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La-related proteins (LARPs) are a family of RNA-binding proteins that share a conserved La motif (LaM) domain. LARP1 plays a role in regulating ribosomal protein synthesis and stabilizing mRNAs and has a unique structure without an RNA binding RRM domain adjoining the LaM domain. In this study, we investigated the physical basis for LARP1 specificity for poly(A) sequences and observed an unexpected bias for sequences with single guanines. Multiple guanine substitutions did not increase the affinity, demonstrating preferential recognition of singly guanylated sequences. We also observed that the cyclic di-nucleotides in the cCAS/STING pathway, cyclic-di-GMP and 3',3'-cGAMP, bound with sub-micromolar affinity. Isothermal titration measurements were complemented by high-resolution crystal structures of the LARP1 LaM with six different RNA ligands, including two stereoisomers of a phosphorothioate linkage. The selectivity for singly substituted poly(A) sequences suggests LARP1 may play a role in the stabilizing effect of poly(A) tail guanylation. [Figure: see text].

La-related proteins (LARPs) comprise a family of RNA-binding proteins involved in a wide range of posttranscriptional regulatory activities. LARPs share a unique tandem of two RNA-binding domains, La motif (LaM) and RNA recognition motif (RRM), together referred to as a La-module, but vary in member-specific regions. Prior structural studies of La-modules reveal they are pliable platforms for RNA recognition in diverse contexts. Here, we characterize the La-module of LARP1, which plays an important role in regulating synthesis of ribosomal proteins in response to mTOR signaling and mRNA stabilization. LARP1 has been well characterized functionally but no structural information exists for its La-module. We show that unlike other LARPs, the La-module in LARP1 does not contain an RRM domain. The LaM alone is sufficient for binding poly(A) RNA with submicromolar affinity and specificity. Multiple high-resolution crystal structures of the LARP1 LaM domain in complex with poly(A) show that it is highly specific for the RNA 3'-end, and identify LaM residues Q333, Y336 and F348 as the most critical for binding. Use of a quantitative mRNA stabilization assay and poly(A) tail-sequencing demonstrate functional relevance of LARP1 RNA binding in cells and provide novel insight into its poly(A) 3' protection activity., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

A breadth of strategies are needed to efficiently modify oligonucleotides with peptides or lipids to capitalize on their therapeutic and diagnostic potential, including the modulation of in vivo chemical stability and for applications in cell-targeting and cell-permeability. The chemical linkages typically used in peptide oligonucleotide conjugates (POCs) have limitations in terms of stability and/or ease of synthesis. Herein, we report an efficient method for POC synthesis using a diselenide-selenoester ligation (DSL)-deselenization strategy that rapidly generates a stable amide linkage between the two biomolecules. This conjugation strategy is underpinned by a novel selenide phosphoramidite building block that can be incorporated into an oligonucleotide by solid-phase synthesis to generate diselenide dimer molecules. These can be rapidly ligated with peptide selenoesters and, following in situ deselenization, lead to the efficient generation of POCs. The diselenide within the oligonucleotide also serves as a flexible functionalisation handle that can be leveraged for fluorescent labelling, as well as for alkylation to generate micelles., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Over the past 25 years, the acceleration of achievements in the development of oligonucleotide-based therapeutics has resulted in numerous new drugs making it to the market for the treatment of various diseases. Oligonucleotides with alterations to their scaffold, prepared with modified nucleosides and solid-phase synthesis, have yielded molecules with interesting biophysical properties that bind to their targets and are tolerated by the cellular machinery to elicit a therapeutic outcome. Structural techniques, such as crystallography, have provided insights to rationalize numerous properties including binding affinity, nuclease stability, and trends observed in the gene silencing. In this review, we discuss the chemistry, biophysical, and structural properties of a number of chemically modified oligonucleotides that have been explored for gene silencing., (Copyright © 2021, Liczner et al.)

