A specific partner for abasic damage in DNA.

In most models of DNA replication, Watson-Crick hydrogen bonding drives the incorporation of nucleotides into the new strand of DNA and maintains the complementarity of bases with the template strand. Studies with nonpolar analogues of thymine and adenine, however, have shown that replication is still efficient in the absence of hydrogen bonds. The replication of base pairs might also be influenced by steric exclusion, whereby inserted nucleotides need to be the correct size and shape to fit the active site against a template base. A simple steric-exclusion model may not require Watson-Crick hydrogen bonding to explain the fidelity of replication, nor should canonical purine and pyrimidine shapes be necessary for enzymatic synthesis of a base pair if each can fit into the DNA double helix without steric strain. Here we test this idea by using a pyrene nucleoside triphosphate (dPTP) in which the fluorescent 'base' is nearly as large as an entire Watson-Crick base pair. We show that the non-hydrogen-bonding dPTP is efficiently and specifically inserted by DNA polymerases opposite sites that lack DNA bases. The efficiency of this process approaches that of a natural base pair and the specificity is 10(2)-10(4)-fold. We use these properties to sequence abasic lesions in DNA, which are a common form of DNA damage in vivo. In addition to their application in identifying such genetic lesions, our results show that neither hydrogen bonds nor purine and pyrimidine structures are required to form a base pair with high efficiency and selectivity. These findings confirm that steric complementarity is an important factor in the fidelity of DNA synthesis.     

Probing met repressor-operator recognition in solution.

The three-dimensional crystal structure of the Escherichia coli methionine repressor, MetJ, complexed with a DNA operator fragment is described in an accompanying article. The complex exhibits several novel features of DNA-protein interaction. DNA sequence recognition is achieved largely by hydrogen-bond contacts between the bases and amino-acid side chains located on a beta-ribbon, a mode of recognition previously hypothesized on the basis of modelling of idealized beta-strands and DNA, and mutagenesis of the Salmonella phage P22 repressors Arc and Mnt. The complex comprises a pair of MetJ repressor dimers which bind to adjacent met-box sites on the DNA, and contact each other by means of a pair of antiparallel alpha-helices. Here we assess the importance of these contacts, and also of contacts that would be made between the C-helices of the protein and DNA in a previous model of the complex, by studying mutations aimed at disrupting them. The role of the carboxy-terminal helix face in operator binding was unclear, but we demonstrate that recognition of operator sequences occurs through side chains in the beta-strand motif and that dimer-dimer interactions are required for effective repression.     

Unusual helical packing in crystals of DNA bearing a mutation hot spot

The target sequence of the restriction enzyme NarI (GGCGCC) is a hot spot for the -2 frameshift mutagenesis (GGCGCC----GGCC) induced by the chemical carcinogens such as N-2-acetyl-aminofluorene. Of the guanine residues, all of which show equal reactivity towards the carcinogen, only binding to the 3'-most proximal guanine within the NarI site is able to trigger the frameshift event. We selected the non-palindromic dodecamer d(ACCGGCGCCACA), whose sequence corresponds to the most mutagenic NarI site in pBR322 DNA; for X-ray structure analysis. Its molecular structure determined at 2.8 A resolution reveals significant deviations from the structure of canonical B-form DNA, with partial opening of three G-C base pairs, high propeller twist values and sequence-dependent three-centred hydrogen bonds. This crystal structure shows a novel kind of packing in which helices are locked together by groove-backbone interactions. The partial opening of G-C base pairs is induced by interactions of phosphate anionic oxygen atoms with the amino group of cytosine bases. This provides a model for close approach of DNA molecules during biological processes, such as recombination.     

Crystal structure of the met repressor-operator complex at 2.8 A resolution reveals DNA recognition by beta-strands.

The crystal structure of the met repressor-operator complex shows two dimeric repressor molecules bound to adjacent sites 8 base pairs apart on an 18-base-pair DNA fragment. Sequence specificity is achieved by insertion of double-stranded antiparallel protein beta-ribbons into the major groove of B-form DNA, with direct hydrogen-bonding between amino-acid side chains and the base pairs. The repressor also recognizes sequence-dependent distortion or flexibility of the operator phosphate backbone, conferring specificity even for inaccessible base pairs.     

蛋白质-核酸复合物氢键与范德华力作用位点分析

为了深入了解蛋白质-核酸相互作用模式,对复合物结构中氢键/范德华力作用力位点上的氨基酸和核苷酸的偏好性(即相对使用频率)进行了统计分析.结果表明:氢键/范德华力作用位点上对氨基酸的偏好性差异均极其显著,与蛋白质-核酸特异作用密切相关的残基侧链与核苷酸碱基间相互作用力位点对氨基酸类型的选择特异性更高;单链RNA分子与蛋白...     

