Translesion DNA Synthesis Across Lesions Induced by Oxidative Products of Pyrimidines: An Insight into the Mechanism by Microscale Thermophoresis.

Oxidative stress in cells can lead to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and oxidation of DNA precursors. Oxidized nucleotides such as 2'-deoxyribo-5-hydroxyuridin (HdU) and 2'-deoxyribo-5-hydroxymethyluridin (HMdU) can be inserted into DNA during replication and repair. HdU and HMdU have attracted particular interest because they have different effects on damaged-DNA processing enzymes that control the downstream effects of the lesions. Herein, we studied the chemically simulated translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) across the lesions formed by HdU or HMdU using microscale thermophoresis (MST). The thermodynamic changes associated with replication across HdU or HMdU show that the HdU paired with the mismatched deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates disturbs DNA duplexes considerably less than thymidine (dT) or HMdU. Moreover, we also demonstrate that TLS by DNA polymerases across the lesion derived from HdU was markedly less extensive and potentially more mutagenic than that across the lesion formed by HMdU. Thus, DNA polymerization by DNA polymerase η (polη), the exonuclease-deficient Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I (KF-), and reverse transcriptase from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1 RT) across these pyrimidine lesions correlated with the different stabilization effects of the HdU and HMdU in DNA duplexes revealed by MST. The equilibrium thermodynamic data obtained by MST can explain the influence of the thermodynamic alterations on the ability of DNA polymerases to bypass lesions induced by oxidative products of pyrimidines. The results also highlighted the usefulness of MST in evaluating the impact of oxidative products of pyrimidines on the processing of these lesions by damaged DNA processing enzymes.

Protected 5-(hydroxymethyl)uracil nucleotides bearing visible-light photocleavable groups as building blocks for polymerase synthesis of photocaged DNA.

Nucleosides, nucleotides and 2'-deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) containing 5-(hydroxymethyl)uracil protected with photocleavable groups (2-nitrobenzyl-, 6-nitropiperonyl or 9-anthrylmethyl) were prepared and tested as building blocks for the polymerase synthesis of photocaged oligonucleotides and DNA. Photodeprotection (photorelease) reactions were studied in detail on model nucleoside monophosphates and their photoreaction quantum yields were determined. Photocaged dNTPs were then tested and used as substrates for DNA polymerases in primer extension or PCR. DNA probes containing photocaged or free 5-hydroxymethylU in the recognition sequence of restriction endonucleases were prepared and used for the study of photorelease of caged DNA by UV or visible light at different wavelengths. The nitropiperonyl-protected nucleotide was found to be a superior building block because the corresponding dNTP is a good substrate for DNA polymerases, and the protecting group is efficiently cleavable by irradiation by UV or visible light (up to 425 nm).

i-Motif of cytosine-rich human telomere DNA fragments containing natural base lesions.

i-Motif (iM) is a four stranded DNA structure formed by cytosine-rich sequences, which are often present in functionally important parts of the genome such as promoters of genes and telomeres. Using electronic circular dichroism and UV absorption spectroscopies and electrophoretic methods, we examined the effect of four naturally occurring DNA base lesions on the folding and stability of the iM formed by the human telomere DNA sequence (C3TAA)3C3T. The results demonstrate that the TAA loop lesions, the apurinic site and 8-oxoadenine substituting for adenine, and the 5-hydroxymethyluracil substituting for thymine only marginally disturb the formation of iM. The presence of uracil, which is formed by enzymatic or spontaneous deamination of cytosine, shifts iM formation towards substantially more acidic pH values and simultaneously distinctly reduces iM stability. This effect depends on the position of the damage sites in the sequence. The results have enabled us to formulate additional rules for iM formation.

5-(Hydroxymethyl)uracil and -cytosine as potential epigenetic marks enhancing or inhibiting transcription with bacterial RNA polymerase.

