Modified DNA bearing 5(methoxycarbonylmethyl)-2'-deoxyuridine: preparation by PCR with thermophilic DNA polymerase and postsynthetic derivatization

A thymidine analogue bearing a methyl ester at the C5 position was accepted as a substrate by the thermophilic family B DNA polymerases, KOD Dash, Pwo, and Vent(exo-), to form the corresponding PCR product, but not by the thermophilic family A DNA polymerases, Taq, Tth, and T7 thermosequenase. Modified DNA containing this analogue was prepared by PCR on a large scale with KOD Dash DNA polymerase and 5(methoxycarbonylmethyl)-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate as a substrate. The methyl ester of the modified DNA was further allowed to react with tris(2-aminoethyl)amine or histamine by an ester-amide exchange reaction to form the corresponding derivatized DNA bearing a tris(2-aminoethyl)amine or histamine moiety. Hydrolysis of the methyl ester of the modified DNA gave a functionalized DNA bearing an anionic carboxyl group. The derivatized DNA could act as a template for the PCR with KOD Dash DNA polymerase and the natural 2'-deoxythymidine 5'-triphosphate or the modified thymidine analogue as a substrate. The postsynthetic derivatization of the modified DNA may expand the variety of structurally modified DNA produced by PCR.     

Analysis of Modified Nucleotide Aptamer Library Generated by Thermophilic DNA Polymerases

One of the pivotal steps in aptamer selection is the amplification of target-specific oligonucleotides by thermophilic DNA polymerases; it can be a challenging task if nucleic acids possessing modified nucleotides are to be amplified. Hence, the identification of compatible DNA polymerase and modified nucleotide pairs is necessary for effective selection of aptamers with unnatural nucleotides. We present an in-depth study of using 5-indolyl-AA-dUTP (TAdUTP) to generate oligonucleotide libraries for aptamer selection. We found that, among the eight studied DNA polymerases, only Vent(exo-) and KOD XL are capable of adapting TAdUTP, and that replacing dTTP did not have a significant effect on the productivity of KOD XL. We demonstrated that water-in-oil emulsion PCR is suitable for the generation of aptamer libraries of modified nucleotides. Finally, high-throughput sequence analysis showed that neither the error rate nor the PCR bias was significantly affected by using TAdUTP. In summary, we propose that KOD XL and TAdUTP could be effectively used for aptamer selection without distorting the sequence space of random oligonucleotide libraries.     

1,2,4‐Triazine‐Modified 2′‐Deoxyuridine Triphosphate for Efficient Bioorthogonal Fluorescent Labeling of DNA

In order to establish the Diels–Alder reaction with inverse electron demand for postsynthetic DNA modification, a 1,2,4‐triazine‐modified 2′‐deoxyuridine triphosphate was synthesized. The bioorthogonally reactive 1,2,4‐triazine group was attached at the 5‐position of 2′‐deoxyuridine by a flexible alkyl linker to facilitate its acceptance by DNA polymerases. The screening of four DNA polymerases showed successful primer extensions, using a mixture of dATP, dGTP, dCTP, and the modified 2′‐deoxyuridine triphosphate, by using KOD XL or Vent polymerase. The triazine moiety was stable under the conditions of primer extension, which was evidenced by labeling with a BCN‐modified rhodamine at room temperature in yields of up to 82 %. Two or three modified bases could be incorporated in quantitative yields when the modification sites were separated by three base pairs. These results establish the 1,2,4‐triazene group as a bioorthogonally reactive moiety in DNA, thereby replacing the problematic 1,2,4,5‐tetrazine for postsynthetic labeling by the Diels–Alder reaction with inverse electron demand.     

Cleavage of functionalized DNA containing 5-modified pyrimidines by type II restriction endonucleases

A series of six pyrimidine-modified dNTPs--5-ethynyl-, 5-phenyl-, and 5-(3-nitrophenyl)deoxycitidine and -deoxyuridine triphosphates--were prepared and incorporated by primer extension with Vent (exo-)polymerase to specific DNA sequences within or next to the recognition sequences of selected restriction endonucleases. The cleavage of these pyrimidine-modified DNA sequences by 13 restriction enzymes was then studied. Whereas the presence of any modified C within the target sequence completely prevented any restriction cleavage, most enzymes tolerated the presence of 5-ethynylU and two of them even the presence of 5-phenyl- and 5-(3-nitrophenyl)U. Modifications outside the recognition sequence were tolerated except in the case of phenyl derivatives with the PvuII enzyme. 5-EthynylC was used for protection of the recognition sequence from cleavage in the presence of the second unmodified copy of the same sequence that was cleaved.     

