scholarly journals Archaeal Nucleic Acid Ligases and Their Potential in Biotechnology

Archaea ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia R. Chambers ◽  
Wayne M. Patrick
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Pyrococcus Furiosus ◽  
Bacteriophage T4 ◽  
Biotechnological Applications ◽  
Dna Ligases ◽  
Dna And Rna ◽  
Double Stranded Dna ◽  
Current State ◽  
Methanothermobacter Thermautotrophicus

With their ability to catalyse the formation of phosphodiester linkages, DNA ligases and RNA ligases are essential tools for many protocols in molecular biology and biotechnology. Currently, the nucleic acid ligases from bacteriophage T4 are used extensively in these protocols. In this review, we argue that the nucleic acid ligases from Archaea represent a largely untapped pool of enzymes with diverse and potentially favourable properties for new and emerging biotechnological applications. We summarise the current state of knowledge on archaeal DNA and RNA ligases, which makes apparent the relative scarcity of information onin vitroactivities that are of most relevance to biotechnologists (such as the ability to join blunt- or cohesive-ended, double-stranded DNA fragments). We highlight the existing biotechnological applications of archaeal DNA ligases and RNA ligases. Finally, we draw attention to recent experiments in which protein engineering was used to modify the activities of the DNA ligase fromPyrococcus furiosusand the RNA ligase fromMethanothermobacter thermautotrophicus, thus demonstrating the potential for further work in this area.

scholarly journals An Improved 4’-Aminomethyltroxsalen-Based DNA Crosslinker for Biotinylation of DNA

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Wielenberg ◽  
Miao Wang ◽  
Min Yang ◽  
Abdullah Ozer ◽  
John T. Lis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Uv Light ◽  
Dna And Rna ◽  
Double Stranded Dna ◽  
Long Wave ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
In Cells

AbstractNucleic acid crosslinkers that covalently join commentary strands have applications as both pharmaceuticals and biochemical probes. Psoralen is a popular crosslinker moiety that reacts with double stranded DNA and RNA upon irradiation with long wave UV light. A commercially available compound EZ-Link Psoralen-PEG3-Biotin has been used in many studies to crosslink DNA and double strand RNA for genome-wide investigations. Here we present a novel probe, AP3B, which uses a psoralen derivative, 4’-aminomethyltrioxsalen, to biotinylate nucleic acids. We show that this compound is 8-fold more effective at labeling DNA in cells and several hundred-fold more effective at crosslinking two strands of DNA in vitro than the commercially available compound EZ-Link Psoralen-PEG3-Biotin.

scholarly journals Concurrent binding to DNA and RNA facilitates the pluripotency reprogramming activity of Sox2

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 3869-3887 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linlin Hou ◽  
Yuanjie Wei ◽  
Yingying Lin ◽  
Xiwei Wang ◽  
Yiwei Lai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
High Mobility ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Dna And Rna ◽  
Somatic Cell Reprogramming ◽  
Double Stranded Dna

Abstract Some transcription factors that specifically bind double-stranded DNA appear to also function as RNA-binding proteins. Here, we demonstrate that the transcription factor Sox2 is able to directly bind RNA in vitro as well as in mouse and human cells. Sox2 targets RNA via a 60-amino-acid RNA binding motif (RBM) positioned C-terminally of the DNA binding high mobility group (HMG) box. Sox2 can associate with RNA and DNA simultaneously to form ternary RNA/Sox2/DNA complexes. Deletion of the RBM does not affect selection of target genes but mitigates binding to pluripotency related transcripts, switches exon usage and impairs the reprogramming of somatic cells to a pluripotent state. Our findings designate Sox2 as a multi-functional factor that associates with RNA whilst binding to cognate DNA sequences, suggesting that it may co-transcriptionally regulate RNA metabolism during somatic cell reprogramming.

scholarly journals Packaging of Genomic RNA in Positive-Sense Single-Stranded RNA Viruses: A Complex Story

Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauricio Comas-Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Rna Viruses ◽  
Genomic Rna ◽  
Rna Packaging ◽  
Dna And Rna ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Double Stranded Dna ◽  
Positive Sense ◽  
Infectious Cycle

The packaging of genomic RNA in positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses is a key part of the viral infectious cycle, yet this step is not fully understood. Unlike double-stranded DNA and RNA viruses, this process is coupled with nucleocapsid assembly. The specificity of RNA packaging depends on multiple factors: (i) one or more packaging signals, (ii) RNA replication, (iii) translation, (iv) viral factories, and (v) the physical properties of the RNA. The relative contribution of each of these factors to packaging specificity is different for every virus. In vitro and in vivo data show that there are different packaging mechanisms that control selective packaging of the genomic RNA during nucleocapsid assembly. The goals of this article are to explain some of the key experiments that support the contribution of these factors to packaging selectivity and to draw a general scenario that could help us move towards a better understanding of this step of the viral infectious cycle.

