Robust Bisulfite-Free Single-Molecule Real-Time Sequencing of Methyldeoxycytidine Based on a Novel hpTet3 Enzyme.

In addition to the four canonical nucleosides dA, dG, dC and T, genomic DNA contains the additional base 5-methyldeoxycytidine (mdC). The presence of this methylated cytidine nucleoside in promoter regions or gene bodies significantly affects the transcriptional activity of the corresponding gene. Consequently, the methylation patterns of genes are crucial for either silencing or activating genes.

A Phosphotriester-Masked Dideoxy-cGAMP Derivative as a Cell-Permeable STING Agonist.

2',3'-Cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) is a cyclic dinucleotide second messenger in which guanosine and adenosine are connected by one 3'-5' and one 2'-5' phosphodiester linkage. It is formed in the cytosol upon detection of pathogenic DNA by the enzyme guanosine-monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase (cGAS). cGAMP subsequently binds to the adaptor protein stimulator of interferon genes (STING) to elicit an innate immune response leading to the production of type I interferons and cytokines.

Hypoxia-dependent recruitment of error-prone DNA polymerases to genome replication.

Hypoxia is common in tumors and is associated with cancer progression and drug resistance, driven, at least in part, by genetic instability. Little is known on how hypoxia affects Translesion DNA Synthesis (TLS), in which error-prone DNA polymerases bypass lesions, thereby maintaining DNA continuity at the price of increased mutations. Here we show that under acute hypoxia, PCNA monoubiquitination, a key step in TLS, and expression of error-prone DNA polymerases increased under regulation of the HIF1α transcription factor.

Depletion of mA-RNA in reduces the infectious potential of T5 bacteriophage.

Unlabelled: -Methyladenosine (mA) is the most abundant internal modification of mRNA in eukaryotes that plays, among other mechanisms, an essential role in virus replication. However, the understanding of mA-RNA modification in prokaryotes, especially in relation to phage replication, is limited. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the effects of mA-RNA modifications on phage replication in two model organisms: BAA-1116 (previously BB120) and MG1655.

Step-by-Step Towards Biological Homochirality - from Prebiotic Randomness To Perfect Asymmetry.

The history of life's formation and the origin of its stereochemistry are nearly as multifaceted as the life itself. In this review, we focus on analyzing the step-by-step path leading to what we can define as "life" in parallel to what we know about the emergence of enantiomeric imbalance and subsequent transition to full homochirality. We start at the level of assembly of the building blocks of life from inorganic molecules and build up to the polymerization and formation of nucleic acids and peptides.