Incorporation of 2'-deoxy-2'-isonucleoside 5'-triphosphates (iNTPs) into DNA by A- and B-family DNA polymerases with different recognition mechanisms

Recently, α-L-threofuranosyl nucleoside 3'-triphosphates (tNTPs) have been reported to be incorporated into DNA by DNA polymerases. Isonucleosides especially the 2'-deoxy-2'-isonucleosides, would be considered regioisomers of α-L-threofuranosyl nucleosides. Therefore, we investigated the synthesis of 2'-deoxy-2'-isonucleoside 5'-triphosphates (iNTPs) having the four natural nucleobases and their incorporation into primer-template duplexes consisting of oligonucleotides containing natural 2'-deoxyribonucleosides and 2'-deoxy-2'-isonucleosides by using primer-extension reactions. We found that Klenow fragment (exo-; an A-family DNA polymerase) has strict recognition of the shape of nucleoside 5'-triphosphates and Therminator (a B-family DNA polymerase) has strict recognition of the shape of primer-template complexes, especially two base pairs upstream of the primer 3' terminus.     

Structural Basis for The Recognition of Deaminated Nucleobases by An Archaeal DNA Polymerase

With increasing temperature, nucleobases in DNA become increasingly damaged by hydrolysis of exocyclic amines. The most prominent damage includes the conversion of cytosine to uracil and adenine to hypoxanthine. These damages are mutagenic and put the integrity of the genome at risk if not repaired appropriately. Several archaea live at elevated temperatures and thus, are exposed to a higher risk of deamination. Earlier studies have shown that DNA polymerases of archaea have the property of sensing deaminated nucleobases in the DNA template and thereby stalling the DNA synthesis during DNA replication providing another layer of DNA damage recognition and repair. However, the structural basis of uracil and hypoxanthine sensing by archaeal B-family DNA polymerases is sparse. Here we report on three new crystal structures of the archaeal B-family DNA polymerase from Thermococcus kodakarensis (KOD) DNA polymerase in complex with primer and template strands that have extended single stranded DNA template 5’-overhangs. These overhangs contain either the canonical nucleobases as well as uracil or hypoxanthine, respectively, and provide unprecedented structural insights into their recognition by archaeal B-family DNA polymerases.     

Polymerase Synthesis of DNA Containing Iodinated Pyrimidine or 7-Deazapurine Nucleobases and Their Post-synthetic Modifications through the Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling Reactions

All four iodinated 2′-deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) derived from 5-iodouracil, 5-iodocytosine, 7-iodo-7-deazaadenine and 7-iodo-7-deazaguanine were prepared and studied as substrates for KOD XL DNA polymerase. All of the nucleotides were readily incorporated by primer extension and by PCR amplification to form DNA containing iodinated nucleobases. Systematic study of the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions with two bulkier arylboronic acids revealed that the 5-iodopyrimidines were more reactive and gave cross-coupling products both in the terminal or internal position in single-stranded oligonucleotides (ssONs) and in the terminal position of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), whereas the 7-iodo-7-deazapurines were less reactive and gave cross-coupling products only in the terminal position. None of the four iodinated bases reacted in an internal position of dsDNA. These findings are useful for the use of the iodinated nucleobases for post-synthetic modification of DNA with functional groups for various applications.     

2′‐Deoxyribonucleoside Phosphoramidate Triphosphate Analogues as Alternative Substrates for E. coli Polymerase III

Thermostable bacterial polymerases like Taq, Therminator and Vent exo^? are able to perform DNA synthesis by using modified DNA precursors, a property that is exploited in several therapeutic and biotechnological applications. Viral polymerases are also known to accept modified substrates, and this has proven crucial in the development of antiviral therapies. However, non‐thermostable polymerases of bacterial origin, or engineered variants, that have similar substrate tolerance and could be used for synthetic biology purposes remain to be identified. We have identified the α subunit of Escherichia coli polymerase III (Pol III α) as a bacterial polymerase that is able to recognise and process as substrates several pyrophosphate‐modified dATP analogues in place of its natural substrate dATP for template‐directed DNA synthesis. A number of dATP analogues featuring a modified pyrophosphate group were able to serve as substrates during enzymatic DNA synthesis by Pol III α. Features such as the presence of potentially chelating chemical groups and the size and spatial flexibility of the chemical structure seem to be of major importance for the modified leaving group to play its role during the enzymatic reaction. In addition, we could establish that if the pyrophosphate group is altered, deoxynucleotide incorporation proceeds with an efficiency varying with the nature of the nucleobase. Our results represent a great step towards the achievement of a system of artificial DNA synthesis hosted by E. coli and involving the use of altered nucleotide precursors for nucleic acid synthesis.     

