the formation of autophagic membranes around the DNA-beads, suggesting that BAF-mediated assembly of NE-like membranes was required for the DNA-beads to evade autophagy. Importantly, BAF-bound beads without dsDNA also assembled NE-like membranes and avoided autophagy. We propose a new role for BAF: remodeling intracellular membranes upon detection of dsDNA in mammalian cells.

DNA moves sequentially towards the nuclear matrix during DNA replication in vivo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aranda-Anzaldo Armando

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the interphase nucleus of metazoan cells DNA is organized in supercoiled loops anchored to a nuclear matrix (NM. There is varied evidence indicating that DNA replication occurs in replication factories organized upon the NM and that DNA loops may correspond to the actual replicons in vivo. In normal rat liver the hepatocytes are arrested in G0 but they synchronously re-enter the cell cycle after partial-hepatectomy leading to liver regeneration in vivo. We have previously determined in quiescent rat hepatocytes that a 162 kbp genomic region containing members of the albumin gene family is organized into five structural DNA loops. Results In the present work we tracked down the movement relative to the NM of DNA sequences located at different points within such five structural DNA loops during the S phase and after the return to cellular quiescence during liver regeneration. Our results indicate that looped DNA moves sequentially towards the NM during replication and then returns to its original position in newly quiescent cells, once the liver regeneration has been achieved. Conclusions Looped DNA moves in a sequential fashion, as if reeled in, towards the NM during DNA replication in vivo thus supporting the notion that the DNA template is pulled progressively towards the replication factories on the NM so as to be replicated. These results provide further evidence that the structural DNA loops correspond to the actual replicons in vivo.

DNA polymerase beta participates in mitochondrial DNA repair

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sykora, P; Kanno, S; Akbari, M

2017-01-01

We have detected DNA polymerase beta (Polβ), known as a key nuclear base excision repair (BER) protein, in mitochondrial protein extracts derived from mammalian tissue and cells. Manipulation of the N-terminal sequence affected the amount of Polβ in the mitochondria. Using Polβ fragments, mitocho......We have detected DNA polymerase beta (Polβ), known as a key nuclear base excision repair (BER) protein, in mitochondrial protein extracts derived from mammalian tissue and cells. Manipulation of the N-terminal sequence affected the amount of Polβ in the mitochondria. Using Polβ fragments......, mitochondrial-specific protein partners were identified, with the interactors mainly functioning in DNA maintenance and mitochondrial import. Of particular interest was the identification of the proteins TWINKLE, SSBP1 and TFAM, all of which are mitochondria specific DNA effectors and are known to function...... in the nucleoid. Polβ directly interacted with, and influenced the activity of, the mitochondrial helicase TWINKLE. Human kidney cells with Polβ knock-out (KO) had higher endogenous mtDNA damage. Mitochondrial extracts derived from heterozygous Polβ mouse tissue and KO cells had lower nucleotide incorporation...

JavaScript DNA translator: DNA-aligned protein translations.

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, William L

2002-12-01

There are many instances in molecular biology when it is necessary to identify ORFs in a DNA sequence. While programs exist for displaying protein translations in multiple ORFs in alignment with a DNA sequence, they are often expensive, exist as add-ons to software that must be purchased, or are only compatible with a particular operating system. JavaScript DNA Translator is a shareware application written in JavaScript, a scripting language interpreted by the Netscape Communicator and Internet Explorer Web browsers, which makes it compatible with several different operating systems. While the program uses a familiar Web page interface, it requires no connection to the Internet since calculations are performed on the user's own computer. The program analyzes one or multiple DNA sequences and generates translations in up to six reading frames aligned to a DNA sequence, in addition to displaying translations as separate sequences in FASTA format. ORFs within a reading frame can also be displayed as separate sequences. Flexible formatting options are provided, including the ability to hide ORFs below a minimum size specified by the user. The program is available free of charge at the BioTechniques Software Library (www.Biotechniques.com).

DNA nanotechnology-enabled biosensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Jie; Zhu, Dan; Zhang, Yinan; Wang, Lianhui; Fan, Chunhai

2016-02-15

Biosensors employ biological molecules to recognize the target and utilize output elements which can translate the biorecognition event into electrical, optical or mass-sensitive signals to determine the quantities of the target. DNA-based biosensors, as a sub-field to biosensor, utilize DNA strands with short oligonucleotides as probes for target recognition. Although DNA-based biosensors have offered a promising alternative for fast, simple and cheap detection of target molecules, there still exist key challenges including poor stability and reproducibility that hinder their competition with the current gold standard for DNA assays. By exploiting the self-recognition properties of DNA molecules, researchers have dedicated to make versatile DNA nanostructures in a highly rigid, controllable and functionalized manner, which offers unprecedented opportunities for developing DNA-based biosensors. In this review, we will briefly introduce the recent advances on design and fabrication of static and dynamic DNA nanostructures, and summarize their applications for fabrication and functionalization of DNA-based biosensors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Conjugation of Organic Molecules to DNA and Their Application in DNA Nanotechnology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Eva Maria

2012-01-01

Denne PhD afhandling præsenterer fire kapitler, som omhandler det videnskabelige område DNA nanoteknologi. Kapitel 1 er en general introduktion til DNA nanoteknologi, som først beskriver opbygningen af DNA og efter flere underkapitler slutter med en gennemgang af nogle fantastiske dynamiske DNA s...

Bacillus subtilis DNA polymerases, PolC and DnaE, are required for both leading and lagging strand synthesis in SPP1 origin-dependent DNA replication

Science.gov (United States)

Seco, Elena M.

2017-01-01

Abstract Firmicutes have two distinct replicative DNA polymerases, the PolC leading strand polymerase, and PolC and DnaE synthesizing the lagging strand. We have reconstituted in vitro Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage SPP1 θ-type DNA replication, which initiates unidirectionally at oriL. With this system we show that DnaE is not only restricted to lagging strand synthesis as previously suggested. DnaG primase and DnaE polymerase are required for initiation of DNA replication on both strands. DnaE and DnaG synthesize in concert a hybrid RNA/DNA ‘initiation primer’ on both leading and lagging strands at the SPP1 oriL region, as it does the eukaryotic Pol α complex. DnaE, as a RNA-primed DNA polymerase, extends this initial primer in a reaction modulated by DnaG and one single-strand binding protein (SSB, SsbA or G36P), and hands off the initiation primer to PolC, a DNA-primed DNA polymerase. Then, PolC, stimulated by DnaG and the SSBs, performs the bulk of DNA chain elongation at both leading and lagging strands. Overall, these modulations by the SSBs and DnaG may contribute to the mechanism of polymerase switch at Firmicutes replisomes. PMID:28575448

Annonalide and derivatives: Semisynthesis, cytotoxic activities and studies on interaction of annonalide with DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Marques, Ricardo A; Gomes, Akenaton O C V; de Brito, Maria V; Dos Santos, Ana L P; da Silva, Gladyane S; de Lima, Leandro B; Nunes, Fátima M; de Mattos, Marcos C; de Oliveira, Fátima C E; do Ó Pessoa, Cláudia; de Moraes, Manoel O; de Fátima, Ângelo; Franco, Lucas L; Silva, Marina de M; Dantas, Maria Dayanne de A; Santos, Josué C C; Figueiredo, Isis M; da Silva-Júnior, Edeíldo F; de Aquino, Thiago M; de Araújo-Júnior, João X; de Oliveira, Maria C F; Leslie Gunatilaka, A A

2018-02-01

The cytotoxic activity of the pimarane diterpene annonalide (1) and nine of its semisynthetic derivatives (2-10) was investigated against the human tumor cell lines HL-60 (leukemia), PC-3 (prostate adenocarcinoma), HepG2 (hepatocellular carcinoma), SF-295 (glioblastoma) and HCT-116 (colon cancer), and normal mouse fibroblast (L929) cells. The preparation of 2-10 involved derivatization of the side chain of 1 at C-13. Except for 2, all derivatives are being reported for the first time. Most of the tested compounds presented IC 50 s below 4.0 μM, being considered potential antitumor agents. The structures of all new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses including 2D NMR and HRMS. Additionally, the interaction of annonalide (1) with ctDNA was evaluated using spectroscopic techniques, and the formation of a supramolecular complex with the macromolecule was confirmed. Competition assays with fluorescent probes (Hoechst and ethidium bromide) and theoretical studies confirmed that 1 interacts preferentially via DNA intercalation with stoichiometric ratio of 1:1 (1:ctDNA). The ΔG value was calculated as -28.24 kJ mol -1 , and indicated that the interaction process occurs spontaneously. Docking studies revealed that van der Walls is the most important interaction in 1-DNA and EB-DNA complexes, and that both ligands (1 and EB) interact with the same DNA residues (DA6, DA17 and DT19). Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

DNA nanotechnology

Science.gov (United States)

Seeman, Nadrian C.; Sleiman, Hanadi F.

2018-01-01

DNA is the molecule that stores and transmits genetic information in biological systems. The field of DNA nanotechnology takes this molecule out of its biological context and uses its information to assemble structural motifs and then to connect them together. This field has had a remarkable impact on nanoscience and nanotechnology, and has been revolutionary in our ability to control molecular self-assembly. In this Review, we summarize the approaches used to assemble DNA nanostructures and examine their emerging applications in areas such as biophysics, diagnostics, nanoparticle and protein assembly, biomolecule structure determination, drug delivery and synthetic biology. The introduction of orthogonal interactions into DNA nanostructures is discussed, and finally, a perspective on the future directions of this field is presented.

Recent Advancements in DNA Damage-Transcription Crosstalk and High-Resolution Mapping of DNA Breaks.

Science.gov (United States)

Vitelli, Valerio; Galbiati, Alessandro; Iannelli, Fabio; Pessina, Fabio; Sharma, Sheetal; d'Adda di Fagagna, Fabrizio

2017-08-31

Until recently, DNA damage arising from physiological DNA metabolism was considered a detrimental by-product for cells. However, an increasing amount of evidence has shown that DNA damage could have a positive role in transcription activation. In particular, DNA damage has been detected in transcriptional elements following different stimuli. These physiological DNA breaks are thought to be instrumental for the correct expression of genomic loci through different mechanisms. In this regard, although a plethora of methods are available to precisely map transcribed regions and transcription start sites, commonly used techniques for mapping DNA breaks lack sufficient resolution and sensitivity to draw a robust correlation between DNA damage generation and transcription. Recently, however, several methods have been developed to map DNA damage at single-nucleotide resolution, thus providing a new set of tools to correlate DNA damage and transcription. Here, we review how DNA damage can positively regulate transcription initiation, the current techniques for mapping DNA breaks at high resolution, and how these techniques can benefit future studies of DNA damage and transcription.

Involvement of the yeast DNA polymerase delta in DNA repair in vivo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giot, L. [State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY. (United States); Chanet, R.; Simon, M.; Facca, C.; Faye, G.

1997-08-15

The POL3 encoded catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase delta possesses a highly conserved C-terminal cysteine-rich domain in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mutations in some of its cysteine codons display a lethal phenotype, which demonstrates an essential function of this domain. The thermosensitive mutant pol3-13, in which a serine replaces a cysteine of this domain, exhibits a range of defects in DNA repair, such as hypersensitivity to different DNA-damaging agents and deficiency for induced mutagenesis and for recombination. These phenotypes are observed at 24 degrees, a temperature at which DNA replication is almost normal; this differentiates the functions of POL3 in DNA repair and DNA replication. Since spontaneous mutagenesis and spontaneous recombination are efficient in pol3-13, we propose that POL3 plays an important role in DNA repair after irradiation, particularly in the error-prone and recombinational pathways. Extragenic suppressors of pol3-13 are allelic to sdp5-1, previously identified as an extragenic suppressor of pol3-11. SDP5, which is identical to HYS2, encodes a protein homologous to the p50 subunit of bovine and human DNA polymerase delta. SDP5 is most probably the p55 subunit of Pol delta of S. cerevisiae and seems to be associated with the catalytic subunit for both DNA replication and DNA repair. (author)

Initiation of lambda DNA replication. The Escherichia coli small heat shock proteins, DnaJ and GrpE, increase DnaK's affinity for the lambda P protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Osipiuk, J; Georgopoulos, C; Zylicz, M

1993-03-05

It is known that the initiation of bacteriophage lambda replication requires the orderly assembly of the lambda O.lambda P.DnaB helicase protein preprimosomal complex at the ori lambda DNA site. The DnaK, DnaJ, and GrpE heat shock proteins act together to destabilize the lambda P.DnaB complex, thus freeing DnaB and allowing it to unwind lambda DNA near the ori lambda site. The first step of this disassembly reaction is the binding of DnaK to the lambda P protein. In this report, we examined the influence of the DnaJ and GrpE proteins on the stability of the lambda P.DnaK complex. We present evidence for the existence of the following protein-protein complexes: lambda P.DnaK, lambda P.DnaJ, DnaJ.DnaK, DnaK.GrpE, and lambda P.DnaK.GrpE. Our results suggest that the presence of GrpE alone destabilizes the lambda P.DnaK complex, whereas the presence of DnaJ alone stabilizes the lambda P.DnaK complex. Using immunoprecipitation, we show that in the presence of GrpE, DnaK exhibits a higher affinity for the lambda P.DnaJ complex than it does alone. Using cross-linking with glutaraldehyde, we show that oligomeric forms of DnaK exhibit a higher affinity for lambda P than monomeric DnaK. However, in the presence of GrpE, monomeric DnaK can efficiently bind lambda P protein. These findings help explain our previous results, namely that in the GrpE-dependent lambda DNA replication system, the DnaK protein requirement can be reduced up to 10-fold.

DnaA protein DNA-binding domain binds to Hda protein to promote inter-AAA+ domain interaction involved in regulatory inactivation of DnaA.

Science.gov (United States)

Keyamura, Kenji; Katayama, Tsutomu

2011-08-19

Chromosomal replication is initiated from the replication origin oriC in Escherichia coli by the active ATP-bound form of DnaA protein. The regulatory inactivation of DnaA (RIDA) system, a complex of the ADP-bound Hda and the DNA-loaded replicase clamp, represses extra initiations by facilitating DnaA-bound ATP hydrolysis, yielding the inactive ADP-bound form of DnaA. However, the mechanisms involved in promoting the DnaA-Hda interaction have not been determined except for the involvement of an interaction between the AAA+ domains of the two. This study revealed that DnaA Leu-422 and Pro-423 residues within DnaA domain IV, including a typical DNA-binding HTH motif, are specifically required for RIDA-dependent ATP hydrolysis in vitro and that these residues support efficient interaction with the DNA-loaded clamp·Hda complex and with Hda in vitro. Consistently, substitutions of these residues caused accumulation of ATP-bound DnaA in vivo and oriC-dependent inhibition of cell growth. Leu-422 plays a more important role in these activities than Pro-423. By contrast, neither of these residues is crucial for DNA replication from oriC, although they are highly conserved in DnaA orthologues. Structural analysis of a DnaA·Hda complex model suggested that these residues make contact with residues in the vicinity of the Hda AAA+ sensor I that participates in formation of a nucleotide-interacting surface. Together, the results show that functional DnaA-Hda interactions require a second interaction site within DnaA domain IV in addition to the AAA+ domain and suggest that these interactions are crucial for the formation of RIDA complexes that are active for DnaA-ATP hydrolysis.

