Modified Oligonucleotides: New Structures, New Properties, and New Spheres of Application.

Nucleic acids have made a long and arduous journey "from the bench to the bedside." At present, it can be assumed that drugs based on modified oligonucleotides will find a worthy application in personalized medicine of the future.

[The Role of Cysteine Residues in the Interaction of Nicking Endonuclease BspD6I with DNA].

Nicking endonucleases (NEs) are a small, poorly studied family of restriction endonucleases. The enzymes recognize a target sequence in DNA, but catalyze the hydrolysis of only one strand. The mechanism of their action is important to study because NEs with new specificities are necessary to design to solve the practical tasks of biotechnology. One of the modern approaches for investigation of protein-nucleic acid interactions is fluorescence spectroscopy, which involves the introduction of fluorophores into proteins, mainly through Cys residues due to the high reactivity of their thiol group. To implement this approach, it is necessary to clarify the role of Cys residues in the functioning of the native protein and the possible consequences of their modification. Crosslinking was used to study whether Cys residues are close to DNA in the complex with NE BspD6I. Reactions were carried out using the wild-type enzyme, its mutant form NE BspD6I(C11S/C160S), and modified DNA duplexes containing the 2-pyridyldisulfide group at the C2' atom of the sugar-phosphate moiety in different positions of the oligonucleotide strand. The Cys residues of NE BspD6I were for the first time shown to be in close proximity to DNA during the binding process, including the step of a nonspecific complex formation. The substitutions C11S and C160S in the N-terminal domain of the enzyme slightly decreased the efficiency of substrate hydrolysis. Construction of a cysteine-free NE BspD6I variant and examination of its properties will provide additional information about the functional significance of the Cys residues for this unique enzyme.

Endonuclease Activity of MutL Protein of the Rhodobacter sphaeroides Mismatch Repair System.

We have purified the MutL protein from Rhodobacter sphaeroides mismatch repair system (rsMutL) for the first time. rsMutL demonstrated endonuclease activity in vitro, as predicted by bioinformatics analysis. Based on the alignment of 1483 sequences of bacterial MutL homologs with presumed endonuclease activity, conserved functional motifs and amino acid residues in the rsMutL sequence were identified: five motifs comprising the catalytic site responsible for DNA cleavage were found in the C-terminal domain; seven conserved motifs involved in ATP binding and hydrolysis and specific to the GHKL family of ATPases were found in the N-terminal domain. rsMutL demonstrated the highest activity in the presence of Mn2+. The extent of plasmid DNA hydrolysis declined in the row Mn2+ > Co2+ > Mg2+ > Cd2+; Ni2+ and Ca2+ did not activate rsMutL. Divalent zinc ions inhibited rsMutL endonuclease activity in the presence of Mn2+ excess. ATP also suppressed plasmid DNA hydrolysis by rsMutL. Analysis of amino acid sequences and biochemical properties of five studied bacterial MutL homologs with endonuclease activity revealed that rsMutL resembles the MutL proteins from Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Non-Coding RNAs As Transcriptional Regulators In Eukaryotes.

Non-coding RNAs up to 1,000 nucleotides in length are widespread in eukaryotes and fulfil various regulatory functions, in particular during chromatin remodeling and cell proliferation. These RNAs are not translated into proteins: thus, they are non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). The present review describes the eukaryotic ncRNAs involved in transcription regulation, first and foremost, targeting RNA polymerase II (RNAP II) and/or its major proteinaceous transcription factors. The current state of knowledge concerning the regulatory functions of SRA and TAR RNA, 7SK and U1 snRNA, GAS5 and DHFR RNA is summarized herein. Special attention is given to murine B1 and B2 RNAs and human Alu RNA, due to their ability to bind the active site of RNAP II. Discovery of bacterial analogs of the eukaryotic small ncRNAs involved in transcription regulation, such as 6S RNAs, suggests that they possess a common evolutionary origin.

Parallel G-Quadruplexes Formed by Guanine-Rich Microsatellite Repeats Inhibit Human Topoisomerase I.