A parallel synthesis scheme for generating libraries of DNA polymerase substrates and inhibitors

We report a combinatorial approach aimed at producing in a single step a large family of nucleoside triphosphate derivatives that could be tested for their ability to be substrates for DNA polymerases. We propose as a unique triphosphate building block a nucleotide with a hydrazine function anchored to an imidazole ring. Condensation between the 5'-triphosphate derivative of 1-(2-deoxy-beta-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)-imidazole-4-hydrazide (dY(NH(2))TP) and any aldehyde or ketone, followed by reduction of the intermediate hydrazones dXmTP, resulted in the corresponding hydrazides (dXnTP). Following this scheme, a series of aldehydes having various aromatic parts yielded a number of adducts dY(NHR)TP. Vent (exo-) DNA polymerase is found to be able to catalyse the single incorporation of these bulky triphosphate derivatives. Subsequent extensions of the modified pairs with canonical triphosphates resulted mainly in abortive elongations at primer+2, except after the incorporation of dY(NHben)TP and, to a lesser extent, dY(NHphe)TP opposite C. These results illustrate the potential of this parallel synthetic scheme for generating new substrates or inhibitors of replication in a single step.     

Enzymatic Polymerization of Phosphonate Nucleosides

5′‐O‐Phosphonomethyl‐2′‐deoxyadenosine (PMdA) proved to be a good substrate of the Therminator polymerase. In this article, we investigated whether the A, C, T and U analogues of this phosphonate nucleoside (PMdN) series can function as substrates of natural DNA polymerases. PMdT and PMdU could only be polymerized enzymatically to a limited extent. Nevertheless, PMdA and PMdC could be incorporated into a DNA duplex with complete chain elongation by all the DNA polymerases tested. A mixed sequence of four nucleotides containing modified C, T and A residues could be obtained with the Vent(exo^?) and Therminator polymerases. The kinetic values for the incorporation of PMdA by Vent(exo^?) polymerase were determined; a reduced K_M value was found for the incorporation of PMdA compared to the natural substrate. Future polymerase directed evolution studies will allow us to select an enzyme with a heightened capacity to process these modified DNA building blocks into modified strands.     

Polymerase Amplification,Cloning, and Gene Expression of Benzo‐Homologous “yDNA” Base Pairs

A widened DNA base‐pair architecture is studied in an effort to explore the possibility of whether new genetic system designs might possess some of the functions of natural DNA. In the “yDNA” system, pairs are homologated by addition of a benzene ring, which yields (in the present study) benzopyrimidines that are correctly paired with purines. Here we report initial tests of ability of the benzopyrimidines yT and yC to store and transfer biochemical and biological information in vitro and in bacterial cells. In vitro primer extension studies with two polymerases showed that the enzymes could insert the correct nucleotides opposite these yDNA bases, but with low selectivity. PCR amplifications with a thermostable polymerase resulted in correct pairings in 15–20 % of the cases, and more successfully when yT or yC were situated within the primers. Segments of DNA containing one or two yDNA bases were then ligated into a plasmid and tested for their ability to successfully lead the expression of an active protein in vivo. Although active at only a fraction of the activity of fully natural DNA, the unnatural bases encoded the correct codon bases in the majority of cases when singly substituted, and yielded functioning green fluorescent protein. Although the activities with native polymerases are modest with these large base pairs, this is the first example of encoding protein in vivo by an unnatural DNA base pair architecture.     

Intracellular detection of cytosine incorporation in genomic DNA by using 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxycytidine

5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxycytidine triphosphate (EdCTP) was synthesized as a probe to be used in conjunction with fluorescent labeling to facilitate the analysis of the in vivo dynamics of DNA-centered processes (DNA replication, repair and cytosine demethylation). Kinetic analysis showed that EdCTP is accepted as a substrate by Klenow exo(-) and DNA polymerase β. Incorporation of 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxycytidine (EdC) into DNA by these enzymes is, at most, modestly less efficient than native dC. EdC-containing DNA was visualized by using a click reaction with a fluorescent azide, following polymerase incorporation and T4 DNA ligase mediated ligation. Subsequent experiments in mouse male germ cells and zygotes demonstrated that EdC is a specific and reliable reporter of DNA replication, in vivo.     