DnaA Protein DNA-binding Domain Binds to Hda Protein to Promote Inter-AAA+ Domain Interaction Involved in Regulatory Inactivation of DnaA*

Science.gov (United States)

Keyamura, Kenji; Katayama, Tsutomu

2011-01-01

Chromosomal replication is initiated from the replication origin oriC in Escherichia coli by the active ATP-bound form of DnaA protein. The regulatory inactivation of DnaA (RIDA) system, a complex of the ADP-bound Hda and the DNA-loaded replicase clamp, represses extra initiations by facilitating DnaA-bound ATP hydrolysis, yielding the inactive ADP-bound form of DnaA. However, the mechanisms involved in promoting the DnaA-Hda interaction have not been determined except for the involvement of an interaction between the AAA+ domains of the two. This study revealed that DnaA Leu-422 and Pro-423 residues within DnaA domain IV, including a typical DNA-binding HTH motif, are specifically required for RIDA-dependent ATP hydrolysis in vitro and that these residues support efficient interaction with the DNA-loaded clamp·Hda complex and with Hda in vitro. Consistently, substitutions of these residues caused accumulation of ATP-bound DnaA in vivo and oriC-dependent inhibition of cell growth. Leu-422 plays a more important role in these activities than Pro-423. By contrast, neither of these residues is crucial for DNA replication from oriC, although they are highly conserved in DnaA orthologues. Structural analysis of a DnaA·Hda complex model suggested that these residues make contact with residues in the vicinity of the Hda AAA+ sensor I that participates in formation of a nucleotide-interacting surface. Together, the results show that functional DnaA-Hda interactions require a second interaction site within DnaA domain IV in addition to the AAA+ domain and suggest that these interactions are crucial for the formation of RIDA complexes that are active for DnaA-ATP hydrolysis. PMID:21708944

DNA Camouflage

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-08

1 DNA Camouflage Supplementary Information Bijan Zakeri1,2*, Timothy K. Lu1,2*, Peter A. Carr2,3* 1Department of Electrical Engineering and...ll.mit.edu). Distribution A: Public Release   2 Supplementary Figure 1 DNA camouflage with the 2-state device. (a) In the presence of Cre, DSD-2[α...10 1 + Cre 1 500 1,000 length (bp) chromatogram alignment template − Cre   4 Supplementary Figure 3 DNA camouflage with a switchable

qPCR-based mitochondrial DNA quantification: Influence of template DNA fragmentation on accuracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, Christopher B.; Gallati, Sabina; Schaller, André

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Serial qPCR accurately determines fragmentation state of any given DNA sample. ► Serial qPCR demonstrates different preservation of the nuclear and mitochondrial genome. ► Serial qPCR provides a diagnostic tool to validate the integrity of bioptic material. ► Serial qPCR excludes degradation-induced erroneous quantification. -- Abstract: Real-time PCR (qPCR) is the method of choice for quantification of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) by relative comparison of a nuclear to a mitochondrial locus. Quantitative abnormal mtDNA content is indicative of mitochondrial disorders and mostly confines in a tissue-specific manner. Thus handling of degradation-prone bioptic material is inevitable. We established a serial qPCR assay based on increasing amplicon size to measure degradation status of any DNA sample. Using this approach we can exclude erroneous mtDNA quantification due to degraded samples (e.g. long post-exicision time, autolytic processus, freeze–thaw cycles) and ensure abnormal DNA content measurements (e.g. depletion) in non-degraded patient material. By preparation of degraded DNA under controlled conditions using sonification and DNaseI digestion we show that erroneous quantification is due to the different preservation qualities of the nuclear and the mitochondrial genome. This disparate degradation of the two genomes results in over- or underestimation of mtDNA copy number in degraded samples. Moreover, as analysis of defined archival tissue would allow to precise the molecular pathomechanism of mitochondrial disorders presenting with abnormal mtDNA content, we compared fresh frozen (FF) with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) skeletal muscle tissue of the same sample. By extrapolation of measured decay constants for nuclear DNA (λ nDNA ) and mtDNA (λ mtDNA ) we present an approach to possibly correct measurements in degraded samples in the future. To our knowledge this is the first time different degradation impact of the two

qPCR-based mitochondrial DNA quantification: Influence of template DNA fragmentation on accuracy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jackson, Christopher B., E-mail: Christopher.jackson@insel.ch [Division of Human Genetics, Departements of Pediatrics and Clinical Research, Inselspital, University of Berne, Freiburgstrasse, CH-3010 Berne (Switzerland); Gallati, Sabina, E-mail: sabina.gallati@insel.ch [Division of Human Genetics, Departements of Pediatrics and Clinical Research, Inselspital, University of Berne, Freiburgstrasse, CH-3010 Berne (Switzerland); Schaller, Andre, E-mail: andre.schaller@insel.ch [Division of Human Genetics, Departements of Pediatrics and Clinical Research, Inselspital, University of Berne, Freiburgstrasse, CH-3010 Berne (Switzerland)

2012-07-06

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Serial qPCR accurately determines fragmentation state of any given DNA sample. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Serial qPCR demonstrates different preservation of the nuclear and mitochondrial genome. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Serial qPCR provides a diagnostic tool to validate the integrity of bioptic material. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Serial qPCR excludes degradation-induced erroneous quantification. -- Abstract: Real-time PCR (qPCR) is the method of choice for quantification of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) by relative comparison of a nuclear to a mitochondrial locus. Quantitative abnormal mtDNA content is indicative of mitochondrial disorders and mostly confines in a tissue-specific manner. Thus handling of degradation-prone bioptic material is inevitable. We established a serial qPCR assay based on increasing amplicon size to measure degradation status of any DNA sample. Using this approach we can exclude erroneous mtDNA quantification due to degraded samples (e.g. long post-exicision time, autolytic processus, freeze-thaw cycles) and ensure abnormal DNA content measurements (e.g. depletion) in non-degraded patient material. By preparation of degraded DNA under controlled conditions using sonification and DNaseI digestion we show that erroneous quantification is due to the different preservation qualities of the nuclear and the mitochondrial genome. This disparate degradation of the two genomes results in over- or underestimation of mtDNA copy number in degraded samples. Moreover, as analysis of defined archival tissue would allow to precise the molecular pathomechanism of mitochondrial disorders presenting with abnormal mtDNA content, we compared fresh frozen (FF) with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) skeletal muscle tissue of the same sample. By extrapolation of measured decay constants for nuclear DNA ({lambda}{sub nDNA}) and mtDNA ({lambda}{sub mtDNA}) we present an approach to possibly correct measurements in

Synthesis of furan-based DNA binders and their interaction with DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voege, Andrea; Hoffmann, Sascha; Gabel, Detlef

2006-01-01

In recent years, many substances, based on naturally occurring DNA-binding molecules have been developed for the use in cancer therapy and as virostatica. Most of these substances are binding specifically to A-T rich sequences in the DNA minor groove. Neutral and positively charged DNA-binders are known. BNCT is most effective, which the boron is directly located in the cellular nucleus, so that the intercation with thermal neutrons can directly damage the DNA. To reach this aim, we have connected ammonioundecahydrododecaborate(1-) to DNA-binding structures such as 2,5-bis(4-formylphenyl)furan via a Schiff-Base reaction followed by a reduction of the imine to a secondary amine. In a following step the amine can be alkylated to insert positive charges to prevent repulsion between the compounds and the negatively charged sugar-phosphate-backbone of the DNA. (author)

Circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA: What surgical oncologists need to know?

Science.gov (United States)

Cabel, L; Proudhon, C; Mariani, P; Tzanis, D; Beinse, G; Bieche, I; Pierga, J-Y; Bidard, F-C

2017-05-01

As a result of recent progress in detection techniques, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and circulating tumor cells (CTC) can now be accurately detected in the blood of most cancer patients. While these new biomarkers can provide a better understanding of key biological mechanisms underlying cancer growth and dissemination, they also open up a wide range of possible clinical applications in medical oncology, radiation oncology and surgical oncology. In this review, we summarize the results obtained with ctDNA and CTC together with their potential future clinical applications in the field of surgical oncology, with particular focus on the perioperative setting of various types of cancer. These applications include, but are not limited to, cancer screening, early diagnosis, prognostic assessment, evaluation and management of preoperative systemic or local therapies, post-surgical detection of minimal residual disease and early detection of cancer relapse. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.

Mechanisms of DNA Packaging by Large Double-Stranded DNA Viruses

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Venigalla B.; Feiss, Michael

2016-01-01

Translocation of viral double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) into the icosahedral prohead shell is catalyzed by TerL, a motor protein that has ATPase, endonuclease, and translocase activities. TerL, following endonucleolytic cleavage of immature viral DNA concatemer recognized by TerS, assembles into a pentameric ring motor on the prohead’s portal vertex and uses ATP hydrolysis energy for DNA translocation. TerL’s N-terminal ATPase is connected by a hinge to the C-terminal endonuclease. Inchworm models propose that modest domain motions accompanying ATP hydrolysis are amplified, through changes in electrostatic interactions, into larger movements of the C-terminal domain bound to DNA. In phage φ29, four of the five TerL subunits sequentially hydrolyze ATP, each powering translocation of 2.5 bp. After one viral genome is encapsidated, the internal pressure signals termination of packaging and ejection of the motor. Current focus is on the structures of packaging complexes and the dynamics of TerL during DNA packaging, endonuclease regulation, and motor mechanics. PMID:26958920

DNA adducts-chemical addons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T R Rajalakshmi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available DNA adduct is a piece of DNA covalently bond to a chemical (safrole, benzopyrenediol epoxide, acetaldehyde. This process could be the start of a cancerous cell. When a chemical binds to DNA, it gets damaged resulting in abnormal replication. This could be the start of a mutation and without proper DNA repair, this can lead to cancer. It is this chemical that binds with the DNA is our prime area of concern. Instead of performing the whole body analysis for diagnosing cancer, this test could be carried out for early detection of cancer. When scanning tunneling microscope is used, the DNA results can be obtained earlier. DNA adducts in scientific experiments are used as biomarkers.

Cells Lacking mtDNA Display Increased dNTP Pools upon DNA Damage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skovgaard, Tine; Rasmussen, Lene Juel; Munch-Petersen, Birgitte

Imbalanced dNTP pools are highly mutagenic due to a deleterious effect on DNA polymerase fidelity. Mitochondrial DNA defects, including mutations and deletions, are commonly found in a wide variety of different cancer types. In order to further study the interconnection between dNTP pools...... and mitochondrial function we have examined the effect of DNA damage on dNTP pools in cells deficient of mtDNA. We show that DNA damage induced by UV irradiation, in a dose corresponding to LD50, induces an S phase delay in different human osteosarcoma cell lines. The UV pulse also has a destabilizing effect...... shows that normal mitochondrial function is prerequisite for retaining stable dNTP pools upon DNA damage. Therefore it is likely that mitochondrial deficiency defects may cause an increase in DNA mutations by disrupting dNTP pool balance....

Structural Transformation of Wireframe DNA Origami via DNA Polymerase Assisted Gap-Filling.

Science.gov (United States)

Agarwal, Nayan P; Matthies, Michael; Joffroy, Bastian; Schmidt, Thorsten L

2018-03-27

The programmability of DNA enables constructing nanostructures with almost any arbitrary shape, which can be decorated with many functional materials. Moreover, dynamic structures can be realized such as molecular motors and walkers. In this work, we have explored the possibility to synthesize the complementary sequences to single-stranded gap regions in the DNA origami scaffold cost effectively by a DNA polymerase rather than by a DNA synthesizer. For this purpose, four different wireframe DNA origami structures were designed to have single-stranded gap regions. This reduced the number of staple strands needed to determine the shape and size of the final structure after gap filling. For this, several DNA polymerases and single-stranded binding (SSB) proteins were tested, with T4 DNA polymerase being the best fit. The structures could be folded in as little as 6 min, and the subsequent optimized gap-filling reaction was completed in less than 3 min. The introduction of flexible gap regions results in fully collapsed or partially bent structures due to entropic spring effects. Finally, we demonstrated structural transformations of such deformed wireframe DNA origami structures with DNA polymerases including the expansion of collapsed structures and the straightening of curved tubes. We anticipate that this approach will become a powerful tool to build DNA wireframe structures more material-efficiently, and to quickly prototype and test new wireframe designs that can be expanded, rigidified, or mechanically switched. Mechanical force generation and structural transitions will enable applications in structural DNA nanotechnology, plasmonics, or single-molecule biophysics.

NEXAFS characterization of DNA components and molecular-orientation of surface-bound DNA oligomers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samuel, Newton T.; Lee, C.-Y.; Gamble, Lara J.; Fischer, Daniel A.; Castner, David G.

2006-01-01

Single stranded DNA oligomers (ssDNA) immobilized onto solid surfaces forms the basis for several biotechnological applications such as DNA microarrays, affinity separations, and biosensors. Surface structure of Surface-bound oligomers is expected to significantly influence their biological activity and interactions with the environment. In this study near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) is used to characterize the components of DNA (nucleobases, nucleotides and nucleosides) and the orientation information of surface-bound ssDNA. The K-edges of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen have spectra with features that are characteristic of the different chemical species present in the nucleobases of DNA. The effect of addition of the DNA sugar and phosphate components on the NEXAFS K-edge spectra was also investigated. The polarization-dependent nitrogen K-edge NEXAFS data show significant changes for different orientations of surface bound ssDNA. These results establish NEXAFS as a powerful technique for chemical and structural characterization of surface-bound DNA oligomers

Racemic DNA crystallography.

Science.gov (United States)

Mandal, Pradeep K; Collie, Gavin W; Kauffmann, Brice; Huc, Ivan

2014-12-22

Racemates increase the chances of crystallization by allowing molecular contacts to be formed in a greater number of ways. With the advent of protein synthesis, the production of protein racemates and racemic-protein crystallography are now possible. Curiously, racemic DNA crystallography had not been investigated despite the commercial availability of L- and D-deoxyribo-oligonucleotides. Here, we report a study into racemic DNA crystallography showing the strong propensity of racemic DNA mixtures to form racemic crystals. We describe racemic crystal structures of various DNA sequences and folded conformations, including duplexes, quadruplexes, and a four-way junction, showing that the advantages of racemic crystallography should extend to DNA. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Phylogenetic relationships of the Gomphales based on nuc-25S-rDNA, mit-12S-rDNA, and mit-atp6-DNA combined sequences

Science.gov (United States)

Admir J. Giachini; Kentaro Hosaka; Eduardo Nouhra; Joseph Spatafora; James M. Trappe

2010-01-01

Phylogenetic relationships among Geastrales, Gomphales, Hysterangiales, and Phallales were estimated via combined sequences: nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA (nuc-25S-rDNA), mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal DNA (mit-12S-rDNA), and mitochondrial atp6 DNA (mit-atp6-DNA). Eighty-one taxa comprising 19 genera and 58 species...

Forensic DNA testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, John M

2011-12-01

Forensic DNA testing has a number of applications, including parentage testing, identifying human remains from natural or man-made disasters or terrorist attacks, and solving crimes. This article provides background information followed by an overview of the process of forensic DNA testing, including sample collection, DNA extraction, PCR amplification, short tandem repeat (STR) allele separation and sizing, typing and profile interpretation, statistical analysis, and quality assurance. The article concludes with discussions of possible problems with the data and other forensic DNA testing techniques.

Interaction of bacteriophage T4 and T7 single-stranded DNA-binding proteins with DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shokri, Leila; Williams, Mark C; Rouzina, Ioulia

2009-01-01

Bacteriophages T4 and T7 are well-studied model replication systems, which have allowed researchers to determine the roles of many proteins central to DNA replication, recombination and repair. Here we summarize and discuss the results from two recently developed single-molecule methods to determine the salt-dependent DNA-binding kinetics and thermodynamics of the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-binding proteins (SSBs) from these systems. We use these methods to characterize both the equilibrium double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and ssDNA binding of the SSBs T4 gene 32 protein (gp32) and T7 gene 2.5 protein (gp2.5). Despite the overall two-orders-of-magnitude weaker binding of gp2.5 to both forms of DNA, we find that both proteins exhibit four-orders-of-magnitude preferential binding to ssDNA relative to dsDNA. This strong preferential ssDNA binding as well as the weak dsDNA binding is essential for the ability of both proteins to search dsDNA in one dimension to find available ssDNA-binding sites at the replication fork

Immunoassay of DNA damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gasparro, F.P.; Santella, R.M.