DNA templates containing 5-hydroxymethyluracil or 5-hydroxymethylcytosine were used in an in vitro transcription assay with RNA polymerase from Escherichia coli. A strong enhancement of transcription was observed from DNA containing the Pveg promoter whereas a decrease was observed from DNA containing the rrnB P1 promoter, suggesting that they may act as epigenetic marks.

Genome-wide mapping of 5-hydroxymethyluracil in the eukaryote parasite Leishmania.

BACKGROUND: 5-Hydroxymethyluracil (5hmU) is a thymine base modification found in the genomes of a diverse range of organisms. To explore the functional importance of 5hmU, we develop a method for the genome-wide mapping of 5hmU-modified loci based on a chemical tagging strategy for the hydroxymethyl group. RESULTS: We apply the method to generate genome-wide maps of 5hmU in the parasitic protozoan Leishmania sp. In this genus, another thymine modification, 5-(ß-glucopyranosyl) hydroxymethyluracil (base J), plays a key role during transcription. To elucidate the relationship between 5hmU and base J, we also map base J loci by introducing a chemical tagging strategy for the glucopyranoside residue. Observed 5hmU peaks are highly consistent among technical replicates, confirming the robustness of the method. 5hmU is enriched in strand switch regions, telomeric regions, and intergenic regions. Over 90% of 5hmU-enriched loci overlapped with base J-enriched loci, which occurs mostly within strand switch regions. We also identify loci comprising 5hmU but not base J, which are enriched with motifs consisting of a stretch of thymine bases. CONCLUSIONS: By chemically detecting 5hmU we present a method to provide a genome-wide map of this modification, which will help address the emerging interest in the role of 5hmU. This method will also be applicable to other organisms bearing 5hmU.

Spontaneous Oligomerization of Nucleotide Alternatives in Aqueous Solutions.

On early Earth, a primitive polymer that could spontaneously form from likely available precursors may have preceded both RNA and DNA as the first genetic material. Here, we report that heated aqueous solutions containing 5-hydroxymethyluracil (HMU) result in oligomers of uracil, heated solutions containing 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (HMC) result in oligomers of cytosine, and heated solutions containing both HMU and HMC result in mixed oligomers of uracil and cytosine. Oligomerization of hydroxymethylated pyrimidines, which may have been abundant on the primitive Earth, might have been important in the development of simple informational polymers.

Eight new crystal structures of 5-(hydroxymethyl)uracil, 5-carboxyuracil and 5-carboxy-2-thiouracil: insights into the hydrogen-bonded networks and the predominant conformations of the C5-bound residues.

In order to examine the preferred hydrogen-bonding pattern of various uracil derivatives, namely 5-(hydroxymethyl)uracil, 5-carboxyuracil and 5-carboxy-2-thiouracil, and for a conformational study, crystallization experiments yielded eight different structures: 5-(hydroxymethyl)uracil, C5H6N2O3, (I), 5-carboxyuracil-N,N-dimethylformamide (1/1), C5H4N2O4·C3H7NO, (II), 5-carboxyuracil-dimethyl sulfoxide (1/1), C5H4N2O4·C2H6OS, (III), 5-carboxyuracil-N,N-dimethylacetamide (1/1), C5H4N2O4·C4H9NO, (IV), 5-carboxy-2-thiouracil-N,N-dimethylformamide (1/1), C5H4N2O3S·C3H7NO, (V), 5-carboxy-2-thiouracil-dimethyl sulfoxide (1/1), C5H4N2O3S·C2H6OS, (VI), 5-carboxy-2-thiouracil-1,4-dioxane (2/3), 2C5H4N2O3S·3C6H12O3, (VII), and 5-carboxy-2-thiouracil, C10H8N4O6S2, (VIII). While the six solvated structures, i.e. (II)-(VII), contain intramolecular S(6) O-H...O hydrogen-bond motifs between the carboxy and carbonyl groups, the usually favoured R2(2)(8) pattern between two carboxy groups is formed in the solvent-free structure, i.e. (VIII). Further R2(2)(8) hydrogen-bond motifs involving either two N-H...O or two N-H...S hydrogen bonds were observed in three crystal structures, namely (I), (IV) and (VIII). In all eight structures, the residue at the ring 5-position shows a coplanar arrangement with respect to the pyrimidine ring which is in agreement with a search of the Cambridge Structural Database for six-membered cyclic compounds containing a carboxy group. The search confirmed that coplanarity between the carboxy group and the cyclic residue is strongly favoured.

