10 research outputs found
Formamide-Based Prebiotic Synthesis of Nucleobases: A Kinetically Accessible Reaction Route
Synthesis of nucleobases in nonaqueous environments is an alternative way for the emergence of terrestrial life, which could solve the fundamental problem connected to the hydrolytic instability of nucleic acid components in an aqueous environment. In this contribution, we present a plausible reaction route for the prebiotic synthesis of nucleobases in formamide, which does not require participation of the formamide trimer and aminoimidazole-carbonitrile intermediates. The computed activation energy of the proposed pathway is noticeably higher than that of the HCN-based synthetic route, but it is still feasible under the experimental conditions of the Saladino synthesis. We show that, albeit both the pyrimidine and purine ring formation utilizes the undissociated form of formamide, the dehydration product of formamide, HCN, may also play a key role in the mechanism. The rate determining step of the entire reaction path is the cyclization of the diaza-pentanimine precursor. The subsequent formation of the imidazole ring proceeds with a moderate activation energy. Our calculations thus demonstrate that the experimentally suggested reaction path without the involvement of aminoimidazole-carbonitrile intermediates is also a viable alternative for the nonaqueous synthesis of nucleobases
Energies and 2′-Hydroxyl Group Orientations of RNA Backbone Conformations. Benchmark CCSD(T)/CBS Database, Electronic Analysis, and Assessment of DFT Methods and MD Simulations
Sugar–phosphate
backbone is an electronically complex molecular
segment imparting RNA molecules high flexibility and architectonic
heterogeneity necessary for their biological functions. The structural
variability of RNA molecules is amplified by the presence of the 2′-hydroxyl
group, capable of forming multitude of intra- and intermolecular interactions.
Bioinformatics studies based on X-ray structure database revealed
that RNA backbone samples at least 46 substates known as rotameric
families. The present study provides a comprehensive analysis of RNA
backbone conformational preferences and 2′-hydroxyl group orientations.
First, we create a benchmark database of estimated CCSD(T)/CBS relative
energies of all rotameric families and test performance of dispersion-corrected
DFT-D3 methods and molecular mechanics in vacuum and in continuum
solvent. The performance of the DFT-D3 methods is in general quite
satisfactory. The B-LYP-D3 method provides the best trade-off between
accuracy and computational demands. B3-LYP-D3 slightly outperforms
the new PW6B95-D3 and MPW1B95-D3 and is the second most accurate density
functional of the study. The best agreement with CCSD(T)/CBS is provided
by DSD-B-LYP-D3 double-hybrid functional, although its large-scale
applications may be limited by high computational costs. Molecular
mechanics does not reproduce the fine energy differences between the
RNA backbone substates. We also demonstrate that the differences in
the magnitude of the hyperconjugation effect do not correlate with
the energy ranking of the backbone conformations. Further, we investigated
the 2′-hydroxyl group orientation preferences. For all families,
we conducted a QM and MM hydroxyl group rigid scan in gas phase and
solvent. We then carried out set of explicit solvent MD simulations
of folded RNAs and analyze 2′-hydroxyl group orientations of
different backbone families in MD. The solvent energy profiles determined
primarily by the sugar pucker match well with the distribution data
derived from the simulations. The QM and MM energy profiles predict
the same 2′-hydroxyl group orientation preferences. Finally,
we demonstrate that the high energy of unfavorable and rarely sampled
2′-hydroxyl group orientations can be attributed to clashes
between occupied orbitals
Energies and 2′-Hydroxyl Group Orientations of RNA Backbone Conformations. Benchmark CCSD(T)/CBS Database, Electronic Analysis, and Assessment of DFT Methods and MD Simulations
Sugar–phosphate
backbone is an electronically complex molecular
segment imparting RNA molecules high flexibility and architectonic
heterogeneity necessary for their biological functions. The structural
variability of RNA molecules is amplified by the presence of the 2′-hydroxyl
group, capable of forming multitude of intra- and intermolecular interactions.
Bioinformatics studies based on X-ray structure database revealed
that RNA backbone samples at least 46 substates known as rotameric
families. The present study provides a comprehensive analysis of RNA
backbone conformational preferences and 2′-hydroxyl group orientations.