1988-01-01

The direct photomodification of DNA by ultraviolet light or the photo-induced addition of exogenous compounds to DNA components results in alterations of DNA structure ranging from subtle to profound. There are two consequences of these conformational changes. First, cells in which the DNA has been damaged are capable of executing repair steps. Second, the DNA which is usually of very low immunogenicity now becomes highly antigenic. This latter property has allowed the production of a series of monoclonal antibodies that recognize photo-induced DNA damage. Monoclonal antibodies have been generated that recognize the 4',5'-monoadduct and the crosslink of 8-methoxypsoralen in DNA. In addition, another antibody has been prepared which recognizes the furan-side monoadduct of 6,4,4'-trimethylangelicin in DNA. These monoclonal antibodies have been characterized as to sensitivity and specificity using non-competitive and competitive enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assays (ELISA). (author)

Immunoassay of DNA damage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gasparro, F P; Santella, R M

1988-09-01

The direct photomodification of DNA by ultraviolet light or the photo-induced addition of exogenous compounds to DNA components results in alterations of DNA structure ranging from subtle to profound. There are two consequences of these conformational changes. First, cells in which the DNA has been damaged are capable of executing repair steps. Second, the DNA which is usually of very low immunogenicity now becomes highly antigenic. This latter property has allowed the production of a series of monoclonal antibodies that recognize photo-induced DNA damage. Monoclonal antibodies have been generated that recognize the 4',5'-monoadduct and the crosslink of 8-methoxypsoralen in DNA. In addition, another antibody has been prepared which recognizes the furan-side monoadduct of 6,4,4'-trimethylangelicin in DNA. These monoclonal antibodies have been characterized as to sensitivity and specificity using non-competitive and competitive enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assays (ELISA).

Real-Time PCR Quantification of Chloroplast DNA Supports DNA Barcoding of Plant Species.

Science.gov (United States)

Kikkawa, Hitomi S; Tsuge, Kouichiro; Sugita, Ritsuko

2016-03-01

Species identification from extracted DNA is sometimes needed for botanical samples. DNA quantification is required for an accurate and effective examination. If a quantitative assay provides unreliable estimates, a higher quantity of DNA than the estimated amount may be used in additional analyses to avoid failure to analyze samples from which extracting DNA is difficult. Compared with conventional methods, real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) requires a low amount of DNA and enables quantification of dilute DNA solutions accurately. The aim of this study was to develop a qPCR assay for quantification of chloroplast DNA from taxonomically diverse plant species. An absolute quantification method was developed using primers targeting the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit (rbcL) gene using SYBR Green I-based qPCR. The calibration curve was generated using the PCR amplicon as the template. DNA extracts from representatives of 13 plant families common in Japan. This demonstrates that qPCR analysis is an effective method for quantification of DNA from plant samples. The results of qPCR assist in the decision-making will determine the success or failure of DNA analysis, indicating the possibility of optimization of the procedure for downstream reactions.

Electrical potential-assisted DNA hybridization. How to mitigate electrostatics for surface DNA hybridization.

Science.gov (United States)

Tymoczko, Jakub; Schuhmann, Wolfgang; Gebala, Magdalena

2014-12-24

Surface-confined DNA hybridization reactions are sensitive to the number and identity of DNA capture probes and experimental conditions such as the nature and the ionic strength of the electrolyte solution. When the surface probe density is high or the concentration of bulk ions is much lower than the concentration of ions within the DNA layer, hybridization is significantly slowed down or does not proceed at all. However, high-density DNA monolayers are attractive for designing high-sensitivity DNA sensors. Thus, circumventing sluggish DNA hybridization on such interfaces allows a high surface concentration of target DNA and improved signal/noise ratio. We present potential-assisted hybridization as a strategy in which an external voltage is applied to the ssDNA-modified interface during the hybridization process. Results show that a significant enhancement of hybridization can be achieved using this approach.

Collaborating functions of BLM and DNA topoisomerase I in regulating human rDNA transcription

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grierson, Patrick M. [Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Medical Genetics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Acharya, Samir, E-mail: samir.acharya@osumc.edu [Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Medical Genetics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Groden, Joanna [Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Medical Genetics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)

2013-03-15

Bloom's syndrome (BS) is an inherited disorder caused by loss of function of the recQ-like BLM helicase. It is characterized clinically by severe growth retardation and cancer predisposition. BLM localizes to PML nuclear bodies and to the nucleolus; its deficiency results in increased intra- and inter-chromosomal recombination, including hyper-recombination of rDNA repeats. Our previous work has shown that BLM facilitates RNA polymerase I-mediated rRNA transcription in the nucleolus (Grierson et al., 2012 [18]). This study uses protein co-immunoprecipitation and in vitro transcription/translation (IVTT) to identify a direct interaction of DNA topoisomerase I with the C-terminus of BLM in the nucleolus. In vitro helicase assays demonstrate that DNA topoisomerase I stimulates BLM helicase activity on a nucleolar-relevant RNA:DNA hybrid, but has an insignificant effect on BLM helicase activity on a control DNA:DNA duplex substrate. Reciprocally, BLM enhances the DNA relaxation activity of DNA topoisomerase I on supercoiled DNA substrates. Our study suggests that BLM and DNA topoisomerase I function coordinately to modulate RNA:DNA hybrid formation as well as relaxation of DNA supercoils in the context of nucleolar transcription.

Collaborating functions of BLM and DNA topoisomerase I in regulating human rDNA transcription

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grierson, Patrick M.; Acharya, Samir; Groden, Joanna

2013-01-01

Bloom's syndrome (BS) is an inherited disorder caused by loss of function of the recQ-like BLM helicase. It is characterized clinically by severe growth retardation and cancer predisposition. BLM localizes to PML nuclear bodies and to the nucleolus; its deficiency results in increased intra- and inter-chromosomal recombination, including hyper-recombination of rDNA repeats. Our previous work has shown that BLM facilitates RNA polymerase I-mediated rRNA transcription in the nucleolus (Grierson et al., 2012 [18]). This study uses protein co-immunoprecipitation and in vitro transcription/translation (IVTT) to identify a direct interaction of DNA topoisomerase I with the C-terminus of BLM in the nucleolus. In vitro helicase assays demonstrate that DNA topoisomerase I stimulates BLM helicase activity on a nucleolar-relevant RNA:DNA hybrid, but has an insignificant effect on BLM helicase activity on a control DNA:DNA duplex substrate. Reciprocally, BLM enhances the DNA relaxation activity of DNA topoisomerase I on supercoiled DNA substrates. Our study suggests that BLM and DNA topoisomerase I function coordinately to modulate RNA:DNA hybrid formation as well as relaxation of DNA supercoils in the context of nucleolar transcription

DNA interaction with platinum-based cytostatics revealed by DNA sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Smerkova, Kristyna; Vaculovic, Tomas; Vaculovicova, Marketa; Kynicky, Jindrich; Brtnicky, Martin; Eckschlager, Tomas; Stiborova, Marie; Hubalek, Jaromir; Adam, Vojtech

2017-12-15

The main mechanism of action of platinum-based cytostatic drugs - cisplatin, oxaliplatin and carboplatin - is the formation of DNA cross-links, which restricts the transcription due to the disability of DNA to enter the active site of the polymerase. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed as a simplified model of the amplification process in the cell nucleus. PCR with fluorescently labelled dideoxynucleotides commonly employed for DNA sequencing was used to monitor the effect of platinum-based cytostatics on DNA in terms of decrease in labeling efficiency dependent on a presence of the DNA-drug cross-link. It was found that significantly different amounts of the drugs - cisplatin (0.21 μg/mL), oxaliplatin (5.23 μg/mL), and carboplatin (71.11 μg/mL) - were required to cause the same quenching effect (50%) on the fluorescent labelling of 50 μg/mL of DNA. Moreover, it was found that even though the amounts of the drugs was applied to the reaction mixture differing by several orders of magnitude, the amount of incorporated platinum, quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, was in all cases at the level of tenths of μg per 5 μg of DNA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DNA methylation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Williams, Kristine; Christensen, Jesper; Helin, Kristian

2012-01-01

DNA methylation is involved in key cellular processes, including X-chromosome inactivation, imprinting and transcriptional silencing of specific genes and repetitive elements. DNA methylation patterns are frequently perturbed in human diseases such as imprinting disorders and cancer. The recent...... discovery that the three members of the TET protein family can convert 5-methylcytosine (5mC) into 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) has provided a potential mechanism leading to DNA demethylation. Moreover, the demonstration that TET2 is frequently mutated in haematopoietic tumours suggests that the TET...... proteins are important regulators of cellular identity. Here, we review the current knowledge regarding the function of the TET proteins, and discuss various mechanisms by which they contribute to transcriptional control. We propose that the TET proteins have an important role in regulating DNA methylation...

Action of radiation and serotin on DNA and satellite DNA of thermodynamic parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanaya, T.V.

1987-01-01

A study was made on the effect of X-rays on thermal denaturation of DNA and satellite DNA of cattle spleen against the background of 10 -3 M serotonin influence. The minimal dose at which the damage of satellite DNA is observed, is equal to 38 Gy; similar damage of DNA requires the double dose. Serotonin with 10 -3 M concentration doesn't change thermodynamic DNA characteristics, but its presence in the moment of irradiation even at 152 Gy dose reveals the clearly pronounced protection effect on satellite DNA damage

Multispectroscopic DNA-Binding studies and antimicrobial evaluation of new mixed-ligand Silver(I) complex and nanocomplex: A comparative study

Science.gov (United States)

Movahedi, Elaheh; Rezvani, Ali Reza

2018-05-01

A novel mixed-ligand Ag(I) complex, , has been synthesized and characterized by the elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy and 1HNMR. In the formula, dian and phen are N-(4,5-diazafluoren-9-ylidene)aniline and 1,10-phenanthroline, respectively. This complex also has been prepared at nano size by sonochemical technique and characterized by the FTIR and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). To evaluate the biological preferences of the Ag(I) complex and nanocomplex and verify the relationships between the structure and biological function, in vitro DNA binding and antibacterial experiments have been carried out. DNA-complex interaction has been pursued by electronic absorption titration, luminescence titration, competitive binding experiment, effect of ionic strength, thermodynamic studies, viscometric evaluation and circular dichroism spectroscopy in the physiological pH. Each compound displays significant binding trend to the CT-DNA. The mode of binding to the CT-DNA probably is a moderate intercalation mode with the partial insertion of the planar ligands between the base stacks of double-stranded DNA. The relative viscosities and circular dichroism spectra of the CT-DNA with the complex solutions, confirm the intense interactions of the Ag(I) complex and nanocomplex with DNA. An in vitro antibacterial test of the complex and nanocomplex on a series of the Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis) and the Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) shows a remarkable antibacterial feature of the Ag(I) complex. The MIC values (minimum inhibitory concentration) of the compounds compare with silver nitrate and silver sulfadiazine. The bacterial inhibitions of the Ag(I) complex and nanocomplex are agreed to their DNA binding affinities.

Unequal effect of ethanol-water on the stability of ct-DNA, poly[(dA-dT)]₂ and poly(rA)·poly(rU). Thermophysical properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiz, Rebeca; Hoyuelos, Francisco J; Navarro, Ana M; Leal, José M; García, Begoña

2015-01-21

Ethanol affects unequally the thermal stability of DNA and RNA. It stabilizes RNA, while destabilizing DNA. The variation of the relative viscosity (η/η0) of [poly(dA-dT)]2 with temperature unveils transitions close to the respective denaturation temperature, calculated spectrophotometrically and calorimetrically. From the raw data densities and speeds of sound, the volumetric observables were calculated. In all cases studied, a change in sign from low to high ethanol content occurred for both partial molar volume (ϕV) and partial molar adiabatic compressibility (ϕK(S)). The minima, close to 10%, should correspond to the highest solvation and the maxima, close to 30%, to the lowest solvation. For 40-50% ethanol, the solvation increases again. The complex structure of ethanol-water, for which changes are observed in regions close to such critical concentrations, justifies the observed behaviour. The variation of ϕV and ϕK(S) was sharper for RNA compared with respect to DNA, indicating that the solvation sequence is poly(rA)·poly(rU) < ct-DNA < [poly(dA-dT)]2.

Radiation damage to DNA in DNA-protein complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Spotheim-Maurizot, M; Davídková, M

2011-06-03

The most aggressive product of water radiolysis, the hydroxyl (OH) radical, is responsible for the indirect effect of ionizing radiations on DNA in solution and aerobic conditions. According to radiolytic footprinting experiments, the resulting strand breaks and base modifications are inhomogeneously distributed along the DNA molecule irradiated free or bound to ligands (polyamines, thiols, proteins). A Monte-Carlo based model of simulation of the reaction of OH radicals with the macromolecules, called RADACK, allows calculating the relative probability of damage of each nucleotide of DNA irradiated alone or in complexes with proteins. RADACK calculations require the knowledge of the three dimensional structure of DNA and its complexes (determined by X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy or molecular modeling). The confrontation of the calculated values with the results of the radiolytic footprinting experiments together with molecular modeling calculations show that: (1) the extent and location of the lesions are strongly dependent on the structure of DNA, which in turns is modulated by the base sequence and by the binding of proteins and (2) the regions in contact with the protein can be protected against the attack by the hydroxyl radicals via masking of the binding site and by scavenging of the radicals. 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Selenium nanoparticles synthesized in aqueous extract of Allium sativum perturbs the structural integrity of Calf thymus DNA through intercalation and groove binding.

Science.gov (United States)

Ezhuthupurakkal, Preedia Babu; Polaki, Lokeswara Rao; Suyavaran, Arumugam; Subastri, Ariraman; Sujatha, Venugopal; Thirunavukkarasu, Chinnasamy

2017-05-01

Biomedical application of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) demands the eco-friendly composite for synthesis of SeNPs. The present study reports an aqueous extract of Allium sativum (AqEAS) plug-up the current need. Modern spectroscopic, microscopic and gravimetric techniques were employed to characterize the synthesized nanoparticles. Characterization studies revealed the formation of crystalline spherical shaped SeNPs. FTIR spectrum brings out the presence of different functional groups in AqEAS, which influence the SeNPs formation and stabilization. Furthermore the different aspects of the interaction between SeNPs and CT-DNA were scrutinized by various spectroscopic and cyclic voltametric studies. The results reveals the intercalation and groove binding mode of interaction of SeNPs with stacked base pair of CT-DNA. The Stern-Volmer quenching constant (K SV ) were found to be 7.02×10 6 M- 1 (ethidium bromide), 4.22×10 6 M- 1 (acridine orange) and 7.6×10 6 M- 1 (Hoechst) indicating strong binding of SeNPs with CT-DNA. The SeNPs - CT-DNA interactions were directly visualized by atomic force microscopy. The present study unveils the cost effective, innocuous, highly stable SeNPs intricate mechanism of DNA interaction, which will be a milestone in DNA targeted chemotherapy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cellular response to DNA damage. Link between p53 and DNA-PK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salles-Passador, I.; Fotedar, R.; Fotedar, A.