Using UV and CD spectroscopy, we studied the thermodynamic stability and folding topology of G-quadruplexes (G4), formed by G-rich fragments in human microsatellites that differ in the number of guanosines within the repeating unit. The oligonucleotides d(GGGT)4 and d(GGT)4 were shown to form propeller-type parallel-stranded intramolecular G-quadruplexes. The G4 melting temperature is dramatically decreased (by more than 45°C) in the transition from the tri-G-tetrad to the bi-G-tetrad structure. d(GT)n-repeats do not form perfect G-quadruplexes (one-G-tetrad); folded G4-like conformation is not stable at room temperature and is not stabilized by monovalent metal ions. The minimum concentration of K+ that promotes quadruplex folding of d(GGT)4 was found to depend on the supporting Na+ concentration. It was demonstrated for the first time that the complementary regions flanking G4-motifs (as in d(CACTGG-CC-(GGGT)4-TA-CCAGTG)) cannot form a double helix in the case of a parallel G4 due to the steric remoteness, but instead destabilize the structure. Additionally, we investigated the effect of the described oligonucleotides on the activity of topoisomerase I, one of the key cell enzymes, with a focus on the relationship between the stability of the formed quadruplexes and the inhibition degree of the enzyme. The most active inhibitor with IC50 = 0.08 µM was the oligonucleotide d(CACTGG-CC-(GGGT)4-TA-CCAGTG), whose flanking G4-motif sequences reduced the extreme stability of G-quadruplex formed by d(GGGT)4.

Small Noncoding 6S RNAs of Bacteria.

Small noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are non-translated transcripts with lengths below 300 nucleotide residues. Regulation of cellular processes under the influence of these ncRNAs is the most various in eukaryotic cells, but numerous ncRNAs are also found in bacteria. One of the best-known small prokaryotic ncRNAs is 6S RNA - it has been detected in all branches of bacteria. Due to their conserved secondary structure including a large central "loop" flanked by long double-helical arms, 6S RNAs can bind holoenzymes of RNA polymerase (RNAP) and inhibit their activity. This inhibits transcription of many genes. According to data of comparative transcriptome analysis, the 6S RNA-dependent regulation of transcription affects the expression level of hundreds of genes involved in various cellular processes. 6S RNA has the unique feature of serving as a transcription template for the synthesis of short product RNAs (pRNAs) complementary to the central part of the molecule. The length and abundance of pRNAs vary depending on the physiological status of the cell. The synthesis of pRNAs is of great importance because it releases RNAP and provides reversibility of the inhibition. A similar mechanism has been described for the noncoding mouse B2 RNA that inhibits the activity of RNAP II. This finding can be taken as evidence for the common evolutionary origin of the ncRNA-dependent regulation of RNAP and its immense significance for cells. This review summarizes the state of knowledge about the main features and functions of 6S RNAs from various bacterial species with a special focus on the peculiarities of pRNA synthesis. The majority of functional insights on 6S RNAs have been gained for E. coli 6S RNA as the best-studied model system.

Modern aspects of the structural and functional organization of the DNA mismatch repair system.

This review is focused on the general aspects of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) process. The key proteins of the DNA mismatch repair system are MutS and MutL. To date, their main structural and functional characteristics have been thoroughly studied. However, different opinions exist about the initial stages of the mismatch repair process with the participation of these proteins. This review aims to summarize the data on the relationship between the two MutS functions, ATPase and DNA-binding, and to systematize various models of coordination between the mismatch site and the strand discrimination site in DNA. To test these models, novel techniques for the trapping of short-living complexes that appear at different MMR stages are to be developed.

Regulation of activity of transcription factor NF-κB by synthetic oligonucleotides.

Eukaryotic dimeric nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is one of the main transcription factors that activate expression of genes, products of which play the key role in development of cardiovascular pathologies, carcinogenesis, and inflammatory and viral diseases. In this review, the main attention is given to modulation of the transcription factor NF-κB activity by antisense oligonucleotides and oligonucleotide decoys. Also, current concepts about interactions between NF-κB dimers and DNA and general problems that arise in experimental use of synthetic oligonucleotides in vivo are discussed.

