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J H van Boom

Publications and source records attributed to J H van Boom.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Hairpin structures in DNA containing arabinofuranosylcytosine. A combination of nuclear magnetic resonance and molecular dynamics.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and model-building studies were carried out on the hairpin form of the octamer d(CGaCTAGCG) (aC = arabinofuranosylcytosine), referred to as the TA compound. The nonexchangeable protons of the TA compound were assigned by means of nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) and correlated spectroscopy (COSY). From a detailed analysis of the coupling data and of the NOESY spectra the following conclusions are reached: (i) The hairpin consists of a stem of three Watson-Crick type base pairs, and the two remaining residues, T(4) and dA(5), participate in a loop. (ii) All sugar rings show conformational flexibility although a strong preference for the S-type (C2'-endo) conformer is observed. (iii) The thymine does not stack upon the 3' side of the stem as expected, but swings into the minor groove. (This folding principle of the loop involves an unusual alpha t conformer in residue T(4).) (iv) At the 5'-3' loop-stem junction a stacking discontinuity occurs as a consequence of a sharp turn in that part of the backbone, caused by the unusual beta + and gamma t torsion angles in residue dG(6). (v) The A base slides over the 5' side of the stem to stack upon the aC(3) residue at the 3' side of the stem in an antiparallel fashion. On the basis of J couplings and a set of approximate proton-proton distances from NOE cross peaks, a model for the hairpin was constructed. This model was then refined by using an iterative relaxation matrix approach (IRMA) in combination with restrained molecular dynamics calculations. The resulting final model satisfactorily explains all the distance constraints.

Base Sequence↗

N-myristyl-Lys-Arg-Thr-Leu-Arg: a novel protein kinase C inhibitor.

In view of the critical role that the Ca2+- and phospholipid-dependent enzyme protein kinase C (PKC) plays in mediating proliferative responses to a number of growth factors, hormones, and tumor promoters, it is thought that selective PKC inhibitors may provide a new class of antiproliferative drugs. Established PKC inhibitors include three major classes of agents: agents that compete with the substrate ATP, agents that compete with the protein substrate, and agents that both compete with ATP and interact with the cofactor phosphatidylserine (PS). In this report, we have characterized the interactions between PKC and N-myristyl-Lys-Arg-Thr-Leu-Arg, a myristylated analogue of a synthetic peptide substrate of PKC. We determined that the myristylated peptide was a novel PKC inhibitor that interacted with PS as well as competed with the protein substrate of PKC. The inhibitory activity of the peptide was conferred by myristylation. We found that the myristylated peptide antagonized Ca2+- and PS-activated PKC with an IC50 of 75 microns, whereas the nonmyristylated peptide lacked this inhibitory activity. A fully active, Ca2+- and PS-independent catalytic fragment of PKC can be generated by limited proteolysis. Although the myristylated peptide was a very poor PKC substrate, this peptide inhibited the catalytic fragment of PKC by apparent competition with the phosphoacceptor substrate histone IIIS with an IC50 of 200 microM, whereas the nonmyristylated peptide showed no inhibitory activity against the catalytic fragment. Thus, the myristylated peptide may serve as a model for the development of selective PKC inhibitors, because its inhibitory mechanism exploits the substrate specificity of PKC, as well as the novel regulation of the enzyme. Furthermore, since endogenous PKC substrates include acylated proteins, the observations that we report here concerning a myristylated synthetic peptide suggest that acylation of proteins may be important in the regulation of PKC activity in vivo.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Site-specific cleavage of RNA by Fe(II).bleomycin.

