The structural, dynamical, and recognition properties of antiparallel DNA triplexes formed by the antiparallel d(G#G.C), d(A#A.T), and d(T#A.T) motifs (the pound sign and dot mean reverse-Hoogsteen and Watson-Crick hydrogen bonds, respectively) are studied by means of "state of the art" molecular dynamics simulations. Once the characteristics of the helix are defined, molecular dynamics and thermodynamic integration calculations are used to determine the expected stabilization of the antiparallel triplex caused by the introduction of 8-aminopurines. Finally, oligonucleotides containing 8-aminopurine derivatives are synthesized and tested experimentally using several approaches in a variety of systems. A very large stabilization of the triplex is found experimentally, as predicted by simulations. These results open the possibility for the use of oligonucleotides carrying 8-aminopurines to bind single-stranded nucleic acids by formation of antiparallel triplexes.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ja035039t | DOI Listing |
J Phys Chem A
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China.
The quantum transition state framework was developed to calculate the reaction path-resolved scattering matrix for atom-diatom reactions in hyperspherical (APH) coordinates. This approach allows for simply and directly calculating the reaction path-resolved scattering matrix, especially when the encircling reaction path is negligible. It could be used to determine the reactivities of specific pathways in a chemical reaction, providing insights into phenomena such as geometric phase effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppl Biochem Biotechnol
January 2025
Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Diabetes affects approximately 422 million people worldwide, leading to 1.5 million deaths annually and causing severe complications such as kidney failure, neuropathy, and cardiovascular disease. Aldose reductase (AR), a key enzyme in the polyol pathway, is an important therapeutic target for managing these complications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSoft Matter
January 2025
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
In polymerization-induced phase separation, the impact of polymer-substrate interaction on the dynamics of phase separation for polymer blends is important in determining the final morphology and properties of polymer materials as the surface can act as another driving force for phase separation other than polymerization. We modify the previously-developed polymerizing Cahn-Hilliard (pCH) method by adding a surface potential to model the phase separation behavior of a mixture of two species independently undergoing linear step-growth polymerization in the presence of a surface. In our approach, we explicitly model polydispersity by separately considering different molecular-weight components with their own respective diffusion constants, and with the surface potential preferentially acting on only one species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Mater Chem B
January 2025
Department of Optical and Biophysical Systems, Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 18200, Czech Republic.
DNA nanostructures (DNs) have gained popularity in various biomedical applications due to their unique properties, including structural programmability, ease of synthesis and functionalization, and low cytotoxicity. Effective utilization of DNs in biomedical applications requires a fundamental understanding of their interactions with living cells and the mechanics of cellular uptake. Current knowledge primarily focuses on how the physicochemical properties of DNs, such as mass, shape, size, and surface functionalization, affect uptake efficacy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOncotarget
January 2025
Laboratory of Molecular Pathology of Cancer, Faculty of Healthy Sciences, University of Brasília, Federal District, Brasília, Brazil.
Approximately two-thirds of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) undergo resection with curative intent; however, 30% to 50% of these patients experience recurrence. The concentration of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) before and after surgery may be related to the prognosis of patients with CRC, but there is limited information regarding cfDNA levels at the time of surgery. Here, we analyzed surgical cfDNA release using plasma samples from 30 colorectal cancer patients at three key points during surgery: preoperative (immediately before surgery), intraoperative (during surgery), and postoperative (at the end of surgery).
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