scholarly journals Hjm/Hel308A DNA Helicase from Sulfolobus tokodaii Promotes Replication Fork Regression and Interacts with Hjc Endonuclease In Vitro

2008 ◽  
Vol 190 (8) ◽  
pp. 3006-3017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuo Li ◽  
Shuhong Lu ◽  
Guihua Hou ◽  
Xiaoqing Ma ◽  
Duohong Sheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pyrococcus Furiosus ◽  
Gel Filtration ◽  
Dna Helicase ◽  
Dna Helicases ◽  
Sulfolobus Tokodaii ◽  
Fork Regression ◽  
Methanothermobacter Thermautotrophicus ◽  
Stalled Replication Forks ◽  
Two Hybrid

ABSTRACT Hjm and Hel308a are novel, RecQ-like DNA helicases recently identified in the euryarchaeotes Pyrococcus furiosus and Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus, respectively. In this study, an Hjm/Hel308 homologue (designated StoHjm) from Sulfolobus tokodaii, a hyperthermophilic archaeon belonging to the Crenarchaeota subdomain of archaea, was cloned, purified, and characterized. Unlike Hjm and Hel308a, which unwind DNA in a 3′-to-5′ direction, StoHjm unwound DNA in both 3′-to-5′ and 5′-to-3′ directions. Remarkably, StoHjm exhibited structure-specific single-stranded-DNA-annealing and fork regression activities in vitro. In addition, gel filtration, affinity pulldown, and yeast two-hybrid analyses revealed that StoHjm physically interacted with StoHjc, the Holliday junction-specific endonuclease from S. tokodaii. This interaction may have functional significance, because the unwinding activity of StoHjm was inhibited by StoHjc in vitro. These results may suggest that the Hjm/Hel308 family helicases, in association with Hjc endonucleases, are involved in processing of stalled replication forks.

scholarly journals Nucleic Acid Computing and its Potential to Transform Silicon-Based Technology

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seth G. Abels ◽  
Emil F. Khisamutdinov
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Logic Gates ◽  
Rna Nanotechnology ◽  
Dna And Rna ◽  
Cellular Machinery ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Silicon Based ◽  
Molecular Computers

AbstractMolecular computers have existed on our planet for more than 3.5 billion years. Molecular computing devices, composed of biological substances such as nucleic acids, are responsible for the logical processing of a variety of inputs, creating viable outputs that are key components of the cellular machinery of all living organisms. We have begun to adopt some of the structural and functional knowledge of the cellular apparatus in order to fabricate nucleic-acid-based molecular computers in vitro and in vivo. Nucleic acid computing is directly dependent on advances in DNA and RNA nanotechnology. The field is still emerging and a number of challenges persist. Perhaps the most salient among these is how to translate a variety of nucleic-acid-based logic gates, developed by numerous research laboratories, into the realm of silicon-based computing. This mini-review provides some basic information on the advances in nucleic-acid-based computing and its potential to serve as an alternative that can revolutionize silicon-based technology.

scholarly journals Convolutional models of RNA energetics

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle J. Wu
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Network Architecture ◽  
Nearest Neighbor ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Mrna Translation ◽  
Large Space ◽  
Dna And Rna ◽  
Nucleic Acid Interactions

AbstractNucleic acid molecular biology and synthetic biology are undergoing rapid advances with the emergence of designer riboswitches controlling living cells, CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing, high-throughput RNA-based silencing, and reengineering of mRNA translation. Many of these efforts require the design of nucleic acid interactions, which relies on accurate models for DNA and RNA energetics. Existing models utilize nearest neighbor rules, which were parameterized through careful optical melting measurements. However, these relatively simple rules often fail to quantitatively account for the biophysical behavior of molecules even in vitro, let alone in vivo. This is due to the limited experimental throughput of optical melting experiments and the infinitely large space of possible motifs that can be formed. Here, we present a convolutional neural network architecture to model the energies of nucleic acid motifs, allowing for learning of representations of physical interactions that generalize to arbitrary unmeasured motifs. First, we used existing parameterizations of motif energies to train the model and demonstrate that our model is expressive enough to recapitulate the current model. Then, through training on optical melting datasets from the literature, we have shown that the model can accurately predict the thermodynamics of hairpins containing unmeasured motifs. This work demonstrates the utility of convolutional models for capturing the thermodynamic parameters that underlie nucleic acid interactions.