蛋白质-核酸复合物中氢键和范德华力作用位点偏好性分析

对蛋白质-核酸复合物结构中氢键/范德华力作用位点氨基酸与核苷酸的偏好性(即相对使用频率)进行了统计分析.发现:(1)在蛋白质-DNA复合物结构中,范德华力作用对与氢键数量相当;而在蛋白质-RNA复合物结构中,范德华力作用对数量要远多于氢键;(2)复合物结构中氢键和范德华力作用位点上对氨基酸的偏好性差异显著;(3)氨基酸...     

Crystal structure of an RNA double helix incorporating a track of non-Watson-Crick base pairs

The crystal structure of the RNA dodecamer duplex (r-GGACUUCGGUCC)2 has been determined. The dodecamers stack end-to-end in the crystal, simulating infinite A-form helices with only a break in the phosphodiester chain. These infinite helices are held together in the crystal by hydrogen bonding between ribose hydroxyl groups and a variety of donors and acceptors. The four noncomplementary nucleotides in the middle of the sequence did not form an internal loop, but rather a highly regular double-helix incorporating the non-Watson-Crick base pairs, G.U and U.C. This is the first direct observation of a U.C (or T.C) base pair in a crystal structure. The U.C pairs each form only a single base-base hydrogen bond, but are stabilized by a water molecule which bridges between the ring nitrogens and by four waters in the major groove which link the bases and phosphates. The lack of distortion introduced in the double helix by the U.C mismatch may explain its low efficiency of repair in DNA. The G.U wobble pair is also stabilized by a minor-groove water which bridges between the unpaired guanine amino and the ribose hydroxyl of the uracil. This structure emphasizes the importance of specific hydrogen bonding between not only the nucleotide bases, but also the ribose hydroxyls, phosphate oxygens and tightly bound waters in stabilization of the intramolecular and intermolecular structures of double helical RNA.     

具有延展形式的酉算子具有延展形式的酉算子

利用延展形式的概念考察Hilbert空间上酉算子的性质, 证明了具有延展形式的酉算子与自然数集上双射诱导出的酉算子是等价的, 具有延展形式的酉算子可以分解为双边移位与有限维轮换的直和.     

DNA twisting and the effects of non-contacted bases on affinity of 434 operator for 434 repressor.

The bacteriophage 434 repressor regulates gene expression by binding with differing affinities to the six operator sites on the phage chromosome. The symmetrically arrayed outer eight base pairs (four in each half-site) of these 14-base-pair operators are highly conserved but the middle four bases are divergent. Although these four base pairs are not in contact with repressor, operators with A.T or T.A base pairs at these positions bind repressor more strongly than those bearing C.G or G.C, suggesting that these bases are important for the repressor's ability to discriminate between operators. There is evidence that the central base pairs influence operator function by constraining the twisting and/or bending of DNA. Here we show that there is a relationship between the intrinsic twist of an operator, as determined by the sequence of its central bases, and its affinity for repressor; an operator with a lower affinity is undertwisted relative to an operator with higher affinity. In complex with repressor, the twist of both high- and low-affinity operators is the same. These results indicate that the intrinsic twist of DNA and its twisting flexibility both affect the affinity of 434 operator for repressor.     

Sequence-specific artificial photo-induced endonucleases based on triple helix-forming oligonucleotides

Homopyrimidine oligonucleotides bind to homopurine-homopyrimidine sequences of duplex DNA forming a local triple helix. This binding can be demonstrated either directly by a footprinting technique, gel assays, or indirectly by inducing irreversible reactions in the target sequence, such as photocrosslinking or cleavage. Binding occurs in the major groove with the homopyrimidine oligonucleotide orientated parallel to the homopurine strand. Thymine and protonated cytosine in the oligonucleotide form Hoogsteen-type hydrogen bonds with A.T and G.C Watson-Crick base pairs, respectively. Here we report that an 11-residue homopyrimidine oligonucleotide covalently attached to an ellipticine derivative by its 3' phosphate photo-induces cleavage of the two strands of a target homopurine--homopyrimidine sequence. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a sequence-specific artificial photoendonuclease. In addition we show that a strong binding site for a free ellipticine derivative is induced at the junction between the triplex and duplex structures on the 5' side of the bound oligonucleotide. On irradiation, cleavage is observed on both strands of DNA. This opens new possibilities for inducing irreversible reactions on DNA at specific sites by the synergistic action of a triple helix-forming oligonucleotide and an intercalating agent.     

