Biomaterial Database

Base flipping of the thymine dimer in duplex DNA. 2007

Lauren L O'Neil, and Alan Grossfield, and Olaf Wiest

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556-5670, USA.

Exposure of two adjacent thymines in DNA to UV light of 260-320 nm can result in the formation of the cis,syn-cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD). The structure of DNA containing an intrahelical CPD lesion has been previously studied experimentally and computationally. However, the structure of the extrahelical, flipped-out, CPD lesion, which has been shown to be the structure that binds to the CPD repair enzyme, DNA photolyase, has yet to be reported. In this work the structure of both the flipped-in and the flipped-out CPD lesions in duplex DNA is reported. These structures were calculated using 8 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. These structures are then used to define the starting and ending points for the base-flipping process for the CPD lesion. Using a complex, two-dimensional pseudodihedral coordinate, the potential of mean force (PMF) for the base-flipping process was calculcated using novel methodology. The free energy of the flipped-out CPD is roughly 6.5 kcal/mol higher than that of the flipped-in state, indicating that the barrier to flipping out is much lower for CPD than for undamaged DNA. This may indicate that the flipped-out CPD lesion may be recognized by its repair enzyme, DNA photolyase, whereas previous studies of other damaged, as well as nondamaged, bases indicate that they are recognized by enzymes in the intrahelical, flipped-in state.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008956	Models, Chemical	Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of chemical processes or phenomena; includes the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment.	Chemical Models,Chemical Model,Model, Chemical
D008958	Models, Molecular	Models used experimentally or theoretically to study molecular shape, electronic properties, or interactions; includes analogous molecules, computer-generated graphics, and mechanical structures.	Molecular Models,Model, Molecular,Molecular Model
D011740	Pyrimidine Dimers	Dimers found in DNA chains damaged by ULTRAVIOLET RAYS. They consist of two adjacent PYRIMIDINE NUCLEOTIDES, usually THYMINE nucleotides, in which the pyrimidine residues are covalently joined by a cyclobutane ring. These dimers block DNA REPLICATION.	Cyclobutane Pyrimidine Dimer,Cyclobutane-Pyrimidine Dimer,Cytosine-Thymine Dimer,Pyrimidine Dimer,Thymine Dimer,Thymine Dimers,Cyclobutane-Pyrimidine Dimers,Cytosine-Thymine Dimers,Thymine-Cyclobutane Dimer,Thymine-Thymine Cyclobutane Dimer,Cyclobutane Dimer, Thymine-Thymine,Cyclobutane Dimers, Thymine-Thymine,Cyclobutane Pyrimidine Dimers,Cytosine Thymine Dimer,Cytosine Thymine Dimers,Pyrimidine Dimer, Cyclobutane,Pyrimidine Dimers, Cyclobutane,Thymine Cyclobutane Dimer,Thymine Thymine Cyclobutane Dimer,Thymine-Cyclobutane Dimers,Thymine-Thymine Cyclobutane Dimers
D003198	Computer Simulation	Computer-based representation of physical systems and phenomena such as chemical processes.	Computational Modeling,Computational Modelling,Computer Models,In silico Modeling,In silico Models,In silico Simulation,Models, Computer,Computerized Models,Computer Model,Computer Simulations,Computerized Model,In silico Model,Model, Computer,Model, Computerized,Model, In silico,Modeling, Computational,Modeling, In silico,Modelling, Computational,Simulation, Computer,Simulation, In silico,Simulations, Computer
D004247	DNA	A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine).	DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D004255	Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase	An enzyme that catalyzes the reactivation by light of UV-irradiated DNA. It breaks two carbon-carbon bonds in PYRIMIDINE DIMERS in DNA.	DNA Photolyase,DNA Photoreactivating Enzyme,Photoreactivating Enzyme,Photoreactivation Enzyme,DNA Photolyases,Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photolyase,Photolyase,Photolyases,Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo Lyase,Photo-Lyase, Deoxyribodipyrimidine,Photolyase, DNA,Photolyase, Deoxyribodipyrimidine,Photolyases, DNA,Photoreactivating Enzyme, DNA
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013816	Thermodynamics	A rigorously mathematical analysis of energy relationships (heat, work, temperature, and equilibrium). It describes systems whose states are determined by thermal parameters, such as temperature, in addition to mechanical and electromagnetic parameters. (From Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, 12th ed)	Thermodynamic
D046940	Synechococcus	A form-genus of spherical to rod-shaped CYANOBACTERIA in the order Chroococcales. They contain THYLAKOIDS and are found in a wide range of habitats.