Polymerase-catalyzed synthesis of DNA from phosphoramidate conjugates of deoxynucleotides and amino acids

Some selected amino acids, in particular l-aspartic acid (l-Asp) and l-histidine (l-His), can function as leaving group during polymerase-catalyzed incorporation of deoxyadenosine monophosphate (dAMP) in DNA. Although l-Asp-dAMP and l-His-dAMP bind, most probably, in a different way in the active site of the enzyme, aspartic acid and histidine can be considered as mimics of the pyrophosphate moiety of deoxyadenosine triphosphate. l-Aspartic acid is more efficient than d-aspartic acid as leaving group. Such P-N conjugates of amino acids and deoxynucleotides provide a novel experimental ground for diversifying nucleic acid metabolism in the field of synthetic biology

Deducing chemical structure from crystallographically determined atomic coordinates

An improved algorithm has been written for assigning chemical structures to incoming entries to the Cambridge Structural Database

Interactions of the dimeric triad of HIV-1 aspartyl protease with inhibitors

Strong hydrogen-bonding forces between the Thr26 and Thr26' of the protease stabilize the internal cage of the dimeric triad of the aspartyl HIV-1 protease (Asp25Thr26Gly27 and Asp25' Thr26'Gly27', respectively). The interaction of reversible inhibitors of HIV-1 protease is based on (i) strong hydrogen-bonding forces between the main chain (--CONH--) oxygen atoms of Gly27 and/or Gly27' and hydrogen-bond donating moieties of a drug, and (ii) hydrogen bonds between the oxygen of the catalytic Asp25 and/or Asp25' carboxylates and aliphatic hydroxyl groups of a drug. The free entry of natural substrates into the active-site cavity is sterically hindered by inhibitors, so that the catalytic Asp carboxylates cannot interact with natural substrates. Irreversible inhibitors interact with the nucleophilic carboxylate moiety of Asp25 of HIV-1 protease by covalent bonding.status: publishe

Molecular-dynamics studies of single-stranded hexitol, altritol, mannitol, and ribose nucleic acids (HNA, MNA, ANA, and RNA, resp.) and of the stability of HNA·RNA, ANA·RNA, and MNA·RNA duplexes

The influence of the orientation of a 3'-OH group on the conformation and stability of hexitol oligonucleotides in complexes with RNA and as single strands in aqueous solution was investigated by molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations with AMBER 4.1. The particle mesh Ewald (PME) method was used for the treatment of long-range electrostatic interactions. An equatorial orientation of the 3'-OH group in the single-stranded D-mannitol nucleic acid (MNA) m(GCGTAGCG) and in the complex with the RNA r(CGCAUCGC) has an unfavorable influence on the helical stability. Frequent H-bonds between the 3'-OH group and the O-C(6') of the phosphate backbone of the following nucleotide explain the distorted conformation of the MNA·RNA complex as well as that of the single MNA strand. This is consistent with experimental results that show lowered hybridization potentials for MNA·RNA complexes. An axial orientation of the 3'-OH group in the D-altritol nucleic acid (ANA) a(GCGTAGCG) leads to a stable complex with the complementary RNA r(CGCAUCGC), as well as to a more highly preorganized single-stranded ANA chain. The averaged conformation of the ANA·RNA complex is similar to that of A-RNA, with only minor changes in groove width, helical curvature, and H-bonding pattern. The relative stabilities of ANA·RNA vs. HNA·RNA (HNA = D-hexitol nucleic acid without 3'-OH group) can be explained by differences in restricted movements, H-bonds, and solvation effects

Poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanamide) (PAMPA): A neutral, water-soluble synthetic polymer with double-stranded helix conformation

A new synthetic polymer, poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanamide) (PAMPA), is described. It combines the structural features of poly(leucine) and poly(glutamine), its molecular weight averages 42000 D, and it contains ca. 270 residues. A 13C-NMR-tacticity study indicates that it consists of a mixture of syndiotactic (38%), heterotactic (48%), and isotactic (17%) polymer. PAMPA has a tendency to self-organize into a coiled-coil double-stranded helix structure in aqueous solution, as determined by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Molecular modeling of PAMPA shows that the helix formation is driven by repeated intramolecular H-bonds between nearest-neighbor amide groups, and that the structure is further stabilized by hydrophobic interactions between the two lateral Me groups. PAMPA has a neutral structure, is highly water-soluble, and demonstrates temperature stability

Imidazo[4,5-c]pyridines inhibit the in vitro replication of the classical swine fever virus and target the viral polymerase.

&lt;p&gt;Selective inhibitors of the replication of the classical swine fever virus (CSFV) may have the potential to control the spread of the infection in an epidemic situation. We here report that 5-[(4-bromophenyl)methyl]-2-phenyl-5H-imidazo[4,5-c]pyridine (BPIP) is a highly potent inhibitor of the in vitro replication of CSFV. The compound resulted in a dose-dependent antiviral effect in PK(15) cells with a 50% effective concentration (EC(50)) for the inhibition of CSFV Alfort(187) (subgroup 1.1) of 1.6+/-0.4 microM and for CSFV Wingene (subgroup 2.3) 0.8+/-0.2 microM. Drug-resistant virus was selected by serial passage of the virus in increasing drug-concentration. The BPIP-resistant virus (EC(50): 24+/-4.0 microM) proved cross-resistant with VP32947 [3-[((2-dipropylamino)ethyl)thio]-5H-1,2,4-triazino[5,6-b]indole], an unrelated earlier reported selective inhibitor of pestivirus replication. BPIP-resistant CSFV carried a T259S mutation in NS5B, encoding the RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (RdRp). This mutation is located near F224, a residue known to play a crucial role in the antiviral activity of BPIP against bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV). The T259S mutation was introduced in a computational model of the BVDV RdRp. Molecular docking of BPIP in the BVDV polymerase suggests that T259S may have a negative impact on the stacking interaction between the imidazo[4,5-c]pyridine ring system of BPIP and F224.&lt;/p&gt;</p

Invading Escherichia coli Genetics with a Xenobiotic Nucleic Acid Carrying an Acyclic Phosphonate Backbone (ZNA)

A synthetic orthogonal polymer embracing a chiral acyclic-phosphonate backbone [(S)-ZNA] is presented that uniquely adds to the emerging family of xenobiotic nucleic acids (XNAs). (S)-ZNA consists of reiterating six-atom structural units and can be accessed in few synthetic steps from readily available phophonomethylglycerol nucleoside (PMGN) precursors. Comparative thermal stability experiments conducted on homo- and heteroduplexes made of (S)-ZNA are described that evince its high self-hybridization efficiency in contrast to poor binding of natural complements. Although preliminary and not conclusive, circular dichroism data and dynamic modeling computations provide support to a left-handed geometry of double-stranded (S)-ZNA. Nonetheless, PMGN diphosphate monomers were recognized as substrates by Escherichia coli (E. coli) polymerase I as well as being imported into E. coli cells equipped with an algal nucleotide transporter. A further investigation into the in vivo propagation of (S)-ZNA culminated with the demonstration of the first synthetic nucleic acid with an acyclic backbone that can be transliterated to DNA by the E. coli cellular machinery