Double-stranded oligonucleotides containing cisplatin adducts, with and without a mismatched region, were exposed to hydrated electrons generated by gamma-rays. Gel electrophoresis analysis demonstrates the formation of cisplatin-interstrand crosslinks from the cisplatin-intrastrand species. The rate constant per base for the reaction between hydrated electrons and the double-stranded oligonucleotides with and without cisplatin containing a mismatched region was determined by pulse radiolysis to be 7 × 109 and 2 × 109 M-1 s-1, respectively. These results provide a better understanding of the radiosensitizing effect of cisplatin adducts in hypoxic tumors and of the formation of interstrand crosslinks, which are difficult for cells to repair., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japanese Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.)

O ⁶-Alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferases (AGTs) are proteins responsible for the removal of mutagenic alkyl adducts at the O ⁶-atom of guanine and O ⁴-atom of thymine. In the current study we set out to understand the role of the Ser134 residue in the Escherichia coli AGT variant OGT on substrate discrimination. The S134P mutation in OGT increased the ability of the protein to repair both O ⁶-adducts of guanine and O ⁴-adducts of thymine. However, the S134P variant was unable, like wild-type OGT, to repair an interstrand cross-link (ICL) bridging two O ⁶-atoms of guanine in a DNA duplex. When compared to the human AGT protein (hAGT), the S134P OGT variant displayed reduced activity towards O ⁶-alkylation but a much broader substrate range for O ⁴-alkylation damage reversal. The role of residue 134 in OGT is similar to its function in the human homolog, where Pro140 is crucial in conferring on hAGT the capability to repair large adducts at the O ⁶-position of guanine. Finally, a method to generate a covalent conjugate between hAGT and a model nucleoside using a single-stranded oligonucleotide substrate is demonstrated., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Polyadenylate (poly(A)) has the ability to form a parallel duplex with Hoogsteen adenine:adenine base pairs at low pH or in the presence of ammonium ions. In order to evaluate the potential of this structural motif for nucleic acid-based nanodevices, we characterized the effects on duplex stability of substitutions of the ribose sugar with 2'-deoxyribose, 2'-O-methyl-ribose, 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-ribose, arabinose and 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-arabinose. Deoxyribose substitutions destabilized the poly(A) duplex both at low pH and in the presence of ammonium ions: no duplex formation could be detected with poly(A) DNA oligomers. Other sugar C2' modifications gave a variety of effects. Arabinose and 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-arabinose nucleotides strongly destabilized poly(A) duplex formation. In contrast, 2'-O-methyl and 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-ribo modifications were stabilizing either at pH 4 or in the presence of ammonium ions. The differential effect suggests they could be used to design molecules selectively responsive to pH or ammonium ions. To understand the destabilization by deoxyribose, we determined the structures of poly(A) duplexes with a single DNA residue by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. The structures revealed minor structural perturbations suggesting that the combination of sugar pucker propensity, hydrogen bonding, pKa shifts and changes in hydration determine duplex stability., (© The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

DNA lesions that elude repair may undergo translesion synthesis catalyzed by Y-family DNA polymerases. O 4 -Alkylthymidines, persistent adducts that can result from carcinogenic agents, may be encountered by DNA polymerases. The influence of lesion orientation around the C4- O 4 bond on processing by human DNA polymerase η (hPol η ) was studied for oligonucleotides containing O 4 -methylthymidine, O 4 -ethylthymidine, and analogs restricting the O 4 -methylene group in an anti -orientation. Primer extension assays revealed that the O 4 -alkyl orientation influences hPol η bypass. Crystal structures of hPol η •DNA•dNTP ternary complexes with O 4 -methyl- or O 4 -ethylthymidine in the template strand showed the nucleobase of the former lodged near the ceiling of the active site, with the syn - O 4 -methyl group engaged in extensive hydrophobic interactions. This unique arrangement for O 4 -methylthymidine with hPol η , inaccessible for the other analogs due to steric/conformational restriction, is consistent with differences observed for nucleotide incorporation and supports the concept that lesion conformation influences extension across DNA damage. Together, these results provide mechanistic insights on the mutagenicity of O 4 MedT and O 4 EtdT when acted upon by hPol η .