Enigmatic 5-hydroxymethyluracil: Oxidatively modified base, epigenetic mark or both?

The aim of this review is to describe the reactions which lead to generation of 5-hydroxymethyluracil, as well as the repair processes involved in its removal from DNA, and its level in various cells and urine. 5-hydroxymethyluracil may be formed during the course of the two processes: oxidation/hydroxylation of thymine with resultant formation of 5-hydroxymethyluracil paired with adenine (produced by reactive oxygen species), and reacting of reactive oxygen species with 5-methylcytosine forming 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, followed by its deamination to 5-hydroxymethyluracil mispaired with guanine. However, other, perhaps enzymatic, mechanism(s) may be involved in formation of 5-hydroxymethyluracil mispaired with guanine. Indeed, this mispair may be also formed as a result of deamination of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, recently described "sixth" DNA base. It was demonstrated that 5-hydroxymethyluracil paired with adenine can be also generated by TET enzymes from thymine during mouse embryonic cell differentiation. Therefore, it is possible that 5-hydroxymethyluracil is epigenetic mark. The level of 5-hydroxymethyluracil in various somatic tissues is relatively stable and resembles that observed in lymphocytes, about 0.5/10(6) dN in human colon, colorectal cancer as well as various rat and porcine tissues. Experimental evidence suggests that SMUG1 and TDG are main enzymes involved in removal of 5-hydroxymethyluracil from DNA. 5-hydroxymethyluracil, in form of 5-hydroxymethyluridine, was also detected in rRNA, and together with SMUG1 may play a role in rRNA quality control. To summarize, 5-hydroxymethyluracil is with no doubt a product of both enzymatic and reactive oxygen species-induced reaction. This modification may probably serve as an epigenetic mark, providing additional layer of information encoded within the genome. However, the pool of 5-hydroxymethyluracil generated as a result of oxidative stress is also likely to disturb physiological epigenetic processes, and as such may be defined as a lesion. Altogether this suggests that 5-hydroxymethyluracil may be either a regulatory or erroneous compound.

Hydroxymethyluracil modifications enhance the flexibility and hydrophilicity of double-stranded DNA.

Oxidation of a DNA thymine to 5-hydroxymethyluracil is one of several recently discovered epigenetic modifications. Here, we report the results of nanopore translocation experiments and molecular dynamics simulations that provide insight into the impact of this modification on the structure and dynamics of DNA. When transported through ultrathin solid-state nanopores, short DNA fragments containing thymine modifications were found to exhibit distinct, reproducible features in their transport characteristics that differentiate them from unmodified molecules. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that 5-hydroxymethyluracil alters the flexibility and hydrophilicity of the DNA molecules, which may account for the differences observed in our nanopore translocation experiments. The altered physico-chemical properties of DNA produced by the thymine modifications may have implications for recognition and processing of such modifications by regulatory DNA-binding proteins.

Molecular basis for the substrate specificity and catalytic mechanism of thymine-7-hydroxylase in fungi.