1999-01-01

Cells which lack DNA-activated protein kinase (DNA-PK) are very susceptible to ionizing radiation and display an inability to repair double-strand DNA breaks. DNA-PK is a member of a protein kinase family that includes ATR and ATM which have strong homology in their carboxy-terminal kinase domain with Pl-3 kinase. ATM has been proposed to act upstream of p53 in cellular response to ionizing radiation. DNA-PK may similarly interact with p53 in cellular growth control and in mediation of the response to ionizing radiation. (author)

Using long ssDNA polynucleotides to amplify STRs loci in degraded DNA samples

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez Santángelo, Agustín; Corti Bielsa, Rodrigo M.; Sala, Andrea; Ginart, Santiago; Corach, Daniel

2017-01-01

Obtaining informative short tandem repeat (STR) profiles from degraded DNA samples is a challenging task usually undermined by locus or allele dropouts and peak-high imbalances observed in capillary electrophoresis (CE) electropherograms, especially for those markers with large amplicon sizes. We hereby show that the current STR assays may be greatly improved for the detection of genetic markers in degraded DNA samples by using long single stranded DNA polynucleotides (ssDNA polynucleotides) as surrogates for PCR primers. These long primers allow a closer annealing to the repeat sequences, thereby reducing the length of the template required for the amplification in fragmented DNA samples, while at the same time rendering amplicons of larger sizes suitable for multiplex assays. We also demonstrate that the annealing of long ssDNA polynucleotides does not need to be fully complementary in the 5’ region of the primers, thus allowing for the design of practically any long primer sequence for developing new multiplex assays. Furthermore, genotyping of intact DNA samples could also benefit from utilizing long primers since their close annealing to the target STR sequences may overcome wrong profiling generated by insertions/deletions present between the STR region and the annealing site of the primers. Additionally, long ssDNA polynucleotides might be utilized in multiplex PCR assays for other types of degraded or fragmented DNA, e.g. circulating, cell-free DNA (ccfDNA). PMID:29099837

HIV-1 DNA predicts disease progression and post-treatment virological control

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, James P; Hurst, Jacob; Stöhr, Wolfgang; Robinson, Nicola; Brown, Helen; Fisher, Martin; Kinloch, Sabine; Cooper, David; Schechter, Mauro; Tambussi, Giuseppe; Fidler, Sarah; Carrington, Mary; Babiker, Abdel; Weber, Jonathan

2014-01-01

In HIV-1 infection, a population of latently infected cells facilitates viral persistence despite antiretroviral therapy (ART). With the aim of identifying individuals in whom ART might induce a period of viraemic control on stopping therapy, we hypothesised that quantification of the pool of latently infected cells in primary HIV-1 infection (PHI) would predict clinical progression and viral replication following ART. We measured HIV-1 DNA in a highly characterised randomised population of individuals with PHI. We explored associations between HIV-1 DNA and immunological and virological markers of clinical progression, including viral rebound in those interrupting therapy. In multivariable analyses, HIV-1 DNA was more predictive of disease progression than plasma viral load and, at treatment interruption, predicted time to plasma virus rebound. HIV-1 DNA may help identify individuals who could safely interrupt ART in future HIV-1 eradication trials. Clinical trial registration: ISRCTN76742797 and EudraCT2004-000446-20 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03821.001 PMID:25217531

DNA-modified electrodes (Ⅶ)——Preparation and characterization of DNA-bonded and DNA-adsorbed SAM/Au electrodes

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

陆琪; 庞代文; 胡深; 程介克; 蔡雄伟; 施财辉; 毛秉伟; 戴鸿平

1999-01-01

Two kinds of DNA-modified electrodes were prepared by covalent and adsorptive immobilization of DNA onto self-assembled monolayers of 2, 2’-dithiodiethanol on gold electrodes and characterized by cyclic voltammetry, Xray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. The results suggest that the methods are satisfactory for the immobilization of DNA on electrodes.

Adenoviral DNA replication: DNA sequences and enzymes required for initiation in vitro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stillman, B.W.; Tamanoi, F.

1983-01-01

In this paper evidence is provided that the 140,000-dalton DNA polymerase is encoded by the adenoviral genome and is required for the initiation of DNA replication in vitro. The DNA sequences in the template DNA that are required for the initiation of replication have also been identified, using both plasmid DNAs and synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotides. 48 references, 7 figures, 1 table

Adoptive cancer immunotherapy using DNA-demethylated T helper cells as antigen-presenting cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirkin, Alexei F.; Dzhandzhugazyan, Karine N.; Guldberg, Per

2018-01-01

In cancer cells, cancer/testis (CT) antigens become epigenetically derepressed through DNA demethylation and constitute attractive targets for cancer immunotherapy. Here we report that activated CD4+ T helper cells treated with a DNA-demethylating agent express a broad repertoire of endogenous CT...... antigens and can be used as antigen-presenting cells to generate autologous cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and natural killer cells. In vitro, activated CTLs induce HLA-restricted lysis of tumor cells of different histological types, as well as cells expressing single CT antigens. In a phase 1 trial of 25...... patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme, cytotoxic lymphocytes homed to the tumor, with tumor regression ongoing in three patients for 14, 22, and 27 months, respectively. No treatment-related adverse effects were observed. This proof-of-principle study shows that tumor-reactive effector cells can...

GC-Rich Extracellular DNA Induces Oxidative Stress, Double-Strand DNA Breaks, and DNA Damage Response in Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kostyuk, Svetlana; Smirnova, Tatiana; Kameneva, Larisa; Porokhovnik, Lev; Speranskij, Anatolij; Ershova, Elizaveta; Stukalov, Sergey; Izevskaya, Vera; Veiko, Natalia

2015-01-01

Cell free DNA (cfDNA) circulates throughout the bloodstream of both healthy people and patients with various diseases. CfDNA is substantially enriched in its GC-content as compared with human genomic DNA. Exposure of haMSCs to GC-DNA induces short-term oxidative stress (determined with H2DCFH-DA) and results in both single- and double-strand DNA breaks (comet assay and γH2AX, foci). As a result in the cells significantly increases the expression of repair genes (BRCA1 (RT-PCR), PCNA (FACS)) and antiapoptotic genes (BCL2 (RT-PCR and FACS), BCL2A1, BCL2L1, BIRC3, and BIRC2 (RT-PCR)). Under the action of GC-DNA the potential of mitochondria was increased. Here we show that GC-rich extracellular DNA stimulates adipocyte differentiation of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (haMSCs). Exposure to GC-DNA leads to an increase in the level of RNAPPARG2 and LPL (RT-PCR), in the level of fatty acid binding protein FABP4 (FACS analysis) and in the level of fat (Oil Red O). GC-rich fragments in the pool of cfDNA can potentially induce oxidative stress and DNA damage response and affect the direction of mesenchymal stem cells differentiation in human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Such a response may be one of the causes of obesity or osteoporosis.

In vitro DNA binding studies of lenalidomide using spectroscopic in combination with molecular docking techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Liang; Hu, Yan-Xi; Li, Yan-Cheng; Zhang, Li; Ai, Hai-Xin; Liu, Yu-Feng; Liu, Hong-Sheng

2018-02-01

In the present work, the binding interaction between lenalidomide (LEN) and calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) was systematically studied by using fluorescence, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies under imitated physiological conditions (pH = 7.4) coupled with molecular docking. It was found that LEN was bound to ct-DNA with high binding affinity (Ka = 2.308 × 105 M-1 at 283 K) through groove binding as evidenced by a slight decrease in the absorption intensity in combination with CD spectra. Thermodynamic parameters (ΔG 0 and ΔS interaction. Furthermore, competitive binding experiments with ethidium bromide and 4‧, 6-dia-midino-2-phenylindoleas probes showed that LEN could preferentially bind in the minor groove of double-stranded DNA. The average lifetime of LEN was calculated to be 7.645 ns. The φ of LEN was measured as 0.09 and non-radiation energy transfer between LEN and DNA had occurred. The results of the molecular docking were consistent with the experimental results. This study explored the potential applicability of the spectroscopic properties of LEN and also investigated its interactions with relevant biological targets. In addition, it will provide some theoretical references for the deep research of simultaneous administration of LEN with other drugs.

DNA-imprinted polymer nanoparticles with monodispersity and prescribed DNA-strand patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Trinh, Tuan; Liao, Chenyi; Toader, Violeta; Barłóg, Maciej; Bazzi, Hassan S.; Li, Jianing; Sleiman, Hanadi F.

2018-02-01

As colloidal self-assembly increasingly approaches the complexity of natural systems, an ongoing challenge is to generate non-centrosymmetric structures. For example, patchy, Janus or living crystallization particles have significantly advanced the area of polymer assembly. It has remained difficult, however, to devise polymer particles that associate in a directional manner, with controlled valency and recognition motifs. Here, we present a method to transfer DNA patterns from a DNA cage to a polymeric nanoparticle encapsulated inside the cage in three dimensions. The resulting DNA-imprinted particles (DIPs), which are 'moulded' on the inside of the DNA cage, consist of a monodisperse crosslinked polymer core with a predetermined pattern of different DNA strands covalently 'printed' on their exterior, and further assemble with programmability and directionality. The number, orientation and sequence of DNA strands grafted onto the polymeric core can be controlled during the process, and the strands are addressable independently of each other.

Photocleavage of DNA: irradiation of quinone-containing reagents converts supercoiled to linear DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kock, T.; Schuster, G.B.; Ropp, J.D.; Sligar, S.G.

1993-01-01

Irradiation (350 nm) of air-saturated solutions of reagents containing an anthraquinone group linked to quaternary alkyl ammonium groups converts supercoiled DNA to circular and to linear DNA. Generation of linear DNA does not occur by accumulation of numerous single-strand cuts but by coincident-site double-strand cleavage of DNA. Irradiation forms the triplet state of the anthraquinone, which reacts either by hydrogen atom abstraction from a sugar of DNA or by electron transfer from a base of the DNA. Subsequent reactions result in chain scission. The quinone is apparently reformed after this sequence and reirradiation leads to double-strand cleavage. (Author)

The cutting edges in DNA repair, licensing, and fidelity: DNA and RNA repair nucleases sculpt DNA to measure twice, cut once.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsutakawa, Susan E; Lafrance-Vanasse, Julien; Tainer, John A

2014-07-01

To avoid genome instability, DNA repair nucleases must precisely target the correct damaged substrate before they are licensed to incise. Damage identification is a challenge for all DNA damage response proteins, but especially for nucleases that cut the DNA and necessarily create a cleaved DNA repair intermediate, likely more toxic than the initial damage. How do these enzymes achieve exquisite specificity without specific sequence recognition or, in some cases, without a non-canonical DNA nucleotide? Combined structural, biochemical, and biological analyses of repair nucleases are revealing their molecular tools for damage verification and safeguarding against inadvertent incision. Surprisingly, these enzymes also often act on RNA, which deserves more attention. Here, we review protein-DNA structures for nucleases involved in replication, base excision repair, mismatch repair, double strand break repair (DSBR), and telomere maintenance: apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1), Endonuclease IV (Nfo), tyrosyl DNA phosphodiesterase (TDP2), UV Damage endonuclease (UVDE), very short patch repair endonuclease (Vsr), Endonuclease V (Nfi), Flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1), exonuclease 1 (Exo1), RNase T and Meiotic recombination 11 (Mre11). DNA and RNA structure-sensing nucleases are essential to life with roles in DNA replication, repair, and transcription. Increasingly these enzymes are employed as advanced tools for synthetic biology and as targets for cancer prognosis and interventions. Currently their structural biology is most fully illuminated for DNA repair, which is also essential to life. How DNA repair enzymes maintain genome fidelity is one of the DNA double helix secrets missed by James Watson and Francis Crick, that is only now being illuminated though structural biology and mutational analyses. Structures reveal motifs for repair nucleases and mechanisms whereby these enzymes follow the old carpenter adage: measure twice, cut once. Furthermore, to measure

Inhibition of DNA replication, DNA repair synthesis, and DNA polymerases α and δ by butylphenyl deoxyguanosine triphosphate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dreslor, S.L.; Frattini, M.G.

1987-01-01

Semiconservative DNA replication in growing mammalian cells and ultraviolet (UV)-induced DNA repair synthesis in nongrowing mammalian cells are mediated by one or both of the aphidicolin-sensitive DNA polymerases, α and/or δ. They have studied the inhibition of replication and repair synthesis in permeable human cells by N 2 (p-n-butylphenyl)-2'-deoxyguanosine-5'-triphosphate (BuPh dGTP), an agent which inhibits polymerase α strongly and polymerase δ weakly. Both processes are inhibited by BuPh-dGTP in competition with dGTP. The K/sub i/'s are, for replication, 2-3 μM and, for repair synthesis, 3-4 μM, consistent with the involvement of the same DNA polymerase in both processes. Inhibition of isolated human polymerase α by BuPh-dGTP is also competitive with dGTP, but the K/sub i/ is approximately 10 nM, several hundred-fold lower than the K/sub i/'s of replication and repair synthesis. Isolated polymerase δ is inhibited by BuPh-dGTP at doses similar to those which inhibit replication and repair synthesis, however, attempts to determine the K/sub i/ of polymerase δ were hampered by the finding that the dependence of δ activity on deoxyribunucleotide concentration is parabolic at low doses. This behavior differs from the behavior of polymerase α and of cellular DNA replication and repair synthesis, all of which show a simple, hyperbolic relationship between activity and deoxyribonucleotide concentration. Thus, inhibition of DNA replication and UV induced DNA repair synthesis by BuPh dGTP is quantitatively similar to DNA polymerase δ, but some other characteristics of the cellular processes are more similar to those of polymerase α

Superimposed Code Theorectic Analysis of DNA Codes and DNA Computing

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-01

that the hybridization that occurs between a DNA strand and its Watson - Crick complement can be used to perform mathematical computation. This research...ssDNA single stranded DNA WC Watson – Crick A Adenine C Cytosine G Guanine T Thymine ... Watson - Crick (WC) duplex, e.g., TCGCA TCGCA . Note that non-WC duplexes can form and such a formation is called a cross-hybridization. Cross

Physical association of pyrimidine dimer DNA glycosylase and apurinic/apyrimidinic DNA endonuclease essential for repair of ultraviolet-damaged DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakabeppu, Y.; Sekiguchi, M.

1981-01-01

T4 endonuclease, which is involved in repair of uv-damaged DNA, has been purified to apparent physical homogeneity. Incubation of uv-irradiated poly(dA).poly(dT) with the purified enzyme preparations resulted in production of alkali-labile apyrimidinic sites, followed by formation of nicks in the polymer. By performing a limited reaction with T4 endonuclease V at pH 8.5, irradiated polymer was converted to an intermediate form that carried a large number of alkali-labile sites but only a few nicks. The intermediate was used as substrate for the assay of apurinic/apyrimidinic DNA endonuclease activity. The two activities, a pyrimidine dimer DNA glycosylase and an apurinic/apyrimidinic DNA endonuclease, were copurified and found in enzyme preparations that contained only a 16,000-dalton polypeptide. These results strongly suggested that a DNA glycosylase specific for pyrimidine dimers and an apurinic/apyrimidinic DNA endonuclease reside in a single polypeptide chain coded by the denV gene of bacteriophage T4

Tolerance of DNA Mismatches in Dmc1 Recombinase-mediated DNA Strand Exchange*

Science.gov (United States)

Borgogno, María V.; Monti, Mariela R.; Zhao, Weixing; Sung, Patrick; Argaraña, Carlos E.; Pezza, Roberto J.