RecBCD is a multifunctional enzyme that possesses both helicase and nuclease activities. To gain insight into the mechanism of its helicase function, RecBCD unwinding at low adenosine triphosphate (ATP) (2-4 μM) was measured using an optical-trapping assay featuring 1 base-pair (bp) precision. Instead of uniformly sized steps, we observed forward motion convolved with rapid, large-scale (∼4 bp) variations in DNA length. We interpret this motion as conformational dynamics of the RecBCD-DNA complex in an unwinding-competent state, arising, in part, by an enzyme-induced, back-and-forth motion relative to the dsDNA that opens and closes the duplex. Five observations support this interpretation. First, these dynamics were present in the absence of ATP. Second, the onset of the dynamics was coupled to RecBCD entering into an unwinding-competent state that required a sufficiently long 5' strand to engage the RecD helicase. Third, the dynamics were modulated by the GC-content of the dsDNA. Fourth, the dynamics were suppressed by an engineered interstrand cross-link in the dsDNA that prevented unwinding. Finally, these dynamics were suppressed by binding of a specific non-hydrolyzable ATP analog. Collectively, these observations show that during unwinding, RecBCD binds to DNA in a dynamic mode that is modulated by the nucleotide state of the ATP-binding pocket., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research 2016. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.)

i-Motifs are four-stranded DNA structures consisting of two parallel DNA duplexes held together by hemi-protonated and intercalated cytosine base pairs (C:CH(+)). They have attracted considerable research interest for their potential role in gene regulation and their use as pH responsive switches and building blocks in macromolecular assemblies. At neutral and basic pH values, the cytosine bases deprotonate and the structure unfolds into single strands. To avoid this limitation and expand the range of environmental conditions supporting i-motif folding, we replaced the sugar in DNA by 2-deoxy-2-fluoroarabinose. We demonstrate that such a modification significantly stabilizes i-motif formation over a wide pH range, including pH 7. Nuclear magnetic resonance experiments reveal that 2-deoxy-2-fluoroarabinose adopts a C2'-endo conformation, instead of the C3'-endo conformation usually found in unmodified i-motifs. Nevertheless, this substitution does not alter the overall i-motif structure. This conformational change, together with the changes in charge distribution in the sugar caused by the electronegative fluorine atoms, leads to a number of favorable sequential and inter-strand electrostatic interactions. The availability of folded i-motifs at neutral pH will aid investigations into the biological function of i-motifs in vitro, and will expand i-motif applications in nanotechnology., (© The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

The development of a versatile strategy to synthesize cationic nanocarriers capable of co-delivery and enhanced release of drugs and oligonucleotides is promising for synergic dual chemotherapy and gene therapy. Herein, we report a novel cationic amphiphilic diblock copolymer having a single reduction-responsive disulfide linkage at a junction between a FDA-approved polylactide (PLA) block and a cationic methacrylate block (C-ssABP). The amphiphilic design of the C-ssABP enables the formation of cationic micellar aggregates possessing hydrophobic PLA cores, encapsulating anticancer drugs; cationic coronas, ensuring complementary complexation with negatively-charged oligonucleotides through electrostatic interactions; and disulfides at interfaces, leading to enhanced release of both encapsulated drugs and complexed oligonucleotides. The reduction-responsive intracellular trafficking results from flow cytometry, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and cell viability, as well as in vitro gene transfection assay suggest that C-ssABP offers versatility as an effective nanocarrier platform for dual chemotherapy and gene therapy., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Many RNA-binding proteins contain multiple single-strand nucleic acid-binding domains and assemble into large multiprotein messenger ribonucleic acid protein (mRNP) complexes. The mechanisms underlying the self-assembly of these complexes are largely unknown. In eukaryotes, the association of the translation factors polyadenylate-binding protein-1 (PABP) and eIF4G is essential for high-level expression of polyadenylated mRNAs. Here, we report the crystal structure of the ternary complex poly(A)(11)·PABP(1-190)·eIF4G(178-203) at 2.0 Å resolution. Our NMR and crystallographic data show that eIF4G interacts with the RRM2 domain of PABP. Analysis of the interaction by small-angle X-ray scattering, isothermal titration calorimetry, and electromobility shift assays reveals that this interaction is allosterically regulated by poly(A) binding to PABP. Furthermore, we have confirmed the importance of poly(A) for the endogenous PABP and eIF4G interaction in immunoprecipitation experiments using HeLa cell extracts. Our findings reveal interdomain allostery as a mechanism for cooperative assembly of RNP complexes., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We report here the first structure of double helical arabino nucleic acid (ANA), the C2'-stereoisomer of RNA, and the 2'-fluoro-ANA analogue (2'F-ANA). A chimeric dodecamer based on the Dickerson sequence, containing a contiguous central segment of arabino nucleotides, flanked by two 2'-deoxy-2'F-ANA wings was studied. Our data show that this chimeric oligonucleotide can adopt two different structures of comparable thermal stabilities. One structure is a monomeric hairpin in which the stem is formed by base paired 2'F-ANA nucleotides and the loop by unpaired ANA nucleotides. The second structure is a bimolecular duplex, with all the nucleotides (2'F-ANA and ANA) forming Watson-Crick base pairs. The duplex structure is canonical B-form, with all arabinoses adopting a pure C2'-endo conformation. In the ANA:ANA segment, steric interactions involving the 2'-OH substituent provoke slight changes in the glycosidic angles and, therefore, in the ANA:ANA base pair geometry. These distortions are not present in the 2'F-ANA:2'F-ANA regions of the duplex, where the -OH substituent is replaced by a smaller fluorine atom. 2'F-ANA nucleotides adopt the C2'-endo sugar pucker and fit very well into the geometry of B-form duplex, allowing for favourable 2'F···H8 interactions. This interaction shares many features of pseudo-hydrogen bonds previously observed in 2'F-ANA:RNA hybrids and in single 2'F-ANA nucleotides.

