Search results for "A-DNA"
showing 10 items of 30 documents
Mapping of Polytene Chromosomes
2000
Principle and Polytene chromosomes consist of up to several thousands of chromatids applications and are therefore especially suitable for direct mapping with the help ofIn situhybridization. With the introduction of nonradioactive labeling and detection methods, e.g., fluorescenceIn situhybridization (FISH) (Lan-ger-Safer et al., 1982), theIn situhybridization procedure has become easy to perform and the results can be obtained within a day. Furthermore, the method described here (Schmidt et al., 1988; Schmidt, 1992) is a simplified version which additionally allows for the hybridization of more than one DNA probe simultaneously. This double or multicolor hybridization results in very prec…
Signal-Processing and Adaptive Prototissue Formation in Metabolic DNA Protocells
2021
Abstract The fundamental life-defining processes in living cells, such as replication, division, adaptation, and tissue formation, take place via intertwined metabolic reaction networks orchestrating downstream signal processing in a confined, crowded environment with high precision. Hence, it is crucial to understand and reenact some of these functions in wholly synthetic cell-like entities (protocells) to envision designing soft-materials with life-like traits. Herein, we report on a programmable all-DNA protocell (PC) composed of a liquid DNA interior and a hydrogel-like shell, harboring DNAzyme active sites in the interior whose catalytic bond-cleaving activity leads to a downstream phe…
Dynamics and reactivity in Thermus aquaticus N6-adenine methyltransferase.
2014
M.TaqI is a DNA methyltransferase from Thermus aquaticus that catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosyl-l-methionine to the N6 position of an adenine, a process described only in prokaryotes. We have used full atomistic classical molecular dynamics simulations to explore the protein–SAM–DNA ternary complex where the target adenine is flipped out into the active site. Key protein–DNA interactions established by the target adenine in the active site are described in detail. The relaxed structure was used for a combined quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics exploration of the reaction mechanism using the string method. According to our free energy calculations the reaction takes…
Hypoxia-Selective Dissociation Mechanism of a Nitroimidazole Nucleoside in a DNA Environment
2019
Photodynamic therapy is a promising approach to treat a variety of superficial tumors and other diseases. One of its major limitations arises from its dependence on molecular oxygen, which decreases the efficiency of the therapy in hypoxia conditions commonly developed by solid tumors. The present contribution reveals the molecular mechanism of a modified thymine bearing a nitroimidazole substituent, a photosensitizer able to produce highly harmful interstrand cross-links in the DNA double strand after irradiation selectively in absence of oxygen. The mechanism is resolved at a fully atomistic and electronic level relying on quantum mechanics (CASPT2, coupled-cluster, DFT, and TD-DFT method…
Probing the Conformational States of a pH-Sensitive DNA Origami Zipper via Label-Free Electrochemical Methods
2021
Funding Information: Financial support from EPSRC DTP (grant EP/R513349/1), the Emil Aaltonen Foundation, the Sigrid Jusélius Foundation, the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, and the Vilho, Yrjö and Kalle Väisälä Foundation of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters is gratefully acknowledged. This work was carried out under the Academy of Finland Centers of Excellence Programme (2014–2019). We acknowledge the provision of facilities and technical support by Aalto University Bioeconomy Facilities and OtaNano—Nanomicroscopy Center (Aalto-NMC) and Micronova Nanofabrication Center. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society DNA origami structures represe…
ChemInform Abstract: Design, Synthesis, DNA-Binding and Cytotoxicity Evaluation of New Potential Combilexines.
2010
Combilexines, compounds in which a DNA intercalator is linked to a minor groove binding component, interact with the DNA in a sequence specific manner to yield in most cases compounds with anticancer activity. A series of new compounds closely related to netropsin in which the two components were linked by an amide group was synthesised as potential combilexines. As some of these compounds showed cytotoxic activity in vitro, an attempt was made to rationalise their mechanism of action. The DNA binding characteristics of the carboxamides were evaluated by thermal denaturation experiments and by ethidium bromide displacement assay. Their ability to inhibit the topoisomerase I was also determi…
Reconfigurable DNA Origami Nanocapsule for pH-Controlled Encapsulation and Display of Cargo
2019
DNA nanotechnology provides a toolbox for creating custom and precise nanostructures with nanometer-level accuracy. These nano-objects are often static by nature and serve as versatile templates for assembling various molecular components in a user-defined way. In addition to the static structures, the intrinsic programmability of DNA nanostructures allows the design of dynamic devices that can perform predefined tasks when triggered with external stimuli, such as drug delivery vehicles whose cargo display or release can be triggered with a specified physical or chemical cue in the biological environment. Here, we present a DNA origami nanocapsule that can be loaded with cargo and reversibl…
Design, synthesis, DNA-binding and cytotoxicity evaluation of new potential combilexines
2002
Combilexines, compounds in which a DNA intercalator is linked to a minor groove binding component, interact with the DNA in a sequence specific manner to yield in most cases compounds with anticancer activity. A series of new compounds closely related to netropsin in which the two components were linked by an amide group was synthesised as potential combilexines. As some of these compounds showed cytotoxic activity in vitro, an attempt was made to rationalise their mechanism of action. The DNA binding characteristics of the carboxamides were evaluated by thermal denaturation experiments and by ethidium bromide displacement assay. Their ability to inhibit the topoisomerase I was also determi…
The role of SAXS and molecular simulations in 3D structure elucidation of a DNA aptamer against lung cancer
2021
Aptamers are short, single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotide molecules that function as synthetic analogs of antibodies and bind to a target molecule with high specificity. Aptamer affinity entirely depends on its tertiary structure and charge distribution. Therefore, length and structure optimization are essential for increasing aptamer specificity and affinity. Here, we present a general optimization procedure for finding the most populated atomistic structures of DNA aptamers. Based on the existed aptamer LC-18 for lung adenocarcinoma, a new truncated LC-18 (LC-18t) aptamer LC-18t was developed. A three-dimensional (3D) shape of LC-18t was reported based on small-angle X-ray scattering…
A Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of the Spectroscopic Properties of a DNA-Intercalator Salphen-Type ZnIIComplex
2014
The photophysical and DNA-binding properties of the cationic zinc(II) complex of 5-triethylammonium methyl salicylidene ortho-phenylenediiminato (ZnL 2 + ) were investi- gated by a combination of experimental and theoretical methods. DFT calculations were performed on both the ground and the first excited states of ZnL 2 + and on its possi- ble mono- and dioxidation products, both in vacuo and in selected solvents mimicked by the polarizable continuum model. Comparison of the calculated absorption and fluores- cence transitions with the corresponding experimental data led to the conclusion that visible light induces a two-elec- tron photooxidation process located on the phenylenediimi- nato…