TET proteins play a vital role in active DNA demethylation in mammals and thus have important functions in many essential cellular processes. The chemistry for the conversion of 5mC to 5hmC, 5fC and 5caC catalysed by TET proteins is similar to that of T to 5hmU, 5fU and 5caU catalysed by thymine-7-hydroxylase (T7H) in the nucleotide anabolism in fungi. Here, we report the crystal structures and biochemical properties of Neurospora crassa T7H. T7H can bind the substrates only in the presence of cosubstrate, and binding of different substrates does not induce notable conformational changes. T7H exhibits comparable binding affinity for T and 5hmU, but 3-fold lower affinity for 5fU. Residues Phe292, Tyr217 and Arg190 play critical roles in substrate binding and catalysis, and the interactions of the C5 modification group of substrates with the cosubstrate and enzyme contribute to the slightly varied binding affinity and activity towards different substrates. After the catalysis, the products are released and new cosubstrate and substrate are reloaded to conduct the next oxidation reaction. Our data reveal the molecular basis for substrate specificity and catalytic mechanism of T7H and provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of substrate recognition and catalysis of TET proteins.

Thymine DNA glycosylase exhibits negligible affinity for nucleobases that it removes from DNA.

Thymine DNA Glycosylase (TDG) performs essential functions in maintaining genetic integrity and epigenetic regulation. Initiating base excision repair, TDG removes thymine from mutagenic G ·: T mispairs caused by 5-methylcytosine (mC) deamination and other lesions including uracil (U) and 5-hydroxymethyluracil (hmU). In DNA demethylation, TDG excises 5-formylcytosine (fC) and 5-carboxylcytosine (caC), which are generated from mC by Tet (ten-eleven translocation) enzymes. Using improved crystallization conditions, we solved high-resolution (up to 1.45 Å) structures of TDG enzyme-product complexes generated from substrates including G·U, G·T, G·hmU, G·fC and G·caC. The structures reveal many new features, including key water-mediated enzyme-substrate interactions. Together with nuclear magnetic resonance experiments, the structures demonstrate that TDG releases the excised base from its tight product complex with abasic DNA, contrary to previous reports. Moreover, DNA-free TDG exhibits no significant binding to free nucleobases (U, T, hmU), indicating a Kd >> 10 mM. The structures reveal a solvent-filled channel to the active site, which might facilitate dissociation of the excised base and enable caC excision, which involves solvent-mediated acid catalysis. Dissociation of the excised base allows TDG to bind the beta rather than the alpha anomer of the abasic sugar, which might stabilize the enzyme-product complex.

Selective Chemical Labeling of Natural T Modifications in DNA.

We present a chemical method to selectively tag and enrich thymine modifications, 5-formyluracil (5-fU) and 5-hydroxymethyluracil (5-hmU), found naturally in DNA. Inherent reactivity differences have enabled us to tag 5-fU chemoselectively over its C modification counterpart, 5-formylcytosine (5-fC). We rationalized the enhanced reactivity of 5-fU compared to 5-fC via ab initio quantum mechanical calculations. We exploited this chemical tagging reaction to provide proof of concept for the enrichment of 5-fU containing DNA from a pool that contains 5-fC or no modification. We further demonstrate that 5-hmU can be chemically oxidized to 5-fU, providing a strategy for the enrichment of 5-hmU. These methods will enable the mapping of 5-fU and 5-hmU in genomic DNA, to provide insights into their functional role and dynamics in biology.

Detection of mismatched 5-hydroxymethyluracil in DNA by selective chemical labeling.

How DNA demethylation is achieved in mammals is still under extensive investigation. One proposed mechanism is deamination of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine to form 5-hydroxymethyluracil (5hmU), followed by base excision repair to replace the mismatched 5hmU with cytosine. In this process, 5hmU:G mispair serves as a key intermediate and its localization and distribution in mammalian genome could be important information to investigate the proposed pathway. Here we describe a selective labeling method to map mismatched 5hmU. After converting other cytosine modifications to 5-carboxylcytosines, a biotin tag is installed onto mismatched 5hmU through ß-glucosyltransferase-catalyzed glucosylation and click chemistry. The enriched 5hmU-containing DNA fragments can be subject to subsequent sequencing to reveal the distribution of 5hmU:G mispair with base-resolution information acquired.

Base J glucosyltransferase does not regulate the sequence specificity of J synthesis in trypanosomatid telomeric DNA.