Peculiarities of the Regulation of Gene Expression in the Ecl18kI Restriction-Modification System.

Transcription regulation in bacterial restriction-modification (R-M) systems is an important process, which provides coordinated expression levels of tandem enzymes, DNA methyltransferase (MTase) and restriction endonuclease (RE) protecting cells against penetration of alien DNA. The present study focuses on (cytosine-5)-DNA methyltransferase Ecl18kI (M.Ecl18kI), which is almost identical to DNA methyltransferase SsoII (M.SsoII) in terms of its structure and properties. Each of these enzymes inhibits expression of the intrinsic gene and activates expression of the corresponding RE gene via binding to the regulatory site in the promoter region of these genes. In the present work, complex formation of M.Ecl18kI and RNA polymerase from Escherichia сoli with the promoter regions of the MTase and RE genes is studied. The mechanism of regulation of gene expression in the Ecl18kI R-M system is thoroughly investigated. M.Ecl18kI and RNA polymerase are shown to compete for binding to the promoter region. However, no direct contacts between M.Ecl18kI and RNA polymerase are detected. The properties of M.Ecl18kI and M.SsoII mutants are studied. Amino acid substitutions in the N-terminal region of M.Ecl18kI, which performs the regulatory function, are shown to influence not only M.Ecl18kI capability to interact with the regulatory site and to act as a transcription factor, but also its ability to bind and methylate the substrate DNA. The loss of methylation activity does not prevent MTase from performing its regulatory function and even increases its affinity to the regulatory site. However, the presence of the domain responsible for methylation in the M.Ecl18kI molecule is necessary for M.Ecl18kI to perform its regulatory function.

The study of the interaction of (cytosine-5)-DNA methyltransferase SsoII with DNA by acoustic method.

The interaction of (cytosine-5)-DNA methyltransferase SsoII (M.SsoII) with double-stranded DNA was studied by means of thickness shear mode acoustic method (TSM) and gel electrophoresis. M.SsoII recognizes in double-stranded DNA the methylation site 5'-CCNGG-3' (N=A, C, G, T) and methylates the inner cytosine residue. M.SsoII also acts as a transcription factor via binding to the regulatory site 5'-AGGACAAATTGTCCT-3' in the promoter region of SsoII restriction-modification system. We designed three 60-mer biotinylated DNA duplexes: with the methylation site (60met), with the regulatory site (60reg), and without a specific binding site (60oct). A strong binding of M.SsoII with each one of the studied DNA immobilized on the TSM transducer has been shown. The equilibrium dissociation constants, K(D), of the M.SsoII-DNA complexes decreased in the order 60oct>60reg>60met, suggesting a higher stability of M.SsoII-60met complex in comparison with the others. The association rate constant, k(a), was also higher for 60met, while similar values were obtained for 60reg and 60oct. The difference in the kinetic parameters for 60met and 60reg suggested a possible way of coordination between the two M.SsoII functions in a cell.

SsoII-like DNA-methyltransferase Ecl18kI: interaction between regulatory and methylating functions.

The interaction of DNA-methyltransferase Ecl18kI (M.Ecl18kI) with a fragment of promoter region of restriction-modification system SsoII was studied. It is shown that dissociation constants of M.Ecl18kI and M.SsoII complexes with DNA ligand carrying a regulatory site previously characterized for M.SsoII have comparable values. A deletion derivative of M.Ecl18kI, Delta(72-379)Ecl18kI, representing the N-terminal protein region responsible for regulation, was obtained. It is shown that such polypeptide fragment has virtually no interaction with the regulatory site. Therefore, the existence of a region responsible for methylation is necessary for maintaining M.Ecl18kI regulatory function. The properties of methyltransferase NlaX, which is actually a natural deletion derivative of M.Ecl18kI and M.SsoII lacking the first 70 amino acid residues and not being able to regulate gene expression of the SsoII restriction-modification system, were studied. The ability of mutant forms of M.Ecl18kI incorporating single substitutions in regions responsible for regulation and methylation to interact with both sites of DNA recognition was characterized. The data show a correlation between DNA-binding activity of two M.Ecl18kI regions-regulatory and methylating.