2016-01-01

Recombination between homologous chromosomes is required for the faithful meiotic segregation of chromosomes and leads to the generation of genetic diversity. The conserved meiosis-specific Dmc1 recombinase catalyzes homologous recombination triggered by DNA double strand breaks through the exchange of parental DNA sequences. Although providing an efficient rate of DNA strand exchange between polymorphic alleles, Dmc1 must also guard against recombination between divergent sequences. How DNA mismatches affect Dmc1-mediated DNA strand exchange is not understood. We have used fluorescence resonance energy transfer to study the mechanism of Dmc1-mediated strand exchange between DNA oligonucleotides with different degrees of heterology. The efficiency of strand exchange is highly sensitive to the location, type, and distribution of mismatches. Mismatches near the 3′ end of the initiating DNA strand have a small effect, whereas most mismatches near the 5′ end impede strand exchange dramatically. The Hop2-Mnd1 protein complex stimulates Dmc1-catalyzed strand exchange on homologous DNA or containing a single mismatch. We observed that Dmc1 can reject divergent DNA sequences while bypassing a few mismatches in the DNA sequence. Our findings have important implications in understanding meiotic recombination. First, Dmc1 acts as an initial barrier for heterologous recombination, with the mismatch repair system providing a second level of proofreading, to ensure that ectopic sequences are not recombined. Second, Dmc1 stepping over infrequent mismatches is likely critical for allowing recombination between the polymorphic sequences of homologous chromosomes, thus contributing to gene conversion and genetic diversity. PMID:26709229

Duration of polymerase chain reaction-detectable DNA after treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis infections in women.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, James A; Ofner, Susan; Batteiger, Byron E; Fortenberry, J Dennis; Van Der Pol, Barbara

2014-03-01

To avoid positive results attributable to residual DNA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends avoiding repeat testing with nucleic-acid based tests within 3 weeks after treatment of chlamydial (Chlamydia trachomatis [CT]) or gonococcal (Neisseria gonorrhoeae [GC]) infection. We retrospectively analyzed the duration of detectable DNA from a longitudinal cohort of adolescent women after diagnosis and treatment of infection with CT, GC, or Trichomonas vaginalis (TV). Vaginal swabs were obtained weekly from young women for up to 12 weeks (observation period) after treatment of CT, GC and TV infections. Swabs were tested using a commercially available first generation nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) for CT and GC, and a laboratory developed NAAT for TV. Kaplan-Meier statistics were used to estimate median time to the first negative DNA-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) result. Observation periods were available for analysis for 195, 82 and 102 treatments for CT, GC, and TV infection, respectively. Median time to a first negative PCR result for CT, GC, and TV was 9 (range 0-84), 6 (0-76), and 7 (0-84) days, and by day 21, 89%, 95%, and 85% were negative, respectively. Data from this retrospective analysis indicate that greater than 85% of these young women did not have detectable CT, GC, or TV DNA by day 21 post-treatment. This data may be useful to clinicians for patient management and post-treatment testing purposes.

[Molecular dynamics of immune complex of photoadduct-containing DNA with Fab-Anti-DNA antibody fragment].

Science.gov (United States)

Akberova, N I; Zhmurov, A A; Nevzorova, T A; Litvinov, R I

2016-01-01

Antibodies to DNA play an important role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. The elucidation of structural mechanisms of both the antigen recognition and the interaction of anti-DNA antibodies with DNA will help to understand the role of DNA-containing immune complexes in various pathologies and can provide a basis for new treatment modalities. Moreover, the DNA-antibody complex is an analog of specific intracellular DNA-protein interactions. In this work, we used in silico molecular dynamic simulations of bimolecular complexes of the dsDNA segment containing the Fab fragment of an anti-DNA antibody to obtain the detailed thermodynamic and structural characteristics of dynamic intermolecular interactions. Using computationally modified crystal structure of the Fab-DNA complex (PDB ID: 3VW3), we studied the equilibrium molecular dynamics of the 64M-5 antibody Fab fragment associated with the dsDNA fragment containing the thymine dimer, the product of DNA photodamage. Amino acid residues that constitute paratopes and the complementary nucleotide epitopes for the Fab-DNA construct were identified. Stacking and electrostatic interactions were found to play the main role in mediating the most specific antibody-dsDNA contacts, while hydrogen bonds were less significant. These findings may shed light on the formation and properties of pathogenic anti-DNA antibodies in autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus associated with skin photosensitivity and DNA photodamage.

Neratinib Efficacy and Circulating Tumor DNA Detection of HER2 Mutations in HER2 Nonamplified Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Cynthia X; Bose, Ron; Gao, Feng; Freedman, Rachel A; Telli, Melinda L; Kimmick, Gretchen; Winer, Eric; Naughton, Michael; Goetz, Matthew P; Russell, Christy; Tripathy, Debu; Cobleigh, Melody; Forero, Andres; Pluard, Timothy J; Anders, Carey; Niravath, Polly Ann; Thomas, Shana; Anderson, Jill; Bumb, Caroline; Banks, Kimberly C; Lanman, Richard B; Bryce, Richard; Lalani, Alshad S; Pfeifer, John; Hayes, Daniel F; Pegram, Mark; Blackwell, Kimberly; Bedard, Philippe L; Al-Kateb, Hussam; Ellis, Matthew J C

2017-10-01

Purpose: Based on promising preclinical data, we conducted a single-arm phase II trial to assess the clinical benefit rate (CBR) of neratinib, defined as complete/partial response (CR/PR) or stable disease (SD) ≥24 weeks, in HER2 mut nonamplified metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), toxicity, and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) HER2 mut detection. Experimental Design: Tumor tissue positive for HER2 mut was required for eligibility. Neratinib was administered 240 mg daily with prophylactic loperamide. ctDNA sequencing was performed retrospectively for 54 patients (14 positive and 40 negative for tumor HER2 mut ). Results: Nine of 381 tumors (2.4%) sequenced centrally harbored HER2 mut (lobular 7.8% vs. ductal 1.6%; P = 0.026). Thirteen additional HER2 mut cases were identified locally. Twenty-one of these 22 HER2 mut cases were estrogen receptor positive. Sixteen patients [median age 58 (31-74) years and three (2-10) prior metastatic regimens] received neratinib. The CBR was 31% [90% confidence interval (CI), 13%-55%], including one CR, one PR, and three SD ≥24 weeks. Median PFS was 16 (90% CI, 8-31) weeks. Diarrhea (grade 2, 44%; grade 3, 25%) was the most common adverse event. Baseline ctDNA sequencing identified the same HER2 mut in 11 of 14 tumor-positive cases (sensitivity, 79%; 90% CI, 53%-94%) and correctly assigned 32 of 32 informative negative cases (specificity, 100%; 90% CI, 91%-100%). In addition, ctDNA HER2 mut variant allele frequency decreased in nine of 11 paired samples at week 4, followed by an increase upon progression. Conclusions: Neratinib is active in HER2 mut , nonamplified MBC. ctDNA sequencing offers a noninvasive strategy to identify patients with HER2 mut cancers for clinical trial participation. Clin Cancer Res; 23(19); 5687-95. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

Sequential addition of short DNA oligos in DNA-polymerase-based synthesis reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, Shea N; Mariella, Jr., Raymond P; Christian, Allen T; Young, Jennifer A; Clague, David S

2013-06-25

A method of preselecting a multiplicity of DNA sequence segments that will comprise the DNA molecule of user-defined sequence, separating the DNA sequence segments temporally, and combining the multiplicity of DNA sequence segments with at least one polymerase enzyme wherein the multiplicity of DNA sequence segments join to produce the DNA molecule of user-defined sequence. Sequence segments may be of length n, where n is an odd integer. In one embodiment the length of desired hybridizing overlap is specified by the user and the sequences and the protocol for combining them are guided by computational (bioinformatics) predictions. In one embodiment sequence segments are combined from multiple reading frames to span the same region of a sequence, so that multiple desired hybridizations may occur with different overlap lengths.

DNA fragmentation in spermatozoa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rex, A S; Aagaard, J.; Fedder, J

2017-01-01

Sperm DNA Fragmentation has been extensively studied for more than a decade. In the 1940s the uniqueness of the spermatozoa protein complex which stabilizes the DNA was discovered. In the fifties and sixties, the association between unstable chromatin structure and subfertility was investigated....... In the seventies, the impact of induced DNA damage was investigated. In the 1980s the concept of sperm DNA fragmentation as related to infertility was introduced as well as the first DNA fragmentation test: the Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay (SCSA). The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick end labelling...... (TUNEL) test followed by others was introduced in the nineties. The association between DNA fragmentation in spermatozoa and pregnancy loss has been extensively investigated spurring the need for a therapeutic tool for these patients. This gave rise to an increased interest in the aetiology of DNA damage...

DNA Knots: Theory and Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Sumners, D. W.

Cellular DNA is a long, thread-like molecule with remarkably complex topology. Enzymes that manipulate the geometry and topology of cellular DNA perform many vital cellular processes (including segregation of daughter chromosomes, gene regulation, DNA repair, and generation of antibody diversity). Some enzymes pass DNA through itself via enzyme-bridged transient breaks in the DNA; other enzymes break the DNA apart and reconnect it to different ends. In the topological approach to enzymology, circular DNA is incubated with an enzyme, producing an enzyme signature in the form of DNA knots and links. By observing the changes in DNA geometry (supercoiling) and topology (knotting and linking) due to enzyme action, the enzyme binding and mechanism can often be characterized. This paper will discuss some personal research history, and the tangle model for the analysis of site-specific recombination experiments on circular DNA.

GC-Rich Extracellular DNA Induces Oxidative Stress, Double-Strand DNA Breaks, and DNA Damage Response in Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

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Svetlana Kostyuk

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Cell free DNA (cfDNA circulates throughout the bloodstream of both healthy people and patients with various diseases. CfDNA is substantially enriched in its GC-content as compared with human genomic DNA. Principal Findings. Exposure of haMSCs to GC-DNA induces short-term oxidative stress (determined with H2DCFH-DA and results in both single- and double-strand DNA breaks (comet assay and γH2AX, foci. As a result in the cells significantly increases the expression of repair genes (BRCA1 (RT-PCR, PCNA (FACS and antiapoptotic genes (BCL2 (RT-PCR and FACS, BCL2A1, BCL2L1, BIRC3, and BIRC2 (RT-PCR. Under the action of GC-DNA the potential of mitochondria was increased. Here we show that GC-rich extracellular DNA stimulates adipocyte differentiation of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (haMSCs. Exposure to GC-DNA leads to an increase in the level of RNAPPARG2 and LPL (RT-PCR, in the level of fatty acid binding protein FABP4 (FACS analysis and in the level of fat (Oil Red O. Conclusions. GC-rich fragments in the pool of cfDNA can potentially induce oxidative stress and DNA damage response and affect the direction of mesenchymal stem cells differentiation in human adipose—derived mesenchymal stem cells. Such a response may be one of the causes of obesity or osteoporosis.

Effect of DNA polymerase inhibitors on DNA repair in intact and permeable human fibroblasts: Evidence that DNA polymerases δ and β are involved in DNA repair synthesis induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammond, R.A.; Miller, M.R.; McClung, J.K.

1990-01-01

The involvement of DNA polymerases α, β, and δ in DNA repair synthesis induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) was investigated in human fibroblasts (HF). The effects of anti-(DNA polymerase α) monoclonal antibody, (p-n-butylphenyl)deoxyguanosine triphosphate (BuPdGTP), dideoxythymidine triphosphate (ddTTP), and aphidicolin on MNNG-induced DNA repair synthesis were investigated to dissect the roles of the different DNA polymerases. A subcellular system (permeable cells), in which DNA repair synthesis and DNA replication were differentiated by CsCl gradient centrifugation of BrdUMP density-labeled DNA, was used to examine the effects of the polymerase inhibitors. Another approach investigated the effects of several of these inhibitors of MNNG-induced DNA repair synthesis in intact cells by measuring the amount of [ 3 H]thymidine incorporated into repair DNA as determined by autoradiography and quantitation with an automated video image analysis system. In permeable cells, MNNG-induced DNA repair synthesis was inhibited 56% by 50 μg of aphidicolin/mL, 6% by 10 μM BuPdGTP, 13% by anti-(DNA polymerse α) monoclonal antibodies, and 29% by ddTTP. In intact cells, MNNG-induced DNA repair synthesis was inhibited 57% by 50 μg of aphidicolin/mL and was not significantly inhibited by microinjecting anti-(DNA polymerase α) antibodies into HF nuclei. These results indicate that both DNA polymerase δ and β are involved in repairing DNA damage caused by MNNG

Simulation of 125I-induced DNA strand breaks in a CAP-DNA complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, W.; Friedland, W.; Jacob, P.

2000-01-01

DNA strand breakage induced by decay of 125 I incorporated into the pyrimidine of a small piece of DNA with a specific base pair sequence has been investigated theoretically and experimentally (Lobachevsky and Martin 2000a, 2000b; Nikjoo et al., 1996; Pomplun and Terrissol, 1994; Charlton and Humm, 1988). Recently an attempt was made to analyse the DNA kinks in a CAP-DNA complex with 125 I induced DNA strand breakage (Karamychev et al., 1999). This method could be used as a so called radioprobing for such DNa distortions like other chemical and biological assays, provided that it has been tested and confirmed in a corresponding theoretical simulation. In the measurement, the distribution of the first breaks on the DNA strands starting from their labeled end can be determined. Based on such first breakage distributions, the simulation calculation could then be used to derive information on the structure of a given DNA-protein complex. The biophysical model PARTRAC has been applied successfully in simulating DNA damage induced by irradiation (Friedland et al., 1998; 1999). In the present study PARTRAC is adapted to a DNA-protein complex in which a specific sequence of 30 base pairs of DNA is connected with the catabolite gene activator protein (CAP). This report presents the first step of the analysis in which the CAP-DNA model used in NIH is overlaid with electron track structures in liquid water and the strand breaks due to direct ionization and due to radical attack are simulated. The second step will be to take into account the neutralization of the heavily charged tellurium and the protective effect of the CAP protein against radical attack. (orig.)

Mechanistic Studies with DNA Polymerases Reveal Complex Outcomes following Bypass of DNA Damage

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Robert L. Eoff

2010-01-01

Full Text Available DNA is a chemically reactive molecule that is subject to many different covalent modifications from sources that are both endogenous and exogenous in origin. The inherent instability of DNA is a major obstacle to genomic maintenance and contributes in varying degrees to cellular dysfunction and disease in multi-cellular organisms. Investigations into the chemical and biological aspects of DNA damage have identified multi-tiered and overlapping cellular systems that have evolved as a means of stabilizing the genome. One of these pathways supports DNA replication events by in a sense adopting the mantra that one must “make the best of a bad situation” and tolerating covalent modification to DNA through less accurate copying of the damaged region. Part of this so-called DNA damage tolerance pathway involves the recruitment of specialized DNA polymerases to sites of stalled or collapsed replication forks. These enzymes have unique structural and functional attributes that often allow bypass of adducted template DNA and successful completion of genomic replication. What follows is a selective description of the salient structural features and bypass properties of specialized DNA polymerases with an emphasis on Y-family members.

DNA repair and cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rathore, Shakuntla; Joshi, Pankaj Kumar; Gaur, Sudha

2012-01-01

DNA repair refers to a collection of processes by which a cell identifies and corrects damage to the DNA molecule that encode it's genome. In human cells, both normal metabolic activities and environmental factors such as UV light and radiation can cause DNA damage, resulting in as many one million individual molecular lesions per day. Many of these lesions cause structural damage to the DNA molecule and can alter or eliminate the cell's ability to transcribe the gene that the affected DNA encodes. Other lesions include potentially harmful mutation in cell's genome which affect the survival of it's daughter cells after it undergoes mitosis. As a consequence, the DNA repair process is constantly active as it responds to damage in the DNA structure. Inherited mutation that affect DNA repair genes are strongly associated with high cancer risks in humans. Hereditary non polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is strongly associated with specific mutation in the DNA mismatch repair pathway. BRCA1, BRCA2 two famous mutation conferring a hugely increased risk of breast cancer on carrier, are both associated with a large number of DNA repair pathway, especially NHEJ and homologous recombination. Cancer therapy procedures such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy work by overwhelming the capacity of the cell to repair DNA damage, resulting in cell death. Cells that are most rapidly dividing most typically cancer cells are preferentially affected. The side effect is that other non-cancerous but rapidly dividing cells such as stem cells in the bone marrow are also affected. Modern cancer treatment attempt to localize the DNA damage to cells and tissue only associated with cancer, either by physical means (concentrating the therapeutic agent in the region of the tumor) or by biochemical means (exploiting a feature unique to cancer cells in the body). (author)

Repeated DNA sequences in fungi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dutta, S K

1974-11-01

Several fungal species, representatives of all broad groups like basidiomycetes, ascomycetes and phycomycetes, were examined for the nature of repeated DNA sequences by DNA:DNA reassociation studies using hydroxyapatite chromatography. All of the fungal species tested contained 10 to 20 percent repeated DNA sequences. There are approximately 100 to 110 copies of repeated DNA sequences of approximately 4 x 10/sup 7/ daltons piece size of each. Repeated DNA sequence homoduplexes showed on average 5/sup 0/C difference of T/sub e/50 (temperature at which 50 percent duplexes dissociate) values from the corresponding homoduplexes of unfractionated whole DNA. It is suggested that a part of repetitive sequences in fungi constitutes mitochondrial DNA and a part of it constitutes nuclear DNA. (auth)

Involvement of DNA gyrase in replication and transcription of bacteriophage T7 DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Wyngaert, M.A.; Hinkle, D.C.