First, we create a benchmark database of estimated CCSD(T)/CBS relative
energies of all rotameric families and test performance of dispersion-corrected
DFT-D3 methods and molecular mechanics in vacuum and in continuum
solvent. The performance of the DFT-D3 methods is in general quite
satisfactory. The B-LYP-D3 method provides the best trade-off between
accuracy and computational demands. B3-LYP-D3 slightly outperforms
the new PW6B95-D3 and MPW1B95-D3 and is the second most accurate density
functional of the study. The best agreement with CCSD(T)/CBS is provided
by DSD-B-LYP-D3 double-hybrid functional, although its large-scale
applications may be limited by high computational costs. Molecular
mechanics does not reproduce the fine energy differences between the
RNA backbone substates. We also demonstrate that the differences in
the magnitude of the hyperconjugation effect do not correlate with
the energy ranking of the backbone conformations. Further, we investigated
the 2′-hydroxyl group orientation preferences. For all families,
we conducted a QM and MM hydroxyl group rigid scan in gas phase and
solvent. We then carried out set of explicit solvent MD simulations
of folded RNAs and analyze 2′-hydroxyl group orientations of
different backbone families in MD. The solvent energy profiles determined
primarily by the sugar pucker match well with the distribution data
derived from the simulations. The QM and MM energy profiles predict
the same 2′-hydroxyl group orientation preferences. Finally,
we demonstrate that the high energy of unfavorable and rarely sampled
2′-hydroxyl group orientations can be attributed to clashes
between occupied orbitals
Conceptions of the good, rivalry, and liberal neutrality
Liberal neutrality is assumed to pertain to rival conceptions of the good. The nature of the rivalry between conceptions of the good is pivotal to the coherence, scope and realisation of liberal neutrality. Yet, liberal theorists have said very little about rivalry. This paper attempts to fill this gap by reviewing three conceptions of rivalry: incompatibility rivalry, intra-domain rivalry and state power rivalry. I argue that state power rivalry is the morally relevant conception of rivalry, and that it has significant implications for the scope and realisation of liberal neutrality. I conclude that in the light of state power rivalry, the only feasible liberal neutral state is a very minimal one
On the Geometry and Electronic Structure of the As-DNA Backbone
High-level quantum chemical calculations have been applied to investigate the geometry and electronic properties of the arsenate analogue of the DNA backbone. The optimized geometries as well as hyperconjugation effects along the C3′O3′XO5′C5′ linkage (X = P,As) exhibit a remarkable similarity for both arsenates and phosphates. This suggests that arsenates, if present, might serve as a potential substitute for phosphates in the DNA backbone
On the Road from Formamide Ices to Nucleobases: IR-Spectroscopic Observation of a Direct Reaction between Cyano Radicals and Formamide in a High-Energy Impact Event
The formamide-based synthesis of nucleic acids is considered
as
a nonaqueous scenario for the emergence of biomolecules from inorganic
matter. In the current study, we scrutinized the chemical composition
of formamide ices mixed with an FeNi meteorite material treated with
laser-induced dielectric breakdown plasma created in nitrogen buffer
gas. These experiments aimed to capture the first steps of those chemical
transformations that may lead to the formation of nucleobases during
the impact of an extraterrestrial icy body containing formamide on
an early Earth atmosphere. High-resolution FT-IR spectroscopy combined
with quantum chemical calculations was used to analyze the volatile
fraction of the products formed during such an event. We have found
that the spectrum of the evaporated formamide ices is dominated by
the spectral signatures of the dimeric form of formamide. Upon exposure
to laser sparks, new well-defined bands appear in the spectrum centered
at ∼820, ∼995, and ∼1650 cm<sup>–1</sup>. On the basis of quantum chemical calculations, these bands can
be assigned to the absorptions of 2-amino-2-hydroxy-acetonitrile and
to 2-amino-2-hydroxy-malononitrile, which are formed in a direct reaction
between formamide and CN<sup>•</sup> radicals upon the high-energy
impact event. We also show that there is an exergonic reaction route
via these intermediates leading to diaminomaleonitrile, which is generally
considered to play a key role in the synthesis of nucleobases
Refinement of the Cornell et al. Nucleic Acids Force Field Based on Reference Quantum Chemical Calculations of Glycosidic Torsion Profiles
We report a reparameterization of the glycosidic torsion χ of the Cornell et al. AMBER force field for RNA, χ<sub>OL</sub>. The parameters remove destabilization of the anti region found in the ff99 force field and thus prevent formation of spurious ladder-like structural distortions in RNA simulations. They also improve the description of the syn region and the syn–anti balance as well as enhance MD simulations of various RNA structures. Although χ<sub>OL</sub> can be combined with both ff99 and ff99bsc0, we recommend the latter. We do not recommend using χ<sub>OL</sub> for B-DNA because it does not improve upon ff99bsc0 for canonical structures. However, it might be useful in simulations of DNA molecules containing syn nucleotides. Our parametrization is based on high-level QM calculations and differs from conventional parametrization approaches in that it incorporates some previously neglected solvation-related effects (which appear to be essential for obtaining correct anti/high-anti balance). Our χ<sub>OL</sub> force field is compared with several previous glycosidic torsion parametrizations
Understanding the Sequence Preference of Recurrent RNA Building Blocks Using Quantum Chemistry: The Intrastrand RNA Dinucleotide Platform