Bleomycin is an antitumor agent whose activity has long been thought to derive from its ability to degrade DNA. Recent findings suggest that cellular RNA may be a therapeutically relevant locus. At micromolar concentrations, Fe(II)-bleomycin readily cleaved a Bacillus subtilis tRNAHis precursor in a highly selective fashion, but Escherichia coli tRNA(Tyr) precursor was largely unaffected even under more forcing conditions. Other substrates included an RNA transcript encoding a large segment of the reverse transcriptase from human immunodeficiency virus 1. RNA cleavage was oxidative, approximately 10-fold more selective than DNA cleavage, and largely unaffected by nonsubstrate RNAs. RNA sequence analysis suggested recognition of RNA tertiary structure, rather than recognition of specific sequences; subsets of nucleotides at the junction of single- and double-stranded regions were especially susceptible to cleavage. The ready accessibility of cellular RNAs to xenobiotic agents, the high selectivity of bleomycin action on RNAs, and the paucity of mechanisms for RNA repair suggest that RNA may be a therapeutically relevant target for bleomycin.

Bacillus subtilis↗

Structure of nogalamycin bound to a DNA hexamer.

The anthracycline antibiotic nogalamycin, which binds to DNA, is composed of a planar aglycone substituted on each end to form an unusual dumbbell-shaped molecule. At one end nogalamycin contains an uncharged nogalose sugar and a methyl ester. At the other end nogalamycin contains a positively charged bicyclo amino sugar. We report the crystal structure of nogalamycin bound to the self-complementary DNA hexamer d(m5CGTsAm5CG). In this complex, the cytosines are methylated at the 5 position and the DNA contains a phosphorothioate linkage at the TpA step. Two nogalamycin molecules bind to the 6-base-pair fragment of double-helical DNA. The drug has threaded between the phosphodiester backbones with three aromatic rings intercalated within the DNA. In the major groove, the bicyclo amino sugar forms two direct hydrogen bonds to span a CG base pair and interacts indirectly with the next base pair of the duplex via a water-mediated hydrogen bond. In the minor groove, a carbonyl oxygen of nogalamycin forms a hydrogen bond directly to N2 of a guanine. The DNA base pairs are severely buckled by up to 26 degrees and are also distorted in directions perpendicular to the Watson-Crick hydrogen bonds. This complex illustrates the deformable nature of DNA.

Base Sequence↗

Molecular structure of nicked DNA: a substrate for DNA repair enzymes.

The molecular structure of a nicked dodecamer DNA double helix, made of a ternary system containing d(CGCGAAAACGCG) + d(CGCGTT) + d(TTCGCG) oligonucleotides, has been determined by x-ray diffraction analysis at 3 A resolution. The molecule adopts a B-DNA conformation, not unlike those found in intact dodecamer DNA molecules crystallized in a somewhat different crystal lattice, despite a gap due to the absence of a phosphate group in the molecule. The helix has a distinct narrow minor groove near the center of the molecule at the AAAA region. This suggests that the internal stabilizing forces due to base stacking and hydrogen-bonding interactions are sufficient to overcome the loss of connectivity associated with the disruption of the covalent backbone of DNA.

Base Sequence↗

Atomic-resolution structure of the cellulose synthase regulator cyclic diguanylic acid.

Cyclic diguanylic acid acts as a regulator for cellulose synthase activity in the bacterium Acetobacter xylinum. We report the x-ray crystal structure of the regulator at atomic resolution. The structure contains two independent molecules that adopt almost identical conformations. The two molecules form self-intercalated units that are stacked on each other. Two different G.G base-pairing modes occur between the stacks. The more stable one has two or possibly three hydrogen bonds between two guanines and is related to the type of hydrogen bonding that is believed to exist between G-rich strands at the ends of chromosomes.

Acetobacter↗

Conformational analysis of the 3'-5'-cyclic dinucleotide d less than pApA greater than by means of molecular mechanics.

