NMR GHZ

We describe the creation of a Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) state of the form |000>+|111> (three maximally entangled quantum bits) using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). We have successfully carried out the experiment using the proton and carbon spins of trichloroethylene, and confirmed the result using state tomography. We have thus extended the space of entangled quantum states explored systematically to three quantum bits, an essential step for quantum computation.Comment: 4 pages in RevTex, 3 figures, the paper is also avalaible at http://qso.lanl.gov/qc

Computational and theoretical aspects of biomolecular structure and dynamics

This is the final report for a project that sought to evaluate and develop theoretical, and computational bases for designing, performing, and analyzing experimental studies in structural biology. Simulations of large biomolecular systems in solution, hydrophobic interactions, and quantum chemical calculations for large systems have been performed. We have developed a code that implements the Fast Multipole Algorithm (FMA) that scales linearly in the number of particles simulated in a large system. New methods have been developed for the analysis of multidimensional NMR data in order to obtain high resolution atomic structures. These methods have been applied to the study of DNA sequences in the human centromere, sequences linked to genetic diseases, and the dynamics and structure of myoglobin

Intramolecular Folding in Human ILPR Fragment with Three C-Rich Repeats

Enrichment of four tandem repeats of guanine (G) rich and cytosine (C) rich sequences in functionally important regions of human genome forebodes the biological implications of four-stranded DNA structures, such as G-quadruplex and i-motif, that can form in these sequences. However, there have been few reports on the intramolecular formation of non-B DNA structures in less than four tandem repeats of G or C rich sequences. Here, using mechanical unfolding at the single-molecule level, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), circular dichroism (CD), and ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy, we report an intramolecularly folded non-B DNA structure in three tandem cytosine rich repeats, 5'-TGTC4ACAC4TGTC4ACA (ILPR-I3), in the human insulin linked polymorphic region (ILPR). The thermal denaturation analyses of the sequences with systematic C to T mutations have suggested that the structure is linchpinned by a stack of hemiprotonated cytosine pairs between two terminal C4 tracts. Mechanical unfolding and Br2 footprinting experiments on a mixture of the ILPR-I3 and a 5′-C4TGT fragment have further indicated that the structure serves as a building block for intermolecular i-motif formation. The existence of such a conformation under acidic or neutral pH complies with the strand-by-strand folding pathway of ILPR i-motif structures

NMR Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger states

We describe the creation of a Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger state of the form (|000〉+ |111〉) / √ 2 (three maximally entangled quantum bits) using nuclear magnetic resonance. We have successfully carried out the experiment using the proton and carbon spins of trichloroethylene, and confirmed the result using state tomography. We have thus extended the space of entangled quantum states explored systematically to three quantum bits, an essential step for quantum computation

Stem-loop structures of the repetitive DNA sequences located at human centromeres

The presence of the highly conserved repetitive DNA sequences in the human centromeres argues for a special role of these sequences in their biological functions - most likely achieved by the formation of unusual structures. This prompted us to carry out quantitative one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (lD/2D NMR) spectroscopy to determine the structural properties of the human centromeric repeats, d(AATGG){sub n.d}(CCATT){sub n}. The studies on centromeric DNAs reveal that the complementary sequence, d(AATGG){sub n.d}(CCATT){sub n}, adopts the usual Watson-Crick B-DNA duplex and the pyrimidine-rich d(CCATT){sub n} strand is essentially a random coil. However, the purine-rich d(AATGG){sub n} strand is shown to adopt unusual stem-loop structures for repeat lengths, n=2,3,4, and 6. In addition to normal Watson-Crick A{center_dot}T pairs, the stem-loop structures are stabilized by mismatch A{center_dot}G and G{center_dot}G pairs in the stem and G-G-A stacking in the loop. Stem-loop structures of d(AATGG)n are independently verified by gel electrophoresis and nuclease digestion studies. Thermal melting studies show that the DNA repeats, d(AATGG){sub n}, are as stable as the corresponding Watson-Crick duplex d(AATGG){sub n.d}(CCATT){sub n}. Therefore, the sequence d(AATGG){sub n} can, indeed, nucleate a stem-loop structure at little free-energy cost and if, during mitosis, they are located on the chromosome surface they can provide specific recognition sites for kinetochore function

Neutron scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy structural studies of protein-DNA complexes

This is the final report of a one-year, Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The project sought to employ advanced biophysical measurements to study the structure of nucleosomes and the structure of origins of DNA replication. The fundamental repeating unit of human chromosomes is the nucleosome, which contains about 200 base pairs of DNA and 9 histone proteins. Genome replication is strictly associated with the reversible acetylations of histones that unfold chromatin to allow access of factors to origins of DNA replications. The authors have studied two major structural problems: (1) the effects of histone acetylation on nucleosome structure, and (2) the structure of DNA origins of replication. They have recently completed preliminary X-ray scattering experiments at Stanford on positioned nucleosomes with defined DNA sequence and length, histone composition and level of acetylation. These experiments have shown that lengths of the DNA and acetylations of the histone H4 result in nucleosome structural changes. To understand internucleosomal interactions and the roles of histone H1 the authors have made preliminary x-ray scatter studies on native dinucleosomes that have demonstrated the feasibility of these experiments. The DNA sequence of the yeast replication origin has been synthesized for structure determination by multi-dimensional NMR spectroscopy