Interaction of nucleotide excision repair factors XPC-HR23B, XPA, and RPA with damaged DNA.

The interaction of nucleotide excision repair factors--xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group C protein in complex with human homolog of yeast Rad23 protein (XPC-HR23B), replication protein A (RPA), and xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A protein (XPA)--with 48-mer DNA duplexes imitating damaged DNA structures was investigated. All studied proteins demonstrated low specificity in binding to damaged DNA compared with undamaged DNA duplexes. RPA stimulates formation of XPC-HR23B complex with DNA, and when XPA and XPC-HR23B are simultaneously present in the reaction mixture a synergistic effect in binding of these proteins to DNA is observed. RPA crosslinks to DNA bearing photoreactive 5I-dUMP residue on one strand and fluorescein-substituted dUMP analog as a lesion in the opposite strand of DNA duplex and also stimulates cross-linking with XPC-HR23B. Therefore, RPA might be one of the main regulation factors at various stages of nucleotide excision repair. The data are in agreement with the cooperative binding model of nucleotide excision repair factors participating in pre-incision complex formation with DNA duplexes bearing damages.

Analysis of DNA-protein interactions in complexes of transcription factor NF-kappaB with DNA.

We have applied bioinformatic analysis of X-ray 3D structures of complexes of transcription factor NF-kappaB with DNAs. We determined the number of possible Van der Waals contacts and hydrogen bonds between amino acid residues and nucleotides. Conservative contacts in the NF-kappaB dimer-DNA complex composed of p50 and/or p65 NF-kappaB subunit and DNA sequences like 5 -GGGAMWTTCC-3 were revealed. Based on these results, we propose a novel scheme for interactions between NF-kappaB p50 homodimer and the kappaB region of the immunoglobulin light chain gene enhancer (Ig-kappaB). We applied a chemical cross-linking technique to study the proximity of some Lys and Cys residues of NF-kappaB p50 subunit with certain reactive nucleotides into its recognition site. In all cases, the experimentally determined protein-DNA contacts were in good agreement with the predicted ones.

Conjugates of oligonucleotides and analogues with cell penetrating peptides as gene silencing agents.

The review describes key aspects of the synthesis and biological activities of conjugates of oligonucleotides and their analogues with synthetic peptides, in particular aimed towards gene silencing applications. The common methods of synthesis of oligonucleotide-peptide conjugates (OPCs) and PNA-peptide conjugates (PPCs) are described, which include both total solid-phase and fragment coupling approaches. In addition, various applications of conjugates as gene silencing agents are outlined. These include antisense and steric block applications in mammalian cells of OPCs, PPCs and phosphorodiamidate morpholinooligonucleotide (PMO)-peptide conjugates, gene silencing in bacteria, various DNA targeting applications, and recent reports of gene silencing activities of siRNA-peptide conjugates. A table listing all peptides used as oligonucleotide conjugates for gene silencing applications is also included.

Affinity modification of the restriction endonuclease SsoII by 2'-aldehyde-containing double stranded DNAs.

Properties of 2'-aldehyde-containing double stranded DNAs (dsDNAs) have been studied for the first time as substrate analogs of the restriction endonuclease SsoII. These reactive oligonucleotides were successfully cross-linked to the restriction endonuclease SsoII by reductive amination, and conditions for DNA-protein conjugate trypsinolysis followed by the oligonucleotide-peptide conjugate purification were optimized. Use of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry revealed that covalent linkage forms between the sugar moiety of the central pyrimidine nucleoside of the SsoII recognition site and Lys173 of the enzyme. The latter is probably involved in initial steps of enzyme-substrate recognition during dsDNA readout.

Synthetic oligonucleotides: AFM characterisation and electroanalytical studies.