The conformational properties of the cyclic dinucleotide d less than pApA greater than were studied by means of molecular mechanics calculations in which a multiconformation analysis was combined with minimum energy calculations. In this approach models of possible conformers are built by varying the torsion angles of the molecule systematically. These models are then subjected to energy minimization; in the present investigation use was made of the AMBER Force field. It followed that the lowest energy conformer has a pseudo-two-fold axis of symmetry. In this conformer the deoxyribose sugars adopt a N-type conformation. The conformation of the sugar-phosphate backbone is determined by the following torsion angles: alpha +, beta t, gamma +, epsilon t and zeta +. The conformation of this ringsystem corresponds to the structure derived earlier by means of NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The observation of a preference for N-type sugar conformations in this molecule can be explained by the steric hindrance induced between opposite H3' atoms when one sugar is switched from N- to S-type puckers. The sugars can in principle switch from N- to S-type conformations, but this requires at least the transition of gamma + to gamma -. In this process the molecule obtains an extended shape in which the bases switch from a pseudo-axial to a pseudo-equatorial position. The calculations demonstrate that, apart from the results obtained for the lowest energy conformation, the 180 degrees change in the propagation direction of the phosphate backbone can be achieved by several different combinations of the backbone torsion angles. It appeared that in the low energy conformers five higher order correlations are found. The combination of torsion angles which are involved in changes in the propagation direction of the sugar-phosphate backbone in DNA-hairpin loops and in tRNA, are found in the dataset obtained for cyclic d less than pApA greater than. It turns out, that in the available examples, 180 degrees changes in the backbone direction are localized between two adjacent nucleotides.

Base Sequence↗

Antitumor drug nogalamycin binds DNA in both grooves simultaneously: molecular structure of nogalamycin-DNA complex.

The three-dimensional molecular structures of the complexes between an interesting antitumor drug, nogalamycin, and two DNA hexamers, d[CGT(pS)ACG] and d[m5CGT(pS)Am5CG], were determined at high resolution by X-ray diffraction analyses. Two nogalamycins bind to the DNA double helix in a 2:1 ratio with the aglycon chromophore intercalated between the CpG steps at both ends of the helix. The nogalose and aminoglucose sugars lie in the minor and major grooves, respectively, of the distorted B-DNA double helix. The binding of nogalamycin to DNA requires that the base pairs in DNA open up transiently to allow the bulky sugars to go through. Specific hydrogen bonds are found in the complex between the drug and guanine bases. We suggest that nogalamycin may prefer GC sequences embedded in a stretch of AT sequences.

DNA↗

Non-contiguous regions of Z-DNA in a DNA dodecamer.

The conformation of the self-complimentary DNA dodecamer d(br5CGbr5CGAATTbr5CGbr5CG) has been investigated in a variety of salt and solvent conditions by one and two-dimensional 1H NMR. In low salt aqueous solutions, the molecule forms a regular B-DNA structure similar to the unmodified dodecamer. However, in aqueous solution containing high salt concentration and methanol, the dodecamer adopts a structure in which the br5CGbr5CG ends of the molecule are in a Z-DNA like conformation and the AATT region is neither standard B-DNA nor Z-DNA. The implications of these results for the structure of junctions between B and Z-DNA and the sequence specificity of Z-DNA are discussed.

Base Sequence↗

Binding of a Hoechst dye to d(CGCGATATCGCG) and its influence on the conformation of the DNA fragment.

Hoechst dye 33258 is a planar drug molecule that binds to the minor groove of DNA, especially where there are a number of A.T base pairs. We have solved the structure of the Hoechst dye bound to the DNA dodecamer d(CGCGATATCGCG) at 2.3 A. This structure is compared to that of the same dodecamer with the minor-groove-binding drug netropsin bound to it, as well as to structures that have been solved for this Hoechst dye bound to a DNA dodecamer containing the central four base pairs with the sequence AATT. We find that the position of the Hoechst drug in this dodecamer is quite different from that found in the other dodecamer since it has an opposite orientation compared to the other two structures. The drug covers three of the four A.T base pairs and extends its piperazine ring to the first G.C base pair adjacent to the alternating AT segment. Furthermore, the drug binding has modified the structure of the DNA dodecamer. Other DNA dodecamers with alternating AT sequences show an alternation in the size of the helical twist between the ApT step (small twist) and the TpA step (large twist). In this structure the alternation is reversed with larger twists in the ApT steps than in the TpA step. In addition, there is a rotation of one of the thymine bases in the DNA dodecamer that is associated with hydrogen bonding to the Hoechst drug. This structure illustrates the considerable plasticity found in the DNA molecule when it binds to different planar molecules inserted into the minor groove.