1979-01-01

Growth of bacteriophage T7 is inhibited by the antibiotic coumermycin A 1 , an inhibitor of the Escherichia coli DNA gyrase. Since growth of the phage is insensitive to the antibiotic in strains containing a coumermycin-resistent DNA gyrase, this enzyme appears to be required for phage growth. We have investigated the effect of coumermycin on the kinetics of DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis during T7 infection. DNA synthesis is completely inhibited by the antibiotic. In addition, coumermycin significantly inhibits transcription of late but not early genes. Thus, E. coli DNA gyrase may play an important role in transcription as well as in replication of T7 DNA

Effect of Temperature on Topological States of Circular DNA

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Yang-Tao; Li, Xiu-Yan; Liu, Yan-Hui; Chen, Hu

2017-07-01

The different topological states of circular double-stranded DNA can be defined by their linking number. The equilibrium distribution of linking number can be obtained by circularizing a linear DNA into a circle by ligase. Based on the recent experimental results that the DNA bending rigidity and twist rigidity strongly depend on temperature, the reduced bending rigidity can be approximated by g=(3.19× {10}-19-T\\cdot 4.14× {10}-22) {erg}\\cdot {cm} over the temperature interval (5 ∼ 53) °C, and the temperature dependence of twist rigidity can be fitted by C(T)=(4588.89{exp} (-T/117.04)-251.33) nm. The temperature dependence of the linking number distribution of circular DNAs can be predicted by using Monte Carlo simulation. The variance of linking number distribution on temperature is in accordance with the previous experimental results. Compared with the temperature dependence of bending rigidity, the temperature dependence of twist rigidity causes a noticeable fluctuation in linking number distribution and mainly contribute towards the variance change of linking number distribution of circular DNA. The variance of the writhe number and twist number in the equation = + depends on the length of circular DNA. When the length of circular DNA is less than 230 nm, the variance of twist number is dominant over the variance of writhe number ( ), whereas for the condition that the length of the circular DNA is larger than 370 nm. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11047022, 11204045, and 11464004, Guizhou Provincial Tracking Key Program of Social Development (SY20123089, SZ20113069), the General Financial Grant from the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2014M562341), the Research Foundation for Young University Teachers from Guizhou University (201311), and College Innovation Talent Team of Guizhou Province (2014)32

DNA methyltransferase 1 mutations and mitochondrial pathology: is mtDNA methylated?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandra eMaresca

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia, deafness and narcolepsy (ADCA-DN and Hereditary sensory neuropathy with dementia and hearing loss (HSN1E are two rare, overlapping neurodegenerative syndromes that have been recently linked to allelic dominant pathogenic mutations in the DNMT1 gene, coding for DNA (cytosine-5-methyltransferase 1. DNMT1 is the enzyme responsible for maintaining the nuclear genome methylation patterns during the DNA replication and repair, thus regulating gene expression. The mutations responsible for ADCA-DN and HSN1E affect the replication foci targeting sequence domain, which regulates DNMT1 binding to chromatin. DNMT1 dysfunction is anticipated to lead to a global alteration of the DNA methylation pattern with predictable downstream consequences on gene expression. Interestingly, ADCA-DN and HSN1E phenotypes share some clinical features typical of mitochondrial diseases, such as optic atrophy, peripheral neuropathy and deafness, and some biochemical evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction. The recent discovery of a mitochondrial isoform of DNMT1 and its proposed role in methylating mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA suggests that DNMT1 mutations may directly affect mtDNA and mitochondrial physiology. On the basis of this latter finding the link between DNMT1 abnormal activity and mitochondrial dysfunction in ADCA-DN and HSN1E appears intuitive, however mtDNA methylation remains highly debated. In the last years several groups demonstrated the presence of 5-methylcytosine in mtDNA by different approaches, but, on the other end, the opposite evidence that mtDNA is not methylated has also been published. Since over 1500 mitochondrial proteins are encoded by the nuclear genome, the altered methylation of these genes may well have a critical role in leading to the mitochondrial impairment observed in ADCA-DN and HSN1E. Thus, many open questions still remain unanswered, such as why mtDNA should be methylated, and how this process is

Estrogen receptor accessory proteins augment receptor-DNA interaction and DNA bending.

Science.gov (United States)

Landel, C C; Potthoff, S J; Nardulli, A M; Kushner, P J; Greene, G L

1997-01-01

Increasing evidence suggests that accessory proteins play an important role in the ability of the estrogen receptor (ER) and other nuclear hormone receptors to modulate transcription when bound to cis-acting hormone response elements in target genes. We have previously shown that four proteins, hsp70, protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) and two unknown proteins (p48 and p45), copurify with ER that has been isolated by site-specific DNA chromatography (BERE) and influence the interaction of ER with DNA in vitro. To better define the nature of these effects, we used filter binding and electrophoretic mobility shift assays to study the ability of these proteins to alter the kinetics of ER-DNA interaction and to influence the ability of ER to bend DNA when bound to an estrogen response element (ERE). The results of both assays indicate that ERE-purified ER, with its four associated proteins (hsp70, PDI, p48, p45), has a greater ability to bind to the vitellogenin A2 ERE than ER purified by estradiol-Sepharose chromatography in the absence (ESeph) or presence (EATP) of ATP, in which p48, p45 (ESeph) and hsp70 (EATP) are removed. Surprisingly, the rates of association and dissociation of ER and ERE were essentially the same for all three mixtures, suggesting that one or more ER-associated proteins, especially p45 and p48, may be required for ER to attain maximum DNA binding activity. In addition, circular permutation and phasing analyses demonstrated that the same ER-associated proteins produced higher order ER-DNA complexes that significantly increased the magnitude of DNA distortion, but did not alter the direction of the ER-induced bend of ERE-containing DNA fragments, which was toward the major groove of the DNA helix. These results suggest that p45 and/or p48 and possibly hsp70, play an important role both in the specific DNA binding and bending activities of ER and thus contribute to the overall stimulation of transcription in target genes that contain cis

Tolerance of DNA Mismatches in Dmc1 Recombinase-mediated DNA Strand Exchange.

Science.gov (United States)

Borgogno, María V; Monti, Mariela R; Zhao, Weixing; Sung, Patrick; Argaraña, Carlos E; Pezza, Roberto J

2016-03-04

Recombination between homologous chromosomes is required for the faithful meiotic segregation of chromosomes and leads to the generation of genetic diversity. The conserved meiosis-specific Dmc1 recombinase catalyzes homologous recombination triggered by DNA double strand breaks through the exchange of parental DNA sequences. Although providing an efficient rate of DNA strand exchange between polymorphic alleles, Dmc1 must also guard against recombination between divergent sequences. How DNA mismatches affect Dmc1-mediated DNA strand exchange is not understood. We have used fluorescence resonance energy transfer to study the mechanism of Dmc1-mediated strand exchange between DNA oligonucleotides with different degrees of heterology. The efficiency of strand exchange is highly sensitive to the location, type, and distribution of mismatches. Mismatches near the 3' end of the initiating DNA strand have a small effect, whereas most mismatches near the 5' end impede strand exchange dramatically. The Hop2-Mnd1 protein complex stimulates Dmc1-catalyzed strand exchange on homologous DNA or containing a single mismatch. We observed that Dmc1 can reject divergent DNA sequences while bypassing a few mismatches in the DNA sequence. Our findings have important implications in understanding meiotic recombination. First, Dmc1 acts as an initial barrier for heterologous recombination, with the mismatch repair system providing a second level of proofreading, to ensure that ectopic sequences are not recombined. Second, Dmc1 stepping over infrequent mismatches is likely critical for allowing recombination between the polymorphic sequences of homologous chromosomes, thus contributing to gene conversion and genetic diversity. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Impact of DNA3'pp5'G capping on repair reactions at DNA 3' ends.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Ushati; Chauleau, Mathieu; Ordonez, Heather; Shuman, Stewart

2014-08-05

Many biological scenarios generate "dirty" DNA 3'-PO4 ends that cannot be sealed by classic DNA ligases or extended by DNA polymerases. The noncanonical ligase RtcB can "cap" these ends via a unique chemical mechanism entailing transfer of GMP from a covalent RtcB-GMP intermediate to a DNA 3'-PO4 to form DNA3'pp5'G. Here, we show that capping protects DNA 3' ends from resection by Escherichia coli exonucleases I and III and from end-healing by T4 polynucleotide 3' phosphatase. By contrast, the cap is an effective primer for DNA synthesis. E. coli DNA polymerase I and Mycobacterium DinB1 extend the DNAppG primer to form an alkali-labile DNApp(rG)pDNA product. The addition of dNTP depends on pairing of the cap guanine with an opposing cytosine in the template strand. Aprataxin, an enzyme implicated in repair of A5'pp5'DNA ends formed during abortive ligation by classic ligases, is highly effective as a DNA 3' decapping enzyme, converting DNAppG to DNA3'p and GMP. We conclude that the biochemical impact of DNA capping is to prevent resection and healing of a 3'-PO4 end, while permitting DNA synthesis, at the price of embedding a ribonucleotide and a pyrophosphate linkage in the repaired strand. Aprataxin affords a means to counter the impact of DNA capping.

DNA Source Selection for Downstream Applications Based on DNA Quality Indicators Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Lucena-Aguilar, Gema; Sánchez-López, Ana María; Barberán-Aceituno, Cristina; Carrillo-Ávila, José Antonio; López-Guerrero, José Antonio

2016-01-01

High-quality human DNA samples and associated information of individuals are necessary for biomedical research. Biobanks act as a support infrastructure for the scientific community by providing a large number of high-quality biological samples for specific downstream applications. For this purpose, biobank methods for sample preparation must ensure the usefulness and long-term functionality of the products obtained. Quality indicators are the tool to measure these parameters, the purity and integrity determination being those specifically used for DNA. This study analyzes the quality indicators in DNA samples derived from 118 frozen human tissues in optimal cutting temperature (OCT) reactive, 68 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues, 119 frozen blood samples, and 26 saliva samples. The results obtained for DNA quality are discussed in association with the usefulness for downstream applications and availability of the DNA source in the target study. In brief, if any material is valid, blood is the most approachable option of prospective collection of samples providing high-quality DNA. However, if diseased tissue is a requisite or samples are available, the recommended source of DNA would be frozen tissue. These conclusions will determine the best source of DNA, according to the planned downstream application. Furthermore our results support the conclusion that a complete procedure of DNA quantification and qualification is necessary to guarantee the appropriate management of the samples, avoiding low confidence results, high costs, and a waste of samples. PMID:27158753

The use of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA-investigations in Forensic Sciences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Dawson

1996-07-01

Full Text Available A variety of methods was developed to characterize mtDNA. The initial aim of these techniques was to try and link diseases with specific mitochondrial defects. As a result of the maternal inheritance trait of mtDNA these techniques facilitate studies of the phylogenetic history and population structure of the human population. It has been shown that mitochondrial DNA typing can be of great value for human identification in forensic cases. The identification of victims of mass-disasters or mass-murders, where human remains can be recovered only after many years have passed, is one of the most challenging fields of forensic identification. By using automated DNA sequencing with fluorescent labels, mitochondrial DNA sequences can be generated rapidly and accurately. Computer software facilitates the rapid comparison of individual and reference sequences.

DNA repair protocols

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjergbæk, Lotte

In its 3rd edition, this Methods in Molecular Biology(TM) book covers the eukaryotic response to genomic insult including advanced protocols and standard techniques in the field of DNA repair. Offers expert guidance for DNA repair, recombination, and replication. Current knowledge of the mechanisms...... that regulate DNA repair has grown significantly over the past years with technology advances such as RNA interference, advanced proteomics and microscopy as well as high throughput screens. The third edition of DNA Repair Protocols covers various aspects of the eukaryotic response to genomic insult including...... recent advanced protocols as well as standard techniques used in the field of DNA repair. Both mammalian and non-mammalian model organisms are covered in the book, and many of the techniques can be applied with only minor modifications to other systems than the one described. Written in the highly...

Environmental DNA (eDNA) Detection Probability Is Influenced by Seasonal Activity of Organisms.

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, Lesley S; Godwin, James C; Renshaw, Mark A; Larson, Eric

2016-01-01

Environmental DNA (eDNA) holds great promise for conservation applications like the monitoring of invasive or imperiled species, yet this emerging technique requires ongoing testing in order to determine the contexts over which it is effective. For example, little research to date has evaluated how seasonality of organism behavior or activity may influence detection probability of eDNA. We applied eDNA to survey for two highly imperiled species endemic to the upper Black Warrior River basin in Alabama, US: the Black Warrior Waterdog (Necturus alabamensis) and the Flattened Musk Turtle (Sternotherus depressus). Importantly, these species have contrasting patterns of seasonal activity, with N. alabamensis more active in the cool season (October-April) and S. depressus more active in the warm season (May-September). We surveyed sites historically occupied by these species across cool and warm seasons over two years with replicated eDNA water samples, which were analyzed in the laboratory using species-specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays. We then used occupancy estimation with detection probability modeling to evaluate both the effects of landscape attributes on organism presence and season of sampling on detection probability of eDNA. Importantly, we found that season strongly affected eDNA detection probability for both species, with N. alabamensis having higher eDNA detection probabilities during the cool season and S. depressus have higher eDNA detection probabilities during the warm season. These results illustrate the influence of organismal behavior or activity on eDNA detection in the environment and identify an important role for basic natural history in designing eDNA monitoring programs.

Synthesis, characterization and interaction of N,N'-dipyridoxyl (1,4-butanediamine) Co(III) salen complex with DNA and HSA

Science.gov (United States)

Janati Fard, F.; Mashhadi Khoshkhoo, Z.; Mirtabatabaei, H.; Housaindokht, M. R.; Jalal, R.; Eshtiagh Hosseini, H.; Bozorgmehr, M. R.; Esmaeili, A. A.; Javan Khoshkholgh, M.

2012-11-01

Co(III) salen complex with N,N'-dipyridoxyl (1,4-butanediamine) Schiff-base ligand as tetradentate ligand was synthesized and characterized by the elemental and spectroscopic analysis. The interaction of this complex with calf thymus DNA (ct DNA) has been investigated in vitro using UV absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy, thermal denaturation and gel electrophoresis techniques. The binding constant has been estimated to be 1 × 104 M-1 using UV absorption. The addition of ct DNA to Co(III) salen solution resulted in a fluorescence quenching. The binding constant and site size binding have been calculated in connection with other experimental observations show that the interactive model between Co(III) salen and ct DNA is an intercalative one. The interaction between plasmid DNA (pTZ57R DNA) and this complex is confirmed by gel electrophoresis studies. Furthermore, the interaction between HSA and Co(III) salen complex was investigated by UV absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular modeling. The binding constant for the interaction of this complex with HSA were found to be 3.854 × 104 M-1 using UV absorption, which was in good agreement with the binding constant obtained from fluorescence method (3.866 × 104 M-1). The binding distance between HSA and this complex was estimated to be 2.48 nm according to Förster theory of non-radioactive energy transfer. Molecular modeling studies suggested that hydrophobic interaction was the predominant intermolecular forces stabilizing Co(III) complex-HSA system.