One of the most important steps in designing more sensitive and stable DNA based biosensors is the immobilisation procedure of the nucleic acid probes on the transducer surface, while maintaining their conformational flexibility. MAC Mode AFM images in air demonstrated that the oligonucleotide sequences adsorb spontaneously on the electrode surface, showing the existence of pores in the adsorbed layer that reveal big parts of the electrode surface, which enables non-specific adsorption of other molecules on the uncovered areas. The electrostatic immobilisation onto a glassy carbon electrode followed by hybridisation with a complementary sequence and control with a non-complementary sequence was studied using differential pulse voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Changes in the oxidation currents of guanosine and adenosine were observed after hybridisation events as well as after control experiments. Modification of the double layer capacitance that took place after hybridisation or control experiments showed that non-specific adsorption of complementary or non-complementary sequences occur allowing the formation of a mixed multilayer.

AFM and electroanalytical studies of synthetic oligonucleotide hybridization.

The first and most important step in the development and manufacture of a sensitive DNA-biosensor for hybridization detection is the immobilization procedure of the nucleic acid probe on the transducer surface, maintaining its mobility and conformational flexibility. MAC Mode AFM images were used to demonstrate that oligonucleotide (ODN) molecules adsorb spontaneously at the electrode surface. After adsorption, the ODN layers were formed by molecules with restricted mobility, as well as by superposed molecules, which can lead to reduced hybridization efficiency. The images also showed the existence of pores in the adsorbed ODN film that revealed large parts of the electrode surface, and enabled non-specific adsorption of other ODNs on the uncovered areas. Electrostatic immobilization onto a clean glassy carbon electrode surface was followed by hybridization with complementary sequences and by control experiments with non-complementary sequences, studied using differential pulse voltammetry. The data obtained showed that non-specific adsorption strongly influenced the results, which depended on the sequence of the ODNs. In order to reduce the contribution of non-specific adsorbed ODNs during hybridization experiments, the carbon electrode surface was modified. After modification, the AFM images showed an electrode completely covered by the ODN probe film, which prevented the undesirable binding of target ODN molecules to the electrode surface. The changes of interfacial capacitance that took place after hybridization or control experiments showed the formation of a mixed multilayer that strongly depended on the local environment of the immobilized ODN.

Electrochemical sensing of the behaviour of oligonucleotide lipoplexes at charged interfaces.

Complexes between short oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) with a variable dG(x)dC(y) base composition and liposomes composed of the cationic lipid DOTAP (ODN lipoplexes) were studied by differential pulse voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode. Since lipoplexes are spontaneously formed by electrostatic interactions, the objective of the voltammetric study was to investigate their behaviour at the electrode surface/solution interface. It was verified that the peak current in the voltammograms for ODN lipoplexes was due to guanosine oxidation and that it was influenced both by the applied adsorption potential and the lipoplex (+/-) charge ratio used. It was found that for low ODN lipoplexes (+/-) charge ratios the peak current obtained was enhanced when compared to that registered with free ODN for the same concentration. This allowed a higher sensitivity in the determination of ODN by differential pulse voltammetry and a limit of detection of 5.5 ng/mL was achieved. A model that explains the organisation of ODN lipoplexes at the electrode surface/solution interface is proposed. The electrochemical results presented account for a better physicochemical characterisation of lipoplexes at charged interfaces, which can be important for the understanding and development of gene therapy vectors based on ODN lipoplexes.

Synthesis of 2'-modified oligonucleotides containing aldehyde or ethylenediamine groups.

Oligonucleotides carrying 2'-aldehyde groups were synthesized and coupled to peptides containing an N-terminal cysteine, aminooxy or hydrazide group to give peptide-oligonucleotide conjugates in good yield. The synthesis of a novel phosphoramidite reagent for the incorporation of 2'-O-(2,3-diaminopropyl)uridine into oligonucleotides was also described. Resultant 2'-diaminooligonucleotides may be useful intermediates in further peptide conjugation studies.