Base Sequence↗

Conformational consequences of the incorporation of arabinofuranosylcytidine in DNA. An NMR study of the DNA fragments d(CGCTAGCG) and d(CGaCTAGCG) in solution.

The self-complementary octamers d(CGCTAGCG) and d(CGaCTAGCG) (aC, arabinofuranosylcytidine) were studied by means of NMR spectroscopy. It is shown that d(CGaCTAGCG), under suitable conditions of oligonucleotide concentration, ionic strength and temperature, exclusively adopts a hairpin structure. However, under the same experimental conditions (5 mM DNA, no added salt, 295 K) d(CGCTAGCG) mainly adopts a B-DNA-type duplex. At lower temperatures (less than or equal to 290 K) the hairpin form of d(CGaCTAGCG) occurs in slow exchange with an intact B-DNA-type duplex. When the DNA concentration of d(CGCTAGCG) is dramatically reduced (less than or equal to 0.5 mM) the hairpin form becomes highly favoured at the expense of the dimer. Moreover, proton-chemical-shift considerations indicate that the structural features of the hairpin structure of d(CGCTAGCG) mimic, in part, those of the modified octamer d(CGaCTAGCG), i.e. a loop comprising only the two central residues with the thymine located into the minor groove (Pieters, J. M. L., de Vroom, E., van der Marel, G. A., van Boom, J. H., Koning, T. M. G., Kaptein, R. and Altona, C. unpublished results). Thermodynamic analysis of d(CGCTAGCG) yields an average Tmd value of 342 K (1 M DNA) and a delta Hod value of -266 kJ/mol for the dimer/coil transition and an average Tmh value of 321 K and delta Hoh - 102 kJ/mol for the hairpin/coil equilibrium. For the duplex/coil equilibrium of d(CGaCTAGCG) an average Tmd value of 336 K (1 M DNA) and delta Hod value of -253 kJ/mol are deduced. The hairpin/coil transition of d(CGaCTAGCG) is characterized by a delta Hoh value of -104 kJ/mol and an average Tmh value of 331 K. It is concluded that incorporation of an arabinofuranosylcytidine in the octamer d(CGaCTAGCG) results in stabilization of the hairpin form, whereas the dimer is destablized by two aC.dG base pairs.

Base Sequence↗

Effects of base sequence on the loop folding in DNA hairpins.

High-resolution NMR and UV-melting experiments have been used to study the hairpin formation of partly self-complementary DNA fragments in an attempt to derive rules that describe the folding in these molecules. Earlier experiments on the hexadecanucleotide d(ATCCTA-TTTT-TAGGAT) had indicated that within the loop of four thymidines a wobble T-T pair is formed (Blommers et al., 1987). In the present paper it is shown that if the first and the last thymines of the intervening sequence are replaced by complementary bases, sometimes base pairs can be formed. Thus for the intervening sequences -CTTG- and -TTTA- with the pyrimidine in the 5'-position and the purine in the 3'-position, a base pair is formed leading to a loop consisting of two residues. For the intervening sequences -GTTC- and -ATTT- with the purine in the 5'-position and the pyrimidine in the 3'-position, this turns out not to be the case. It was found that it made no difference when the four-membered sequence was closed by a G-C base pair or an A-T base pair. Replacement of the two central thymidine residues by the more bulky adenine residues limits the hairpin to a four-membered loop scheme. Very surprisingly, it was found from 2D NOE experiments that the T-A base pair, formed in the loop consisting of the -TTTA- sequence, is a Hoogsteen pair. It is argued that the pairing of the bases in this scheme may facilitate the formation of a loop of two residues, since the distance of the C1' atoms in this base pair is 8.6 A instead of 10.4 A found in the canonical Watson-Crick base pair. Combination of the data obtained for the series of DNA fragments studied shows that the results can be explained by a simple, earlier proposed, loop folding principle which assumes that the folding of the four-membered loop is dictated by the stacking of the double-helical stem of the hairpin.