Synthesis of α-(R)-/γ-(S)-Dimethyl Substituted Peptide Nucleic Acid Submonomer Using Mitsunobu Reaction

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 437-446
Author(s):  
Ahmed S. Abdelbaky ◽  
Ivan A. Prokhorov ◽  
Igor P. Smirnov ◽  
Kristina M. Koroleva ◽  
Vitaliy I. Shvets ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Peptide Nucleic Acid ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Genetic Diseases ◽  
Mitsunobu Reaction ◽  
Phase Synthesis ◽  
Dna And Rna ◽  
Pna Synthesis ◽  
Biomedical Technologies

One of the major challenges facing modern biochemical and biomedical technologies are finding molecular tools for diagnosis and detection of genetic diseases. In this connection, several classes of oligonucleotides have been developed that can recognize and bind to DNA and RNA with high affinity and sequence selectivity and withstand enzymatic degradation by proteases and nucleases; however, few can traverse the cell membrane on their own. One such promising class of nucleic acid mimics developed in the last two decades which showed good results in vitro, are the peptide nucleic acids (PNAs). New chiral α- and γ-peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA) submonomer with methyl substituents in pseudopeptide backbone were synthesized via Mitsunobu reaction. The α-(R)-/γ-(S)-configuration of the chiral centres will ensure the preorganization of the PNA oligomer into a right-handed helix. The results obtained showed that Boc/Fmoc-submonomer compatible with Boc-protocol PNAs solid-phase synthesis on an MBHA resin. We synthesized simple and efficient α-R-, γ-S-disubstituted PNA submonomer based on L-Ala and D-Ala with the construction of the intermediate pseudopeptide moiety by Mitsunobu reaction for subsequent use in the Boc-Protocol of solid phase PNA synthesis.

scholarly journals The Nucleic Acid Binding Activity of Bleomycin Hydrolase Is Involved in Bleomycin Detoxification

1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3580-3585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjin Zheng ◽  
Stephen Albert Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Dual Function ◽  
Nucleic Acid Binding ◽  
Peptide Cleavage ◽  
Dna And Rna ◽  
Double Stranded Dna ◽  
Bleomycin Hydrolase ◽  
Nucleic Acid Binding Activity ◽  
Rna And Dna

ABSTRACT Yeast bleomycin hydrolase, Gal6p, is a cysteine peptidase that detoxifies the anticancer drug bleomycin. Gal6p is a dual-function protein capable of both nucleic acid binding and peptide cleavage. We now demonstrate that Gal6p exhibits sequence-independent, high-affinity binding to single-stranded DNA, nicked double-stranded DNA, and RNA. A region of the protein that is involved in binding both RNA and DNA substrates is delineated. Immunolocalization reveals that the Gal6 protein is chiefly cytoplasmic and thus may be involved in binding cellular RNAs. Variant Gal6 proteins that fail to bind nucleic acid also exhibit reduced ability to protect cells from bleomycin toxicity, suggesting that the nucleic acid binding activity of Gal6p is important in bleomycin detoxification and may be involved in its normal biological functions.

scholarly journals Production and Application of a Soluble Hydrogenase fromPyrococcus furiosus

Archaea ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang-Hao Wu ◽  
Patrick M. McTernan ◽  
Mary E. Walter ◽  
Michael W. W. Adams
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Production ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Pyrococcus Furiosus ◽  
Hydrogen Gas ◽  
Energy Carrier ◽  
Biotechnological Applications ◽  
Biological Mechanisms ◽  
Recombinant Enzymes ◽  
Energy Needs

Hydrogen gas is a potential renewable alternative energy carrier that could be used in the future to help supplement humanity’s growing energy needs. Unfortunately, current industrial methods for hydrogen production are expensive or environmentally unfriendly. In recent years research has focused on biological mechanisms for hydrogen production and specifically on hydrogenases, the enzyme responsible for catalyzing the reduction of protons to generate hydrogen. In particular, a better understanding of this enzyme might allow us to generate hydrogen that does not use expensive metals, such as platinum, as catalysts. The soluble hydrogenase I (SHI) from the hyperthermophilePyrococcus furiosus, a member of the euryarchaeota, has been studied extensively and used in various biotechnological applications. This review summarizes the strategies used in engineering and characterizing three different forms of SHI and the properties of the recombinant enzymes. SHI has also been used inin vitrosystems for hydrogen production and NADPH generation and these systems are also discussed.

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