Selenium nanoparticles synthesized in aqueous extract of Allium sativum perturbs the structural integrity of Calf thymus DNA through intercalation and groove binding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ezhuthupurakkal, Preedia Babu; Polaki, Lokeswara Rao; Suyavaran, Arumugam; Subastri, Ariraman; Sujatha, Venugopal; Thirunavukkarasu, Chinnasamy

2017-01-01

Biomedical application of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) demands the eco-friendly composite for synthesis of SeNPs. The present study reports an aqueous extract of Allium sativum (AqEAS) plug-up the current need. Modern spectroscopic, microscopic and gravimetric techniques were employed to characterize the synthesized nanoparticles. Characterization studies revealed the formation of crystalline spherical shaped SeNPs. FTIR spectrum brings out the presence of different functional groups in AqEAS, which influence the SeNPs formation and stabilization. Furthermore the different aspects of the interaction between SeNPs and CT-DNA were scrutinized by various spectroscopic and cyclic voltametric studies. The results reveals the intercalation and groove binding mode of interaction of SeNPs with stacked base pair of CT-DNA. The Stern–Volmer quenching constant (K SV ) were found to be 7.02 × 10 6 Mˉ 1 (ethidium bromide), 4.22 × 10 6 Mˉ 1 (acridine orange) and 7.6 × 10 6 Mˉ 1 (Hoechst) indicating strong binding of SeNPs with CT–DNA. The SeNPs - CT-DNA interactions were directly visualized by atomic force microscopy. The present study unveils the cost effective, innocuous, highly stable SeNPs intricate mechanism of DNA interaction, which will be a milestone in DNA targeted chemotherapy. - Graphical abstract: Highly stable, innocuous, biocompatible SeNPs nanoparticle has been synthesized using Allium sativum (garlic) extract as reductant. The purity and crystallinity were characterized, further divulge the base pare interaction with Calf –Thymus DNA through various spectroscopic methods and atomic force microscopy. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Synthesis of SeNPs in aqueous extract of Allium sativum. • Characterization of synthesized SeNPs using high throughput techniques. • SeNPs directly interact with CT-DNA through intercalation and groove binding.

Selenium nanoparticles synthesized in aqueous extract of Allium sativum perturbs the structural integrity of Calf thymus DNA through intercalation and groove binding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ezhuthupurakkal, Preedia Babu; Polaki, Lokeswara Rao; Suyavaran, Arumugam; Subastri, Ariraman [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605 014 (India); Sujatha, Venugopal [Department of Chemistry, Periyar University, Salem 636011 (India); Thirunavukkarasu, Chinnasamy, E-mail: tchinnasamy@hotmail.com [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605 014 (India)

2017-05-01

Biomedical application of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) demands the eco-friendly composite for synthesis of SeNPs. The present study reports an aqueous extract of Allium sativum (AqEAS) plug-up the current need. Modern spectroscopic, microscopic and gravimetric techniques were employed to characterize the synthesized nanoparticles. Characterization studies revealed the formation of crystalline spherical shaped SeNPs. FTIR spectrum brings out the presence of different functional groups in AqEAS, which influence the SeNPs formation and stabilization. Furthermore the different aspects of the interaction between SeNPs and CT-DNA were scrutinized by various spectroscopic and cyclic voltametric studies. The results reveals the intercalation and groove binding mode of interaction of SeNPs with stacked base pair of CT-DNA. The Stern–Volmer quenching constant (K{sub SV}) were found to be 7.02 × 10{sup 6} Mˉ{sup 1} (ethidium bromide), 4.22 × 10{sup 6} Mˉ{sup 1} (acridine orange) and 7.6 × 10{sup 6} Mˉ{sup 1} (Hoechst) indicating strong binding of SeNPs with CT–DNA. The SeNPs - CT-DNA interactions were directly visualized by atomic force microscopy. The present study unveils the cost effective, innocuous, highly stable SeNPs intricate mechanism of DNA interaction, which will be a milestone in DNA targeted chemotherapy. - Graphical abstract: Highly stable, innocuous, biocompatible SeNPs nanoparticle has been synthesized using Allium sativum (garlic) extract as reductant. The purity and crystallinity were characterized, further divulge the base pare interaction with Calf –Thymus DNA through various spectroscopic methods and atomic force microscopy. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Synthesis of SeNPs in aqueous extract of Allium sativum. • Characterization of synthesized SeNPs using high throughput techniques. • SeNPs directly interact with CT-DNA through intercalation and groove binding.

Phylogenetic Analysis of Shewanella Strains by DNA Relatedness Derived from Whole Genome Microarray DNA-DNA Hybridization and Comparisons with Other Methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Liyou; Yi, T.Y.; Van Nostrand, Joy; Zhou, Jizhong

2010-01-01

Phylogenetic analyses were done for the Shewanella strains isolated from Baltic Sea (38 strains), US DOE Hanford Uranium bioremediation site (Hanford Reach of the Columbia River (HRCR), 11 strains), Pacific Ocean and Hawaiian sediments (8 strains), and strains from other resources (16 strains) with three out group strains, Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Clostridium cellulolyticum, and Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus X514, using DNA relatedness derived from WCGA-based DNA-DNA hybridizations, sequence similarities of 16S rRNA gene and gyrB gene, and sequence similarities of 6 loci of Shewanella genome selected from a shared gene list of the Shewanella strains with whole genome sequenced based on the average nucleotide identity of them (ANI). The phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA and gyrB gene sequences, and DNA relatedness derived from WCGA hybridizations of the tested Shewanella strains share exactly the same sub-clusters with very few exceptions, in which the strains were basically grouped by species. However, the phylogenetic analysis based on DNA relatedness derived from WCGA hybridizations dramatically increased the differentiation resolution at species and strains level within Shewanella genus. When the tree based on DNA relatedness derived from WCGA hybridizations was compared to the tree based on the combined sequences of the selected functional genes (6 loci), we found that the resolutions of both methods are similar, but the clustering of the tree based on DNA relatedness derived from WMGA hybridizations was clearer. These results indicate that WCGA-based DNA-DNA hybridization is an idea alternative of conventional DNA-DNA hybridization methods and it is superior to the phylogenetics methods based on sequence similarities of single genes. Detailed analysis is being performed for the re-classification of the strains examined.

Phylogenetic Analysis of Shewanella Strains by DNA Relatedness Derived from Whole Genome Microarray DNA-DNA Hybridization and Comparison with Other Methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Liyou; Yi, T. Y.; Van Nostrand, Joy; Zhou, Jizhong

2010-05-17

Phylogenetic analyses were done for the Shewanella strains isolated from Baltic Sea (38 strains), US DOE Hanford Uranium bioremediation site [Hanford Reach of the Columbia River (HRCR), 11 strains], Pacific Ocean and Hawaiian sediments (8 strains), and strains from other resources (16 strains) with three out group strains, Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Clostridium cellulolyticum, and Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus X514, using DNA relatedness derived from WCGA-based DNA-DNA hybridizations, sequence similarities of 16S rRNA gene and gyrB gene, and sequence similarities of 6 loci of Shewanella genome selected from a shared gene list of the Shewanella strains with whole genome sequenced based on the average nucleotide identity of them (ANI). The phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA and gyrB gene sequences, and DNA relatedness derived from WCGA hybridizations of the tested Shewanella strains share exactly the same sub-clusters with very few exceptions, in which the strains were basically grouped by species. However, the phylogenetic analysis based on DNA relatedness derived from WCGA hybridizations dramatically increased the differentiation resolution at species and strains level within Shewanella genus. When the tree based on DNA relatedness derived from WCGA hybridizations was compared to the tree based on the combined sequences of the selected functional genes (6 loci), we found that the resolutions of both methods are similar, but the clustering of the tree based on DNA relatedness derived from WMGA hybridizations was clearer. These results indicate that WCGA-based DNA-DNA hybridization is an idea alternative of conventional DNA-DNA hybridization methods and it is superior to the phylogenetics methods based on sequence similarities of single genes. Detailed analysis is being performed for the re-classification of the strains examined.

Surface-assisted DNA self-assembly: An enzyme-free strategy towards formation of branched DNA lattice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhanjadeo, Madhabi M.; Nayak, Ashok K.; Subudhi, Umakanta

2017-01-01

DNA based self-assembled nanostructures and DNA origami has proven useful for organizing nanomaterials with firm precision. However, for advanced applications like nanoelectronics and photonics, large-scale organization of self-assembled branched DNA (bDNA) into periodic lattices is desired. In this communication for the first time we report a facile method of self-assembly of Y-shaped bDNA nanostructures on the cationic surface of Aluminum (Al) foil to prepare periodic two dimensional (2D) bDNA lattice. Particularly those Y-shaped bDNA structures having smaller overhangs and unable to self-assemble in solution, they are easily assembled on the surface of Al foil in the absence of ligase. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis shows homogenous distribution of two-dimensional bDNA lattices across the Al foil. When the assembled bDNA structures were recovered from the Al foil and electrophoresed in nPAGE only higher order polymeric bDNA structures were observed without a trace of monomeric structures which confirms the stability and high yield of the bDNA lattices. Therefore, this enzyme-free economic and efficient strategy for developing bDNA lattices can be utilized in assembling various nanomaterials for functional molecular components towards development of DNA based self-assembled nanodevices. - Highlights: • Al foil surface-assisted self-assembly of monomeric structures into larger branched DNA lattice. • FESEM study confirms the uniform distribution of two-dimensional bDNA lattice structures across the surface of Al foil. • Enzyme-free and economic strategy to prepare higher order structures from simpler DNA nanostructures have been confirmed by recovery assay. • Use of well proven sequences for the preparation of pure Y-shaped monomeric DNA nanostructure with high yield.

PDB4DNA: Implementation of DNA geometry from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) description for Geant4-DNA Monte-Carlo simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Delage, E.; Pham, Q. T.; Karamitros, M.; Payno, H.; Stepan, V.; Incerti, S.; Maigne, L.; Perrot, Y.

2015-07-01

This paper describes PDB4DNA, a new Geant4 user application, based on an independent, cross-platform, free and open source C++ library, so-called PDBlib, which enables use of atomic level description of DNA molecule in Geant4 Monte Carlo particle transport simulations. For the evaluation of direct damage induced on the DNA molecule by ionizing particles, the application makes use of an algorithm able to determine the closest atom in the DNA molecule to energy depositions. Both the PDB4DNA application and the PDBlib library are available as free and open source under the Geant4 license.

DNA glue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Filichev, Vyacheslav V; Astakhova, Irina V.; Malakhov, Andrei D.

2008-01-01

Significant alterations in thermal stability of parallel DNA triplexes and antiparallel duplexes were observed upon changing the attachment of ethynylpyrenes from para to ortho in the structure of phenylmethylglycerol inserted as a bulge into DNA (TINA). Insertions of two ortho-TINAs as a pseudo...

SIRT6 stabilizes DNA-dependent protein kinase at chromatin for DNA double-strand break repair

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McCord, Ronald A; Michishita, Eriko; Hong, Tao

2009-01-01

-PKcs) to chromatin in response to DNA damage and stabilizes DNA-PKcs at chromatin adjacent to an induced site-specific DSB. Abrogation of these SIRT6 activities leads to impaired resolution of DSBs. Together, these findings elucidate a mechanism whereby regulation of dynamic interaction of a DNA repair factor......-dependent protein kinase) and promotes DNA DSB repair. In response to DSBs, SIRT6 associates dynamically with chromatin and is necessary for an acute decrease in global cellular acetylation levels on histone H3 Lysine 9. Moreover, SIRT6 is required for mobilization of the DNA-PK catalytic subunit (DNA......, and SIRT6 knockout cells exhibit genomic instability and DNA damage hypersensitivity. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these defects are not fully understood. Here, we show that SIRT6 forms a macromolecular complex with the DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair factor DNA-PK (DNA...

Electrochemical behavior of antioxidants: Part 3. Electrochemical studies of caffeic Acid–DNA interaction and DNA/carbon nanotube biosensor for DNA damage and protection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Refat Abdel-Hamid

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Multi-walled carbon nanotubes-modified glassy carbon electrode biosensor was used for electrochemical studies of caffeic acid–dsDNA interaction in phosphate buffer solution at pH 2.12. Caffeic acid, CAF, shows a well-defined cyclic voltammetric wave. Its anodic peak current decreases and the peak potential shifts positively on the addition of dsDNA. This behavior was ascribed to an interaction of CAF with dsDNA giving CAF–dsDNA complex by intercalative binding mode. The apparent binding constant of CAF–dsDNA complex was determined using amperometric titrations. The oxidative damage caused to DNA was detected using the biosensor. The damage caused by the reactive oxygen species, hydroxyl radical (·−OH generated by the Fenton system on the DNA-biosensor was detected. It was found that CAF has the capability of scavenging the hydroxide radical and protecting the DNA immobilized on the GCE surface.

Design and Assembly of DNA Nano-Objects and 2D DNA Origami Arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wenyan

DNA, which plays a central role in biology as the carrier of genetic information, is also an excellent candidate for structural nanotechnology. Researches have proven that a variety of complicated DNA assemblies, such as objects, 2D & 3D crystals, and nanomechanical devices, can be fabricated through the combination of robust branched DNA motifs and sticky ends. This dissertation focuses on the design and construction of DNA nano--objects and 2D DNA origami arrays. In this dissertation, we first describe the formation of a triangular species that has four strands per edge, held together by PX interactions. We demonstrate by nondenaturing gel electrophoresis and by atomic force microscopy (AFM) that we can combine a partial triangle with other strands to form a robust four--stranded molecule. By combining them with a novel three--domain molecule, we also demonstrate by AFM that these triangles can be self--assembled into a linear array. Second, we demonstrate our attempts to design and self--assemble 2D DNA origami arrays using several different strategies. Specifically, we introduce the self--assembly of 2D DNA origami lattices using a symmetric cross--like design. This design strategy resulted in a well--ordered woven latticework array with edge dimensions of 2--3 mum. This size is likely to be large enough to connect bottom-up methods of patterning with top--down approaches. Third, we illustrate the design and construction of DNA nano--objects for exploring the substrate preferences of topoisomerase (topo) II. We designed and fabricated four double rhombus--like DNA molecules, each of which contains a different conformation of crossover in the middle, as possible substrates to establish the structural preferences for topo II. We characterized the formation of each substrate molecule by gel electrophoresis. Finally, we study the effect of M13 DNA knotting on the formation of the DNA origami tiles. We demonstrate by atomic force microscopy (AFM) that knotted M13

Assessment of Multiple Types of DNA Damage in Human Placentas from Smoking and Non-smoking Women in the Czech Republic

Science.gov (United States)

Margaret Pratt, M.; King, Leon C.; Adams, Linda D.; John, Kaarthik; Sirajuddin, Paul; Olivero, Ofelia A.; Manchester, David K.; Sram, Radim J.; DeMarini, David M.; Poirier, Miriam C.