Telomeric DNA of trypanosomatids possesses a modified thymine base, called base J, that is synthesized in a two-step process; the base is hydroxylated by a thymidine hydroxylase forming hydroxymethyluracil (hmU) and a glucose moiety is then attached by the J-associated glucosyltransferase (JGT). To examine the importance of JGT in modifiying specific thymine in DNA, we used a Leishmania episome system to demonstrate that the telomeric repeat (GGGTTA) stimulates J synthesis in vivo while mutant telomeric sequences (GGGTTT, GGGATT, and GGGAAA) do not. Utilizing an in vitro GT assay we find that JGT can glycosylate hmU within any sequence with no significant change in Km or kcat, even mutant telomeric sequences that are unable to be J-modified in vivo. The data suggests that JGT possesses no DNA sequence specificity in vitro, lending support to the hypothesis that the specificity of base J synthesis is not at the level of the JGT reaction.

In silico studies to explore the mutagenic ability of 5-halo/oxy/li-oxy-uracil bases with guanine of DNA base pairs.

DNA nucleobases are reactive in nature and undergo modifications by deamination, oxidation, alkylation, or hydrolysis processes. Many such modified bases are susceptible to mutagenesis when formed in cellular DNA. The mutagenesis can occur by mispairing with DNA nucleobases by a DNA polymerase during replication. We have performed a study of mispairing of DNA bases with unnatural bases computationally. 5-Halo uracils have been studied as mispairs in mutagenesis; however, the reports on their different forms are scarce in the literature. The stability of mispairs with keto form, enol form, and ionized form of 5-halo-uracil has been computed with the M06-2X/6-31+G** level of theory. The enol form of 5-halo-uracil showed remarkable stability toward DNA mispair compared to the corresponding keto and ionized forms. (F)U-G mispair showed the highest stability in the series and (Halo)(U(enol/ionized)-G mispair interactions energies are more stable than the natural G-C basepair of DNA. To enhance the stability of DNA mispairs, we have introduced the hydroxyl group in the place of halogen atoms, which provides additional hydrogen-bonding interactions in the system while forming the 5-membered ring. The study has been further extended with lithiated 5-hydroxymethyl-uracil to stabilize the DNA mispair. (CH2OLi)U(ionized)-G mispair has shown the highest stability (ΔG = -32.4 kcal/mol) with multi O-Li interactions. AIM (atoms in molecules) and EDA (energy decomposition analysis) analysis has been performed to examine the nature of noncovalent interactions in such mispairs. EDA analysis has shown that electrostatic energy mainly contributes toward the interaction energy of mispairs. The higher stability achieved in these studied mispairs can play a pivotal role in the mutagenesis and can help to attain the mutation for many desired biological processes.

The effect of Pot1 binding on the repair of thymine analogs in a telomeric DNA sequence.

Telomeric DNA can form duplex regions or single-stranded loops that bind multiple proteins, preventing it from being processed as a DNA repair intermediate. The bases within these regions are susceptible to damage; however, mechanisms for the repair of telomere damage are as yet poorly understood. We have examined the effect of three thymine (T) analogs including uracil (U), 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and 5-hydroxymethyluracil (5hmU) on DNA-protein interactions and DNA repair within the GGTTAC telomeric sequence. The replacement of T with U or 5FU interferes with Pot1 (Pot1pN protein of Schizosaccharomyces pombe) binding. Surprisingly, 5hmU substitution only modestly diminishes Pot1 binding suggesting that hydrophobicity of the T-methyl group likely plays a minor role in protein binding. In the GGTTAC sequence, all three analogs can be cleaved by DNA glycosylases; however, glycosylase activity is blocked if Pot1 binds. An abasic site at the G or T positions is cleaved by the endonuclease APE1 when in a duplex but not when single-stranded. Abasic site formation thermally destabilizes the duplex that could push a damaged DNA segment into a single-stranded loop. The inability to enzymatically cleave abasic sites in single-stranded telomere regions would block completion of the base excision repair cycle potentially causing telomere attrition.