Oligonucleotides containing modified 2'-deoxyguanosines bearing a seven carbon linker at the O(6)- atom with either a terminal hydroxyl or 2'- deoxyguanosine group have been synthesized as potential intermediates formed during repair of interstrand cross-linked DNA. Repair of these substrates with Escherichia coli OGT was investigated with an assay involving cleavage of the unmodified duplex with the restriction endonuclease PvuII followed by analysis of the products by denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Duplexes containing these modifications were repaired by OGT suggesting that direct repair may play a role, in combination with other repair pathways, in reversing interstrand crosslink DNA damage.

DNA duplexes containing a directly opposed O(6)- alkyl-2'-deoxyguanosine interstrand cross-link were synthesized to serve as structural mimics of lesions formed by the bifunctional chemotherapeutic alkylating agents busulfan and hepsulfam. One of the key steps to prepare the necessary bis-phosphoramidites involved the Mitsunobu reaction between a diol linking two protected 2'-deoxyguanosine nucleosides at the O(6) position. These bis-phosphoramidites were incorporated into 11-bp DNA duplexes by solid phase synthesis to produce cross-linked DNA probes in high yields. UV thermal denaturation studies revealed that these interstrand cross-linked containing oligonucleotides were stabilized compared to a DNA duplex containing a central 2'-deoxyguanosine mismatch. The duplex containing the four carbon cross-link was stabilized by 10 degrees C relative to the seven carbon linker. Molecular models of these duplexes that were geometry optimized by the AMBER force field suggest that the seven carbon cross-link was less efficiently accommodated in the major groove of the duplex relative to the four carbon linker, accounting for the observed destabilization.

Hybrids of RNA and arabinonucleic acid (ANA) as well as the 2'-fluoro-ANA analog (2'F-ANA) were recently shown to be substrates of the enzyme RNase H. Although RNase H binds to double-stranded RNA, no cleavage occurs with such duplexes. Therefore, knowledge of the structure of ANA/RNA hybrids may prove helpful in the design of future antisense oligonucleotide analogs. In this study, we have determined the NMR solution structures of ANA/RNA and DNA/RNA hairpin duplexes and compared them to the recently published structure of a 2'F-ANA/RNA hairpin duplex. We demonstrate here that the sugars of RNA nucleotides of the ANA/RNA hairpin stem adopt the C3'-endo (north, A-form) conformation, whereas those of the ANA strand adopt a 'rigid' O4'-endo (east) sugar pucker. The DNA strand of the DNA/RNA hairpin stem is flexible, but the average DNA/RNA hairpin structural parameters are close to the ANA/RNA and 2'F-ANA/RNA hairpin parameters. The minor groove width of ANA/RNA, 2'F-ANA/RNA and DNA/RNA helices is 9.0 +/- 0.5 A, a value that is intermediate between that of A- and B-form duplexes. These results rationalize the ability of ANA/RNA and 2'F-ANA/RNA hybrids to elicit RNase H activity.

