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T Uchimaru

Publications and source records attributed to T Uchimaru.

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RNA hydrolysis via an oxyphosphorane intermediate.

From calculations of a model reaction scheme for base-catalyzed RNA hydrolysis, a pentacoodinate dianionic intermediate 2a (Storer, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1991, 113, 5216-5219) as well as two transition states, TS1 and TS2, to the intermediate have been located by ab initio calculations at the 3-21G* level. Although the intermediate, which has the well depth on the order of kBT, is unlikely to be kinetically significant, the overall rate-limiting transition state structure TS2 obtained at 3-21G* level is very close to the corresponding structure at the STO-3G level; it has an extended P-O(5') bond breaking character. These gas-phase calculation results are used to qualitatively interpret mutagenesis results of Barnase and RNase T1 where water molecules are absent from the active site.

Bacterial Proteins

Pentacoordinate oxyphosphorane intermediate always exists in aqueous solution.

Gas-phase ab initio calculations indicate that dianionic pentacoordinate oxyphosphoranes do not have a kinetically meaningful intermediate. The simplest oxyphosphorane PO5H3(2-) has the least tendency to have a pentacoordinate intermediate. However, it does have a pentacoordinate intermediate when it is solvated with six water molecules. These results support the hypothesis that the phosphoryl transfer reactions take place via pentacoordinate intermediate not only in acidic but also in basic media.

Kinetics

Rate limiting P-O(5') bond cleavage of RNA fragment: ab initio molecular orbital calculations on the base-catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphate.

In order to examine the energetics in base-catalyzed hydrolysis of RNA, a tentative pentacoordinated intermediate (3) has been characterized by molecular orbital calculations. Ab initio studies at the level of 3-21G* indicate that, under the Cs symmetry restricted conditions, the P-O(2) bond possessing antiperiplanar (app) lone pair electrons (Ip) on the equatorial oxygen (O(3)) can be cleaved with almost no barrier (TS1 transition state; 0.08 kcal mol-1), from the pentacoordinated intermediate (3) of base-catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphate, compared to the P-O(5) bond (TS2 transition state; 28.9 kcal mol-1) which lacks app lp assistance from O(3). The dianionic intermediate, however, loses the TS1 transition state thus its property as an intermediate when the Cs restriction is removed. The analysis of the entire potential energy surface enables us to conclude that, in a related system examined by Lim and Karplus [1990) J. Am. Chem. Soc., 112, 5872-5873) for attack by OH- on ethylene phosphate monoanion, the TS1 transition state had also been lost and thus no intermediate had been found. These results further support our earlier conclusions (Taira et al. (1990) Protein Engineering, 3, 691-701) of rate limiting transition state possessing extended P-O(5') bond breaking character (the TS2 transition state) in the base-catalyzed hydrolysis of RNA. Finally, although the lack of 2',3' -migration of phosphate moieties in basic condition appears to be in accord with the short-lived intermediate, it really does not prove the absence of the intermediate. The detail will be discussed in the text.

Hydrolysis

Preferential chelation of cationic ligands to axial-equatorial oxygens over equatorial-equatorial dianionic oxygens: implication to the mechanism of action of ribozymes.

Effects of chelation of H2O, H+, and Mg2+ to two kinds of potential pentacoordinate intermediates of ribozyme reactions were investigated by ab initio molecular orbital calculations. Unexpectedly, in all cases examined, axial-equatorial chelations were found to be more stabilizing than equatorial-equatorial chelations. These results support the hypothesis that Mg2+ ion is bound to the equatorial phosphoryl oxygen and the axial leaving/attacking oxygen in the transition state of ribozyme reactions.

Anions

Ab initio investigations on the intermediates of RNA cleaving processes.

Ab initio molecular orbital calculations have been carried out on acyclic oxyphosphoranes in order to elucidate the origin of previously calculated energy differences of cyclic counterparts of RNA cleaving reactions. It appears that the orientation of the equatorial methoxyl group has pronounced effects in energy on the transition states than the metastable intermediates.

Molecular Structure

In vivo RNA transcript-releasing plasmid possessing a universal pseudo-terminator by means of artificial ribozymes.

RNA transcript-releasing plasmid has been constructed by means of artificial hammerhead ribozymes. In this specific construct of pGENE8459v3 the ribozyme targeted for SFL1 gene (a yeast suppressor gene for flocculation) was fused between two other ribozymes called 5'-processing and 3'-processing ribozymes. Since the "Ribozyme for SFL1" portion (cassette) can be replaced by other RNA sequences, it is now possible to produce any RNAs with defined 5'- and 3'- ends.

Base Sequence