Synthesis and Biochemical Characterization of Tricyclothymidine Triphosphate (tc‐TTP)

Tricyclo‐DNA (tc‐DNA) is a conformationally restricted oligonucleotide analogue that exhibits promising properties as a robust antisense agent. Here we report on the synthesis and biochemical characterization of tc‐TTP, the triphosphate of a tc‐DNA nucleoside containing the base thymine. Tc‐TTP turned out to be a substrate for the Vent (exo^?) DNA polymerase, a polymerase that allows for multiple incorporations of tc‐T nucleotides under primer extension reaction conditions. However, the substrate acceptance is rather low, as also observed for other sugar‐modified analogues. Tc‐TTP and tc‐nucleotide‐containing templates do not sustain enzymatic polymerization under physiological conditions; this indicates that tc‐DNA‐based antisense agents will not enter natural metabolic pathways that lead to long‐term toxicity.     

Incorporation of Nucleoside Probes Opposite O6‐Methylguanine by Sulfolobus solfataricus DNA Polymerase Dpo4: Importance of Hydrogen Bonding

O⁶‐Methylguanine (O⁶‐MeG) is a mutagenic DNA lesion, arising from the action of methylating agents on guanine (G) in DNA. Dpo4, an archaeal low‐fidelity Y‐family DNA polymerase involved in translesion DNA synthesis (TLS), is a model for studying how human Y‐family polymerases bypass DNA adducts. Previous work showed that Dpo4‐mediated dTTP incorporation is favored opposite O⁶‐MeG rather than opposite G. However, factors influencing the preference of Dpo4 to incorporate dTTP opposite O⁶‐MeG are not fully defined. In this study, we investigated the influence of structural features of incoming dNTPs on their enzymatic incorporation opposite O⁶‐MeG in a DNA template. To this end, we utilized a new fluorescence‐based primer extension assay to evaluate the incorporation efficiency of a panel of synthetic dNTPs opposite G or O⁶‐MeG by Dpo4. In single‐dNTP primer extension studies, the synthetic dNTPs were preferentially incorporated opposite G, relative to O⁶‐MeG. Moreover, pyrimidine‐based dNTPs were generally better incorporated than purine‐based syn‐conformation dNTPs. The results suggest that hydrophobicity of the incoming dNTP appears to have little influence on the process of nucleotide selection by Dpo4, with hydrogen bonding capacity being a major influence. Additionally, modifications at the C2‐position of dCTP increase the selectivity for incorporation opposite O⁶‐MeG without a significant loss of efficiency.     

Synthesis of C8‐N‐Arylamine‐Modified 2′‐Deoxyguanosine‐5′‐Triphosphates and Their Effects on Primer Extension by DNA Polymerases

C8‐N‐arylamine adducts of 2′‐deoxyguanosine (2′‐dG) play an important role in the induction of the chemical carcinogenesis caused by aromatic amines. C8‐N‐acetyl‐N‐arylamine dG adducts that differ in their substitution pattern in the aniline moiety were converted by cycloSal technology into the corresponding C8‐N‐acetyl‐N‐arylamine‐2′‐deoxyguanosine‐5′‐triphosphates and C8‐NH‐arylamine‐2′‐deoxyguanosine‐5′‐triphosphates. Their conformation preference has been investigated by NOE spectroscopy and DFT calculations. The substrate properties of the C8‐dG adducts were studied in primer‐extension assays by using Klenow fragment exo^? of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I and human DNA polymerase β. It was shown that the incorporation was independent of the substitution pattern in the aryl moiety and the N‐acetyl group. Although the triphosphates were poor substrates for the human polymerases, they were incorporated twice before the termination of the elongation process occurred; this might demonstrate the importance of C8‐N‐arylamine‐2′‐deoxyguanosine‐5′‐triphosphates in chemical carcinogenesis.     

6‐Substituted 2‐Aminopurine‐2′‐deoxyribonucleoside 5′‐Triphosphates that Trace Cytosine Methylation

Gene expression is extensively regulated by the occurrence and distribution of the epigenetic marker 2′‐deoxy 5‐methylcytosine (5mC) in genomic DNA. Because of its effects on tumorigenesis there is an important link to human health. In addition, detection of 5mC can serve as an outstanding biomarker for diagnostics as well as for disease therapy. Our previous studies have already shown that, by processing O⁶‐alkylated 2′‐deoxyguanosine triphosphate (dGTP) analogues, DNA polymerases are able to sense the presence of a single 5mC unit in a template. Here we present the synthesis and evaluation of an extended toolbox of 6‐substituted 2‐aminopurine‐2′‐deoxyribonucleoside 5′‐triphosphates modified at position 6 with various functionalities. We found that sensing of 5‐methylation by this class of nucleotides is more general, not being restricted to O⁶‐alkyl modification of dGTP but also applying to other functionalities.     