Folded RNA molecules are shaped by an astonishing variety of highly conserved noncanonical molecular interactions and backbone topologies. The dinucleotide platform is a widespread recurrent RNA modular building submotif formed by the side-by-side pairing of bases from two consecutive nucleotides within a single strand, with highly specific sequence preferences. This unique arrangement of bases is cemented by an intricate network of noncanonical hydrogen bonds and facilitated by a distinctive backbone topology. The present study investigates the gas-phase intrinsic stabilities of the three most common RNA dinucleotide platforms5′-GpU-3′, ApA, and UpCvia state-of-the-art quantum-chemical (QM) techniques. The mean stability of base–base interactions decreases with sequence in the order GpU > ApA > UpC. Bader’s atoms-in-molecules analysis reveals that the N2(G)···O4(U) hydrogen bond of the GpU platform is stronger than the corresponding hydrogen bonds in the other two platforms. The mixed-pucker sugar–phosphate backbone conformation found in most GpU platforms, in which the 5′-ribose sugar (G) is in the C2′-endo form and the 3′-sugar (U) in the C3′-endo form, is intrinsically more stable than the standard A-RNA backbone arrangement, partially as a result of a favorable O2′···O2P intraplatform interaction. Our results thus validate the hypothesis of Lu et al. (Lu, X.-J.; et al. <i>Nucleic Acids Res</i>. <b>2010</b>, <i>38</i>, 4868–4876) that the superior stability of GpU platforms is partially mediated by the strong O2′···O2P hydrogen bond. In contrast, ApA and especially UpC platform-compatible backbone conformations are rather diverse and do not display any characteristic structural features. The average stabilities of ApA and UpC derived backbone conformers are also lower than those of GpU platforms. Thus, the observed structural and evolutionary patterns of the dinucleotide platforms can be accounted for, to a large extent, by their intrinsic properties, as described by modern QM calculations. In contrast, we show that the dinucleotide platform is not properly described in the course of atomistic explicit-solvent simulations. Our work also gives methodological insights into QM calculations of experimental RNA backbone geometries. Such calculations are inherently complicated by rather large data and refinement uncertainties in the available RNA experimental structures, which often preclude reliable energy computations
Can We Accurately Describe the Structure of Adenine Tracts in B-DNA? Reference Quantum-Chemical Computations Reveal Overstabilization of Stacking by Molecular Mechanics
Sequence-dependent local variations of helical parameters,
structure,
and flexibility are crucial for molecular recognition processes involving
B-DNA. A-tracts, i.e., stretches of several consecutive adenines in
one strand that are in phase with the DNA helical repeat, mediate
significant DNA bending. During the past few decades, there have been
intense efforts to understand the sequence dependence of helical parameters
in DNA. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations can provide valuable insights
into the molecular mechanism behind the relationship between sequence
and structure. However, although recent improvements in empirical
force fields have helped to capture many sequence-dependent B-DNA
properties, several problems remain, such as underestimation of the
helical twist and suspected underestimation of the propeller twist
in A-tracts. Here, we employ reference quantum mechanical (QM) calculations,
explicit solvent MD, and bioinformatics to analyze the underestimation
of propeller twisting of A-tracts in simulations. Although we did
not identify a straightforward explanation, we discovered two imbalances
in the empirical force fields. The first was overestimation of stacking
interactions accompanied by underestimation of base-pairing energy,
which we attribute to anisotropic polarizabilities that are not reflected
by the isotropic force fields. This may lead to overstacking with
potentially important consequences for MD simulations of nucleic acids.
The second observed imbalance was steric clash between A(N1) and T(N3)
nitrogens of AT base pairs in force-field descriptions, resulting
in overestimation of the AT pair stretch in MD simulations. We also
substantially extend the available set of benchmark estimated CCSD(T)/CBS
data for B-DNA base stacking and provide a code that allows the generation
of diverse base-stacking geometries suitable for QM computations with
predefined intra- and interbase pair parameters
Can We Accurately Describe the Structure of Adenine Tracts in B-DNA? Reference Quantum-Chemical Computations Reveal Overstabilization of Stacking by Molecular Mechanics
Sequence-dependent local variations of helical parameters,
structure,
and flexibility are crucial for molecular recognition processes involving
B-DNA. A-tracts, i.e., stretches of several consecutive adenines in
one strand that are in phase with the DNA helical repeat, mediate
significant DNA bending. During the past few decades, there have been
intense efforts to understand the sequence dependence of helical parameters
in DNA. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations can provide valuable insights
into the molecular mechanism behind the relationship between sequence
and structure. However, although recent improvements in empirical
force fields have helped to capture many sequence-dependent B-DNA
properties, several problems remain, such as underestimation of the
helical twist and suspected underestimation of the propeller twist
in A-tracts. Here, we employ reference quantum mechanical (QM) calculations,
explicit solvent MD, and bioinformatics to analyze the underestimation
of propeller twisting of A-tracts in simulations. Although we did
not identify a straightforward explanation, we discovered two imbalances
in the empirical force fields. The first was overestimation of stacking
interactions accompanied by underestimation of base-pairing energy,
which we attribute to anisotropic polarizabilities that are not reflected
by the isotropic force fields. This may lead to overstacking with
potentially important consequences for MD simulations of nucleic acids.
The second observed imbalance was steric clash between A(N1) and T(N3)
nitrogens of AT base pairs in force-field descriptions, resulting
in overestimation of the AT pair stretch in MD simulations. We also
substantially extend the available set of benchmark estimated CCSD(T)/CBS
data for B-DNA base stacking and provide a code that allows the generation
of diverse base-stacking geometries suitable for QM computations with
predefined intra- and interbase pair parameters