The observation of light metal ions in nucleic acids crystals is generally a fortuitous event. Sodium ions in particular are notoriously difficult to detect because their X-ray scattering contributions are virtually identical to those of water and Na(+.)O distances are only slightly shorter than strong hydrogen bonds between well-ordered water molecules. We demonstrate here that replacement of Na(+) by K(+), Rb(+) or Cs(+) and precise measurements of anomalous differences in intensities provide a particularly sensitive method for detecting alkali metal ion-binding sites in nucleic acid crystals. Not only can alkali metal ions be readily located in such structures, but the presence of Rb(+) or Cs(+) also allows structure determination by the single wavelength anomalous diffraction technique. Besides allowing identification of high occupancy binding sites, the combination of high resolution and anomalous diffraction data established here can also pinpoint binding sites that feature only partial occupancy. Conversely, high resolution of the data alone does not necessarily allow differentiation between water and partially ordered metal ions, as demonstrated with the crystal structure of a DNA duplex determined to a resolution of 0.6 A.

Chemically modified nucleotide analogs have gained widespread popularity for probing structure-function relationships. Among the modifications that were incorporated into RNAs for assessing the role of individual functional groups, the phenyl nucleotide has displayed surprising effects both in the contexts of the hammerhead ribozyme and pre-mRNA splicing. To examine the conformational properties of this hydrophobic base analog, we determined the crystal structure of an RNA double helix with incorporated phenyl ribonucleotides at 1.97 A resolution. In the structure, phenyl residues are engaged in self-pairing and their arrangements suggest energetically favorable stacking interactions with 3'-adjacent guanines. The presence of the phenyl rings in the center of the duplex results in only moderate changes of the helical geometry. This finding is in line with those of earlier experiments that showed the phenyl analog to be a remarkably good mimetic of natural base function. Because the stacking interactions displayed by phenyl residues appear to be similar to those for natural bases, reduced conformational restriction due to the lack of hydrogen bonds with phenyl as well as alterations in its solvent structure may be the main causes of the activity changes with phenyl-modified RNAs.

Recently, hybrids of RNA and D-arabinonucleic acids (ANA) as well as the 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-D-arabinonucleic acid analog (2'F-ANA) were shown to be substrates of RNase H. This enzyme is believed to be involved in the primary mechanism by which antisense oligonucleotides cause a reduction in target RNA levels in vivo. To gain a better understanding of the properties of arabinose based oligonucleotides, we have prepared a series of 2'F-ANA sequences of homopolymeric (A and T) and mixed base composition (A, T, G and C). UV thermal melting and circular dichroic (CD) studies were used to ascertain the thermodynamic stability and helical conformation of 2'F-ANA/RNA and 2'F-ANA/DNA hybrids. It is shown that 2'F-ANA has enhanced RNA affinity relative to that of DNA and phosphorothioate DNA. The 2'-fluoroarabino modification showed favorable pairing to single-stranded DNA also. This is in sharp contrast to ANA, which forms weak ANA/DNA hybrids at best. According to the measured thermodynamic parameters for duplex formation, the increased stability of hybrids formed by 2'F-ANA (e.g., 2'F-ANA/RNA) appears to originate from conformational pre-organization of the fluorinated sugars and a favorable enthalpy of hybridization. In addition, NMR spectroscopy revealed a five-bond coupling between the 2'F and the base protons (H6/H8) of 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-beta-D-arabinonucleosides. This observation is suggestive of a through-space interaction between 2'F and H6/H8 atoms. CD experiments indicate that 2'F-ANA/RNA hybrids adopt an 'A-like' structure and show more resemblance to DNA/RNA hybrids than to the pure RNA/RNA duplex. This feature is believed to be an important factor in the mechanism that allows RNase H to discriminate between 2'F-ANA/RNA (or DNA/RNA) and RNA/RNA duplexes.