Varied active-site constraints in the klenow fragment of E. coli DNA polymerase I and the lesion-bypass Dbh DNA polymerase

We report on comparative pre-steady-state kinetic analyses of exonuclease-deficient Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I (Klenow fragment, KF-) and the archaeal Y-family DinB homologue (Dbh) of Sulfolobus solfataricus. We used size-augmented sugar-modified thymidine-5'-triphosphate (T(R)TP) analogues to test the effects of steric constraints in the active sites of the polymerases. These nucleotides serve as models for study of DNA polymerases exhibiting both relatively high and low intrinsic selectivity. Substitution of a hydrogen atom at the 4'-position in the nucleotide analogue by a methyl group reduces the maximum rate of nucleotide incorporation by about 40-fold for KF- and about twelve fold for Dbh. Increasing the size to an ethyl group leads to a further twofold reduction in the rates of incorporation for both enzymes. Interestingly, the affinity of KF- for the modified nucleotides is only marginally affected, which would indicate no discrimination during the binding step. Dbh even has a higher affinity for the modified analogues than it does for the natural substrate. Misincorporation of either TTP or T(Me)TP opposite a G template causes a drastic decline in incorporation rates for both enzymes. At the same time, the binding affinities of KF- for these nucleotides drop by about 16- and fourfold, respectively, whereas Dbh shows only a twofold reduction. Available structural data for ternary complexes of relevant DNA polymerases indicate that both enzymes make close contacts with the sugar moiety of the dNTP. Thus, the varied proficiencies of the two enzymes in processing the size-augmented probes indicate varied flexibility of the enzymes' active sites and support the notion of active site tightness being a criterion for DNA polymerase selectivity.     

Bacteriophage-Encoded DNA Polymerases—Beyond the Traditional View of Polymerase Activities

DNA polymerases are enzymes capable of synthesizing DNA. They are involved in replication of genomes of all cellular organisms as well as in processes of DNA repair and genetic recombination. However, DNA polymerases can also be encoded by viruses, including bacteriophages, and such enzymes are involved in viral DNA replication. DNA synthesizing enzymes are grouped in several families according to their structures and functions. Nevertheless, there are examples of bacteriophage-encoded DNA polymerases which are significantly different from other known enzymes capable of catalyzing synthesis of DNA. These differences are both structural and functional, indicating a huge biodiversity of bacteriophages and specific properties of their enzymes which had to evolve under certain conditions, selecting unusual properties of the enzymes which are nonetheless crucial for survival of these viruses, propagating as special kinds of obligatory parasites. In this review, we present a brief overview on DNA polymerases, and then we discuss unusual properties of different bacteriophage-encoded enzymes, such as those able to initiate DNA synthesis using the protein-priming mechanisms or even start this process without any primer, as well as able to incorporate untypical nucleotides. Apart from being extremely interesting examples of biochemical biodiversity, bacteriophage-encoded DNA polymerases can also be useful tools in genetic engineering and biotechnology.     

DNA Polymerase Action on Oligonucleotide Templates from Human Ha-ras Protooncogene Containing N6-Deoxyadenosine Adducts Derived from Trans Addition of (+)- and (-)-anti-Benzo[c]phenanthrene-3,4-dihydrodiol 1,2-epoxides at Codon 61

In the present work we have used a DNA polymerase assay to investigate the primer extension with T7 DNA polymerase (Sequenase 2.0) and the Klenow fragment of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I (exo ^? KF) on chemically synthesized 21mer templates representing partial sequences of the human Ha-ras protooncogene with site-specifically positioned trans-N ⁶-dA adducts of (-)- (adduct 1) and (+)-anti-benzo[c]phenanthrene 3,4-dihydrodiol 1,2-epoxides (adduct 2) at codon 61 (CA?G; A? indicates the adducted position). With Sequenase 2.0 a complete block of primer extension opposite both adduct 1 and 2 was noted using a 10mer primer reaching the (n-1)-position of the adduct. A detailed analysis revealed that Sequenase 2.0 exclusively allowed the misincorporation of dAMP opposite both adducts. In contrast, exo ^? KF allowed a significant full-length extension of the primer beyond adduct 2, whereas this process occured only to a very minor extent for adduct 1. Correspondingly, a more intensive block of the polymerization reaction opposite adduct 1 was seen. Analysis of the arrest bands revealed that dAMP was preferentially incorporated opposite to adduct 1; also incorporation of dGMP was observed, but to a minor extent. Similarly, dAMP was also incorporated opposite to adduct 2 along with dTMP, the latter indicating a correct base pairing. Additional experiments with exo ^? KF using different 11mer primers containing each of the four nucleotides opposite the adduct suggest that the primer extension beyond adduct 2 observed with the 10mer primer is an error-free process.