2010-01-01

Three classes of DNA damage were assessed in human placentas collected (in 2000-4) from 51 women living in the Teplice region of the Czech Republic, a mining area considered to have some of the worst environmental pollution in Europe in the 1980s. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-DNA adducts were localized and semiquantified using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and the Automated Cellular Imaging System (ACIS). More generalized DNA damage was measured both by 32P-postlabeling and by abasic (AB) site analysis. Placenta stained with antiserum elicited against DNA modified with r7, t8-dihydroxy-t-9, 10-oxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-benzo[a]pyrene (BPDE) revealed PAH-DNA adduct localization in nuclei of the cytotrophoblast (CT) cells and syncytiotrophoblast (ST) knots lining the chorionic villi. The highest levels of DNA damage, 49–312 PAH-DNA adducts/108 nucleotides, were found by IHC/ACIS in 14 immediately-fixed placenta samples. An additional 37 placenta samples were stored frozen before fixation and embedding, and because PAH-DNA adducts were largely undetectable in these samples, freezing was implicated in the loss of IHC signal. The same placentas (n = 37) contained 1.7 – 8.6 stable/bulky DNA adducts/108 nucleotides and 0.6 – 47.2 AB sites/105 nucleotides. For all methods there was no correlation among types of DNA damage and no difference in extent of DNA damage between smokers and non-smokers. Therefore, the data show that DNA from placentas obtained in Teplice contained multiple types of DNA damage, which likely arose from various environmental exposures. In addition, PAH-DNA adducts were present at high concentrations in the CT cells and ST knots of the chorionic villi. PMID:20839217

DESIGN OF ELECTROPHORESIS DEVICE FOR OPTIMATION OF DNA VISUALIZATION AND DNA CONCENTRATION USING SOFTWARE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H.P. Kusumaningrum

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Molekul DNA menunjukkan polarisasi yang kuat sehingga memungkinkan baik gerak elektroforesis berdasarkan muatan negatifnya maupun gerak dielektroforesis berdasarkan induksi polarisasi. Perancangan alat menggunakan kombinasi prinsip elektroforesis dan dielektroforesis dilengkapi perangkat lunak untuk mengukur konsentrasinya sangat diperlukan. Utamanya mengingat uji kualitatif DNA berbasis visualisasi pada gel elektroforesis bersifat sangat subyektif dan kurang terukur. Pengukuran konsentrasi DNA menggunakan spektrofotometer UV/VIS sangat tergantung oleh ketersediaannya di laboratorium. Penelitian bertujuan untuk mendesain piranti untuk mengukur konsentrasi DNA berdasarkan visualisasinya pada gel elektroforesis menggunakan perangkat lunak berbasis MatLab. Pengukuran konsentrasi DNA didasarkan visualisasinya pada gel elektroforesis lalu dibandingkan dengan hasil penghitungan spektrofotometer UV/VIS. Hasil penelitian menggunakan piranti tersebut memperlihatkan visualisasi DNA yang lebih optimal. Hasil pengukuran jumlah DNA menggunakan spektrofotometer memiliki kecenderungan yang sama dengan hasil pengukuran menggunakan perangkat lunak berbasis MatLab meskipun terdapat perbedaan nilai kuantitatif.ABSTRACTMolecules of deoxyribo nucleic acid (DNA show a strong polarization allowing for both motions of the dielectrophoresis induced by polarization and electrophoresis based on its negative charge. Considering high subjective and less quantifiable result of the visualization based qualitative test of DNA on gel electrophoresis, designing the tool using a combination of the principles of electrophoresis and dielectrophoresis completed with a software for optimization of DNA visualization and to measure the concentration of small and large–sized DNA fragment is very needed. Accuracy of measurement of DNA concentration using a spectrophotometer UV /VIS is depend on its availability in the laboratory. The aim of this study was to design device for

DNA Trojan Horses: Self-Assembled Floxuridine-Containing DNA Polyhedra for Cancer Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mou, Quanbing; Ma, Yuan; Pan, Gaifang; Xue, Bai; Yan, Deyue; Zhang, Chuan; Zhu, Xinyuan

2017-10-02

Based on their structural similarity to natural nucleobases, nucleoside analogue therapeutics were integrated into DNA strands through conventional solid-phase synthesis. By elaborately designing their sequences, floxuridine-integrated DNA strands were synthesized and self-assembled into well-defined DNA polyhedra with definite drug-loading ratios as well as tunable size and morphology. As a novel drug delivery system, these drug-containing DNA polyhedra could ideally mimic the Trojan Horse to deliver chemotherapeutics into tumor cells and fight against cancer. Both in vitro and in vivo results demonstrate that the DNA Trojan horse with buckyball architecture exhibits superior anticancer capability over the free drug and other formulations. With precise control over the drug-loading ratio and structure of the nanocarriers, the DNA Trojan horse may play an important role in anticancer treatment and exhibit great potential in translational nanomedicine. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Force-extension behavior of DNA in the presence of DNA-bending nucleoid associated proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Dahlke, K.; Sing, C. E.

2018-02-01

Interactions between nucleoid associated proteins (NAPs) and DNA affect DNA polymer conformation, leading to phenomena such as concentration dependent force-extension behavior. These effects, in turn, also impact the local binding behavior of the protein, such as high forces causing proteins to unbind, or proteins binding favorably to locally bent DNA. We develop a coarse-grained NAP-DNA simulation model that incorporates both force- and concentration-dependent behaviors, in order to study the interplay between NAP binding and DNA conformation. This model system includes multi-state protein binding and unbinding, motivated by prior work, but is now dependent on the local structure of the DNA, which is related to external forces acting on the DNA strand. We observe the expected qualitative binding behavior, where more proteins are bound at lower forces than at higher forces. Our model also includes NAP-induced DNA bending, which affects DNA elasticity. We see semi-quantitative matching of our simulated force-extension behavior to the reported experimental data. By using a coarse-grained simulation, we are also able to look at non-equilibrium behaviors, such as dynamic extension of a DNA strand. We stretch a DNA strand at different rates and at different NAP concentrations to observe how the time scales of the system (such as pulling time and unbinding time) work in concert. When these time scales are similar, we observe measurable rate-dependent changes in the system, which include the number of proteins bound and the force required to extend the DNA molecule. This suggests that the relative time scales of different dynamic processes play an important role in the behavior of NAP-DNA systems.

DNA ligase III is involved in a DNA-PK independent pathway of NHEJ in human cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, H.; Perrault, A.R.; Qin, W.; Wang, H.; Iliakis, G.

2003-01-01

Full text: Double strand breaks (DSB) induced by ionizing radiation (IR) and other cytotoxic agents in the genome of higher eukaryotes are thought to be repaired either by homologous recombination repair (HRR), or non-homologous endjoining (NHEJ). We previously reported the operation of two components of NHEJ in vivo: a DNA-PK dependent component that operates with fast kinetics (D-NHEJ), and a DNA-PK independent component that acts as a backup (basic or B-NHEJ) and operates with kinetics an order of magnitude slower. To gain further insight into the mechanisms of B-NHEJ, we investigated DNA endjoining in extracts 180BR, a human cell line deficient in DNA ligase IV, using an in vitro plasmid-based DNA endjoining assay. An anti DNA ligase III antibody inhibited almost completely DNA endjoining activity in these extracts. On the other hand, an anti DNA ligase I antibody had no measurable effect in DNA endjoining activity. Immunodepletion of DNA ligase III from 180BR cell extracts abolished the DNA endjoining activity, which could be restored by addition of purified human DNA ligase IIIb. Full-length DNA ligase III bound to double stranded DNA and stimulated DNA endjoining in both intermolecular and intramolecular ligation. Furthermore, fractionation of HeLa cell extracts demonstrated the presence of an activity stimulating the function of DNA ligase III. Based on these observations we propose that DNA ligase III is the ligase operating in B-NHEJ

Linear Association Between Cellular DNA and Epstein-Barr Virus DNA in a Human Lymphoblastoid Cell Line

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Alice; Lindahl, Tomas; Klein, George

1973-01-01

High-molecular-weight DNA from cell line Raji (derived from Burkitt's lymphoma), which contains 50-60 copies of Epstein-Barr virus DNA per cell, was fractionated in neutral solution by several cycles of CsCl gradient centrifugation in fixed-angle rotors. Under the fractionation conditions used, intact Epstein-Barr virus DNA from virus particles can be separated from the less-dense cellular DNA. In contrast, a large proportion of the intrinsic Epstein-Barr virus DNA component of Raji cells remains associated with cellular DNA, as determined by nucleic acid hybridization. This interaction, which is resistant to Pronase and phenol treatment, is not the result of aggregation. When the molecular weight of Raji DNA is reduced by hydrodynamic shear, the amount of virus DNA associated with cell DNA decreases. However, some virus DNA still remains bound to fragments of cellular DNA after shearing. The association is completely destroyed in alkaline solution. Molecular weight analysis of Raji DNA after denaturation showed that the alkali-induced release of Epstein-Barr virus DNA was specific and not the result of random single-strand breaks. These data indicate that Epstein-Barr virus DNA is linearly integrated into Raji cell DNA by alkali-labile bonds. PMID:4355371

Blood extracellular DNA after irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vladimirov, V.G.; Tishchenko, L.I.; Surkova, E.A.; Vasil'eva, I.N.

1993-01-01

It has been shown that blood extracellular DNA of irradiated rats largely consists of the low-molecular DNA and its oligomers. Molecular masses of oligomers are multiple to molecular mass of monomer fragment with nucleosome size. The low-molecular DNA has linear form. The average content of GC-pairs in low-molecular DNA is higher than in total rat's DNA (48.5% against 41.5%). The low-molecular DNA is a part of complex containing RNA, acidic proteins and lipids. It is assumed that the formation of low-molecular DNA is a result of Ca/Mg - dependent nuclear endonuclease action

A nuclear DNA-based species determination and DNA quantification assay for common poultry species.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, J; Satkoski, J; Premasuthan, A; Kanthaswamy, S

2014-12-01

DNA testing for food authentication and quality control requires sensitive species-specific quantification of nuclear DNA from complex and unknown biological sources. We have developed a multiplex assay based on TaqMan® real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) for species-specific detection and quantification of chicken (Gallus gallus), duck (Anas platyrhynchos), and turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) nuclear DNA. The multiplex assay is able to accurately detect very low quantities of species-specific DNA from single or multispecies sample mixtures; its minimum effective quantification range is 5 to 50 pg of starting DNA material. In addition to its use in food fraudulence cases, we have validated the assay using simulated forensic sample conditions to demonstrate its utility in forensic investigations. Despite treatment with potent inhibitors such as hematin and humic acid, and degradation of template DNA by DNase, the assay was still able to robustly detect and quantify DNA from each of the three poultry species in mixed samples. The efficient species determination and accurate DNA quantification will help reduce fraudulent food labeling and facilitate downstream DNA analysis for genetic identification and traceability.

pH-induced fabrication of DNA/chitosan/α-ZrP nanocomposite and DNA release

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Limin; Zhang Haitang; Shen Bo; He Weijiang; Lu Guoyuan; Liu Yuge; Zhu Junjie

2010-01-01

With positively charged chitosan as an intermediary, herring sperm DNA was intercalated into the interlayer galleries of negatively charged α-ZrP to form DNA/chitosan/α-ZrP ternary hybrids at pH 5.5. Fourier-transform IR, x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy confirmed not only the coexistence of DNA, chitosan and α-ZrP in the composite but also the layered composite structure with an interlayer distance of 4.25 nm. Circular dichroism (CD) and UV spectroscopic studies disclosed that the restraint of DNA by the layered α-ZrP favors stabilization of the double-helical conformation of DNA and enhances the denaturation temperature. The intercalated DNA can be effectively released from the ternary nanocomposites at pHs higher than 6.5, and the released DNA displayed a similar CD spectrum to that of free DNA. The current research displays the promising potential to obtain a non-viral gene vector by intercalating DNA into negatively charged inorganic layered materials in the presence of a positively charged intermediary.

DNA-Destabilizing Agents as an Alternative Approach for Targeting DNA: Mechanisms of Action and Cellular Consequences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gaëlle Lenglet

2010-01-01

Full Text Available DNA targeting drugs represent a large proportion of the actual anticancer drug pharmacopeia, both in terms of drug brands and prescription volumes. Small DNA-interacting molecules share the ability of certain proteins to change the DNA helix's overall organization and geometrical orientation via tilt, roll, twist, slip, and flip effects. In this ocean of DNA-interacting compounds, most stabilize both DNA strands and very few display helix-destabilizing properties. These types of DNA-destabilizing effect are observed with certain mono- or bis-intercalators and DNA alkylating agents (some of which have been or are being developed as cancer drugs. The formation of locally destabilized DNA portions could interfere with protein/DNA recognition and potentially affect several crucial cellular processes, such as DNA repair, replication, and transcription. The present paper describes the molecular basis of DNA destabilization, the cellular impact on protein recognition, and DNA repair processes and the latter's relationships with antitumour efficacy.

Fast phylogenetic DNA barcoding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Terkelsen, Kasper Munch; Boomsma, Wouter Krogh; Willerslev, Eske

2008-01-01

We present a heuristic approach to the DNA assignment problem based on phylogenetic inferences using constrained neighbour joining and non-parametric bootstrapping. We show that this method performs as well as the more computationally intensive full Bayesian approach in an analysis of 500 insect...... DNA sequences obtained from GenBank. We also analyse a previously published dataset of environmental DNA sequences from soil from New Zealand and Siberia, and use these data to illustrate the fact that statistical approaches to the DNA assignment problem allow for more appropriate criteria...... for determining the taxonomic level at which a particular DNA sequence can be assigned....

Nanostructures via DNA scaffold metallization

OpenAIRE

Ning, C.; Zinchenko, A.; Baigl, D.; Pyshkina, O.; Sergeyev, V.; Endo, Kazunaka; Yoshikawa, K.

2005-01-01

The critical role of polymers in process of noble metals nanostructures formation is well known, however, the use of DNA chain template in this process is yet largely unknown. In this study we demonstrate different ways of silver deposition on DNA template and report the influence of silver nanostructures formation on DNA conformational state. Metallization of DNA chain proceeds by two different scenarios depending on DNA conformation. If DNA chain is unfolded (elongated) chain, silver reduct...

DNA topology and transcription

Science.gov (United States)

Kouzine, Fedor; Levens, David; Baranello, Laura

2014-01-01

Chromatin is a complex assembly that compacts DNA inside the nucleus while providing the necessary level of accessibility to regulatory factors conscripted by cellular signaling systems. In this superstructure, DNA is the subject of mechanical forces applied by variety of molecular motors. Rather than being a rigid stick, DNA possesses dynamic structural variability that could be harnessed during critical steps of genome functioning. The strong relationship between DNA structure and key genomic processes necessitates the study of physical constrains acting on the double helix. Here we provide insight into the source, dynamics, and biology of DNA topological domains in the eukaryotic cells and summarize their possible involvement in gene transcription. We emphasize recent studies that might inspire and impact future experiments on the involvement of DNA topology in cellular functions. PMID:24755522

Eukaryotic DNA Replication Fork.

Science.gov (United States)

Burgers, Peter M J; Kunkel, Thomas A

2017-06-20

This review focuses on the biogenesis and composition of the eukaryotic DNA replication fork, with an emphasis on the enzymes that synthesize DNA and repair discontinuities on the lagging strand of the replication fork. Physical and genetic methodologies aimed at understanding these processes are discussed. The preponderance of evidence supports a model in which DNA polymerase ε (Pol ε) carries out the bulk of leading strand DNA synthesis at an undisturbed replication fork. DNA polymerases α and δ carry out the initiation of Okazaki fragment synthesis and its elongation and maturation, respectively. This review also discusses alternative proposals, including cellular processes during which alternative forks may be utilized, and new biochemical studies with purified proteins that are aimed at reconstituting leading and lagging strand DNA synthesis separately and as an integrated replication fork.

Hyperstretching DNA

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schakenraad, Koen; Biebricher, Andreas S.; Sebregts, Maarten; Ten Bensel, Brian; Peterman, Erwin J.G.; Wuite, Gijs J L; Heller, Iddo; Storm, Cornelis; Van Der Schoot, Paul

2017-01-01