1-D链配位聚合物[Cu(C5H5N)2Cl2]n通过氯离子(μ-Cl-)桥连构建

在标题配位聚合物[Cu(C5H5N)2Cl2]n中,每个铜离子与4个氯离子和2个吡啶氮原子配位,形成[4 2]拉长的八面体几何构型.其中2个铜离子通过μ-Cl-桥连中心对称的二聚体,同时二聚体再通过μ-Cl-桥连,得到1-D链沿着a-铀方向延伸,这种无限1-D链进一步通过氢键C-H…Cl相连,在(001)平面内得到2-D网状的超分子.     

DNA与抗癌药物道诺霉素相互作用的研究

该文采用荧光光谱法并用溴化乙锭（ＥＢ）作为荧光探针研究了道诺霉素（ＤＲＮ）与ＤＮＡ相互作用的方式。结果表明：ＤＲＮ的生色团能够嵌入ｄｓＤＮＡ双螺旋结构的碱基对之间,ＤＲＮ与ＤＮＡ的主要作用位点是碱基Ｇ、Ｃ;ＤＲＮ插入ｄｓＤＮＡ碱其对中,不会破坏碱基对中氢键,不会影响ＤＮＡ的复性;ＤＮＡ与ｓｓＤＮＡ仅仅存在弱的相互作用。     

Structure of a C-type mannose-binding protein complexed with an oligosaccharide.

C-type (Ca(2+)-dependent) animal lectins such as mannose-binding proteins mediate many cell-surface carbohydrate-recognition events. The crystal structure at 1.7 A resolution of the carbohydrate-recognition domain of rat mannose-binding protein complexed with an oligomannose asparaginyl-oligosaccharide reveals that Ca2+ forms coordination bonds with the carbohydrate ligand. Carbohydrate specificity is determined by a network of coordination and hydrogen bonds that stabilizes the ternary complex of protein, Ca2+ and sugar. Two branches of the oligosaccharide crosslink neighbouring carbohydrate-recognition domains in the crystal, enabling multivalent binding to a single oligosaccharide chain to be visualized directly.     

Importance of DNA stiffness in protein-DNA binding specificity

From the first high-resolution structure of a repressor bound specifically to its DNA recognition sequence it has been shown that the phage 434 repressor protein binds as a dimer to the helix. Tight, local interactions are made at the ends of the binding site, causing the central four base pairs (bp) to become bent and overtwisted. The centre of the operator is not in contact with protein but repressor binding affinity can be reduced at least 50-fold in response to a sequence change there. This observation might be explained should the structure of the intervening DNA segment vary with its sequence, or if DNA at the centre of the operator resists the torsional and bending deformation necessary for complex formation in a sequence dependent fashion. We have considered the second hypothesis by demonstrating that DNA stiffness is sequence dependent. A method is formulated for calculating the stiffness of any particular DNA sequence, and we show that this predicted relationship between sequence and stiffness can explain the repressor binding data in a quantitative manner. We propose that the elastic properties of DNA may be of general importance to an understanding of protein-DNA binding specificity.     

Banach空间中q-框架与p-Riesz基的性质

通过引入分析算子和合成算子的概念讨论了Banach空间中的q-框架和p-Riesz基的性质，得到了与Hilbert空间中相类似的许多结论．最后介绍q-框架和p-Riesz基扰动的主要结果，并得出关于p-Riesz基扰动的一个定理．     

求逆Radon变换的时频小波方法

讨论求逆Ｒａｄｏｎ变换的快速算法,我们构造出无穷次可微的钟形函数,并利用它及Ｃｏｉｆｍａｎ－Ｍｅｙｅｒ构造局部三角函数基的方法,建立具有优越性能的局部正弦基,并在此基下给出求导算子Ｄｘ与Ｈｉｌｂｅｒｔ变换Ｈｘ的表示,证明了与算子Ｄｘ和Ｈｘ相对应的近似矩阵都是大量元素为零的稀疏矩阵。     

Structure of a bacterial ribonuclease P holoenzyme in complex with tRNA

Ribonuclease (RNase) P is the universal ribozyme responsible for 5'-end tRNA processing. We report the crystal structure of the Thermotoga maritima RNase P holoenzyme in complex with tRNA(Phe). The 154?kDa complex consists of a large catalytic RNA (P RNA), a small protein cofactor and a mature tRNA. The structure shows that RNA-RNA recognition occurs through shape complementarity, specific intermolecular contacts and base-pairing interactions. Soaks with a pre-tRNA 5' leader sequence with and without metal help to identify the 5' substrate path and potential catalytic metal ions. The protein binds on top of a universally conserved structural module in P RNA and interacts with the leader, but not with the mature tRNA. The active site is composed of phosphate backbone moieties, a universally conserved uridine nucleobase, and at least two catalytically important metal ions. The active site structure and conserved RNase P-tRNA contacts suggest a universal mechanism of catalysis by RNase P.