• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.1519-1526
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• 2010

The behavior of peptide or protein solutes in saline aqueous solution is a fundamental topic in physical chemistry. Addition of ions can strongly alter the thermodynamic and physical properties of peptide molecules in solution. In order to study the effects of added ionic salts on protein conformation and dynamics, we have used the molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the behavior of Staphylococcus aureus Hfq protein under two different ionic concentrations: 0.1 M NaCl and 1.0 M NaCl in presence and absence of RNA (a hepta-oligoribonucleotide AU5G). Hfq, a global regulator of gene expression is highly conserved and abundant RNA-binding protein. It is already reported that in vivo the increase of ionic strength results in a drastic reduction of Hfq affinity for $Q{\beta}$ RNA and reduces the tendency of aggregation of Escherichia coli host factor hexamers. Our results revealed the crucial role of 0.1 M NaCl Hfq system on the bases with strong hydrogen bonding interactions and by stabilizing the aromatic stacking of Tyr42 residue of the adjacent subunits/monomers with the adenine and uridine nucleobases. An increase in RNA pore diameter and weakened compactness of the Hfq-RNA complex was clearly observed in 1.0 M NaCl Hfq system with bound RNA. Aggregation of monomers in Hfq and the interaction of Hfq with RNA are greatly affected due to the presence of high ionic strength. Higher the ionic concentration, weaker is the aggregation and interaction. Our results were compatible with the experimental data and this is the first theoretical report for the experimental study done in 1980 by Uhlenbeck group for the present system.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.373-379
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• 2009

5-Hydroxyuridine (5-OHU) is a major lesion of uridine and cytosine produced in RNA by various chemical oxidants. To elucidate its biochemical and biophysical effects on RNA replication, the site-specifically modified oligoribonucleotides containing 5-OHU were synthesized with C5-hydroxy-5'-ODMTr-2'-TBDMS-uridine phosphoramidite using automated solid phase synthesis. The base-pairing properties of nucleotides opposite 5-OHU in 24 mer oligoribonulcleotides with dNTP were studied using three reverse transcriptases (Super-$Script^{TM}II$-, AMV-, MMLV-RT) in cDNA synthesis. Adenine as well as guanine was incorporated preferentially by all reverse transcriptases. In the UV-melting temperature experiment, the results from the relative stabilities of the base pairs were A : 5-OHU > G : 5-OHU > T : 5-OHU $\approx$ C : 5-OHU. Circular Dichroism (CD) studies showed that DNA-RNA containing 5- OHU heteroduplexes exhibit a similar conformation between the A-type RNA and B-type DNA. These results suggest that 5- OHU from oxidative damage was mainly influenced by adenine mismatch.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.657-662
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• 2004

Oligoribonucleotides containing 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine (8-oxoG) and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-O-methylguanosine (8-oxoG-Me) were synthesized. The base pairing properties of 8-oxoG and 8-oxoG-Me in oligoribonucleotide in cDNA synthesis by reverse transcriptases were studied. dCMP was preferentially incorporated into the site opposite 8-oxoG or 8-oxoG-Me than into other dNMPs. TMP and dCMP were inserted preferentially into sites opposite 8-oxoG or 8-oxoG by reverse transcriptases. HIV-RT did not incorporate TMP, but RAV2-RT incorporated 50% more TMP than dCMP into the site opposite 8-oxoG. In the site opposite 8-oxoG-Me TMP was substantially incorporated by HIV-RT or RAV2-RT. Thermodynamic analysis of the DNA. RNA heteroduplex containing 8-oxoG revealed that 8-oxoG and 8-oxoG-Me formed base pairs with cytidine and thymidine with similar stability. The thermodynamic parameter (${\Delta}G^{\circ}$) demonstrated that the formation of duplexes between 8-oxoG or 8-oxoG-Me and cytidine or thymidine is more thermodynamically favorable than with adenosine and guanosine. However, differences in the melting temperature and ${\Delta}G^{\circ}$'s of 8-oxoG/dC and 8-oxoG/T were much smaller than between G/dC and G/T. CD spectra showed that DNA . RNA containing 8-oxoG or 8-oxoG-Me duplexes showed similarities between the A-type RNA and B-type DNA conformations.