An Extraordinarily Stable DNA Minidumbbell

J Phys Chem Lett. 2017 Aug 3;8(15):3478-3481. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.7b01666. Epub 2017 Jul 13.

Abstract

The minidumbbell (MDB) is a new type of native DNA structure. At neutral pH, two TTTA or CCTG repeats can fold into the highly compact MDB with a melting temperature of ∼22 °C. Owing to the relatively low thermodynamic stability, MDBs have been proposed to be the structural intermediates that lead to efficient DNA repair escape and thus repeat expansions. In this study, we reveal that two CCTG repeats can also form an extraordinarily stable MDB with a melting temperature of ∼46 °C at pH 5.0. This unusual stability predominantly results from the formation of a three hydrogen bond C+·C mispair between the two minor groove cytosine residues. Due to the drastic stability change, the CCTG MDB, when combined with its complementary sequence, shows instant and complete structural conversions when the pH switches between 5.0 and 7.0, making the system serve as a simple and efficient pH-controlled molecular switch.

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Cytosine
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • DNA Repair
  • Hydrogen Bonding
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Molecular Structure
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Oligonucleotides / chemistry*
  • Temperature
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Oligonucleotides
  • Cytosine
  • DNA