Base Sequence↗

Conformational and thermodynamic consequences of the introduction of a nick in duplexed DNA fragments: an NMR study augmented by biochemical experiments.

NMR studies were carried out on various equimolar mixtures consisting of a combination of oligomers: d(ACGGCT) (I). d(pACGGCT) (Ia), d(TGCAGT) (II), d(AGCCGTACTGCA) (III), d(TGCAGTACGGCT) (IV). It is shown that I + II + III (MI) and Ia + II + III (M2) form stable duplexes with nicks in the centre of the respective double helices. A close analysis of the NOESY experiments of M1 and M2 revealed that these fragments form B-DNA type duplex structures. A comparison of the chemical-shift data of the nicked duplexes with those of the intact duplex of III + IV (M3) demonstrated that only small local distortions occur when a nick is introduced. The chemical-shift profiles of M1 and M3 were used to obtain the thermodynamic data for the duplex/coil transitions. The profiles of M1 were analysed by means of a new thermodynamic model (TRIDUP). From the calculated thermodynamic data of M1 and M3 it is concluded that the melting behaviour of M1 occurs cooperatively. A ligation experiment demonstrated that the relatively small substrate (M2) was almost completely joined after an overnight incubation at 14 degrees C.

Base Sequence↗

Non-carrier-mediated uptake of the mannosidase I inhibitor 1-deoxymannojirimycin by K562 erythroleukemic cells.

A 3H label was introduced at the C-1 position of the mannosidase I inhibitor 1-deoxymannojirimycin (dMM) by catalytic hydrogenolysis of benzyl-2,3-O-isopropylidene-5-N-benzyl-6-O-benzyl-alpha-D-mannofurano side with 3H2. 1-[3H]dMM as well as its precursor 1-[3H]2,3-O-isopropylidene-dMM had identical Rf as the nonradioactive compounds on TLC. Furthermore, alpha 1-antitrypsin secreted by HepG2 cells was modified indistinguishably by treatment of the cells with dMM and 1-[3H]dMM. Thus, 1-[3H]dMM had chemical and biological properties identical with authentic dMM. Uptake of [14C]mannose by K562 cells could be inhibited by glucose but not by the mannose analogue dMM. Thus, dMM does not enter the cell through hexose transporter(s). Uptake of 1-[3H]dMM by K562 cells could not be inhibited by increasing concentrations of nonradioactive dMM (from 1-32,000 microM), showing transport of dMM into cells through nonfacilitated diffusion. Furthermore, uptake of 1-[3H]dMM by K562 cells was observed at 0 degrees C.

1-Deoxynojirimycin↗

Effects of the O2' hydroxyl group on Z-DNA conformation: structure of Z-RNA and (araC)-[Z-DNA].

The left-handed Z structures of two hexamers [d(CG)r(CG)d(CG) and d(CG)(araC)d(GCG)] containing ribose and arabinose residues have been solved by X-ray diffraction analysis at 1.5-A resolution. Their conformations closely resemble that of the canonical Z-DNA. The O2' hydroxyl groups of both rC and araC residues form intramolecular hydrogen bonds with N2 of the 5' guanine residue and replace the bridging water molecules in the deep groove of Z-DNA, which stabilize the guanine in the syn conformation. The araC residue can be incorporated into the Z structure readily and facilitates B to Z transition, as supported by UV absorption spectroscopic studies. In contrast, in Z-RNA the ribose of the cytidine residue is twisted in order to form the respective hydrogen bond. The potential biological roles of the modified Z-DNA containing anticancer nucleoside araC and of Z-RNA are discussed.

Arabinose↗