Thermodynamics of organic molecule adsorption on sorbents modified with 5-hydroxy-6-methyluracil by inverse gas chromatography.

The thermodynamic features of organic molecule adsorption from the gaseous phase of sorbents modified with 5-hydroxy-6-methyluracil (HMU) were studied. Molar internal energy and entropy of adsorption variation analyses showed that with every type surface, except for silica gel, layers of supramolecular structure have cavities equal in size with the ones revealed in HMU crystals by X-ray diffraction. Adsorption thermodynamics on HMU-modified sorbents depended on the amount of impregnated HMU and on the polarity, but not the porosity, of the initial sorbent. Polarity of the modified surface increased as a function of HMU quantity and initial sorbent mean pore size, but become appreciably lower if the initial surface is capable of hydrogen bonding.

Identification of the glucosyltransferase that converts hydroxymethyluracil to base J in the trypanosomatid genome.

O-linked glucosylation of thymine in DNA (base J) is an important regulatory epigenetic mark in trypanosomatids. ß-d-glucopyranosyloxymethyluracil (base J) synthesis is initiated by the JBP1/2 enzymes that hydroxylate thymine, forming 5-hydroxymethyluracil (hmU). hmU is then glucosylated by a previously unknown glucosyltransferase. A recent computational screen identified a possible candidate for the base J-associated glucosyltransferase (JGT) in trypanosomatid genomes. We demonstrate that recombinant JGT utilizes uridine diphosphoglucose to transfer glucose to hmU in the context of dsDNA. Mutation of conserved residues typically involved in glucosyltransferase catalysis impairs DNA glucosylation in vitro. The deletion of both alleles of JGT from the genome of Trypanosoma brucei generates a cell line that completely lacks base J. Reintroduction of JGT in the JGT KO restores J synthesis. Ablation of JGT mRNA levels by RNAi leads to the sequential reduction in base J and increased levels of hmU that dissipate rapidly. The analysis of JGT function confirms the two-step J synthesis model and demonstrates that JGT is the only glucosyltransferase enzyme required for the second step of the pathway. Similar to the activity of the related Ten-Eleven Translocation (TET) family of dioxygenases on 5mC, our studies also suggest the ability of the base J-binding protein enzymes to catalyze iterative oxidation of thymine in trypanosome DNA. Here we discuss the regulation of hmU and base J formation in the trypanosome genome by JGT and base J-binding protein.

Polymerase synthesis of photocaged DNA resistant against cleavage by restriction endonucleases.

5-[(2-Nitrobenzyl)oxymethyl]-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-O-triphosphate was used for polymerase (primer extension or PCR) synthesis of photocaged DNA that is resistant to the cleavage by restriction endonucleases. Photodeprotection of the caged DNA released 5-hydroxymethyluracil-modified nucleic acids, which were fully recognized and cleaved by restriction enzymes.

Effect of intermolecular hydrogen bonding, vibrational analysis and molecular structure of a biomolecule: 5-Hydroxymethyluracil.

In the present work, the experimental and theoretical vibrational spectra of 5-hydroxymethyluracil were investigated. The FT-IR (4000-400cm(-1)) spectrum of the molecule in the solid phase was recorded. The geometric parameters (bond lengths and bond angles), vibrational frequencies, Infrared intensities of the title molecule in the ground state were calculated using density functional B3LYP and M06-2X methods with the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set for the first time. The optimized geometric parameters and theoretical vibrational frequencies were found to be in good agreement with the corresponding experimental data, and with the results found in the literature. The vibrational frequencies were assigned based on the potential energy distribution using the VEDA 4 program. The dimeric form of 5-hydroxymethyluracil molecule was also simulated to evaluate the effect of intermolecular hydrogen bonding on its vibrational frequencies. It was observed that the NH stretching modes shifted to lower frequencies, while its in-plane and out-of-plane bending modes shifted to higher frequencies due to the intermolecular NH⋯O hydrogen bond. Also, the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies and diagrams were presented.