Chunte Sam Peng

Anharmonic Vibrational Modes of Nucleic Acid Bases Revealed by 2D IR Spectroscopy

Polarization-dependent two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) spectra of the purine and pyrimadine base vibrations of five nucleotide monophosphates (NMPs) were acquired in D(2)O at neutral pH in the frequency range 1500-1700 cm(-1). The distinctive cross-peaks between the ring deformations and carbonyl stretches of NMPs indicate that these vibrational modes are highly coupled, in contrast with the traditional peak assignment, which is based on a simple local mode picture such as C═O, C═N, and C═C double bond stretches. A model of multiple anharmonically coupled oscillators was employed to characterize the transition energies, vibrational anharmonicities and couplings, and transition dipole strengths and orientations. No simple or intuitive structural correlations are found to readily assign the spectral features, except in the case of guanine and cytosine, which contain a single local CO stretching mode. To help interpret the nature of these vibrational modes, we performed density functional theory (DFT) calculations and found that multiple ring vibrations are coupled and delocalized over the purine and pyrimidine rings. Generally, there is close correspondence between the experimental and computational results, provided that the DFT calculations include explicit waters solvating hydrogen-bonding sites. These results provide direct experimental evidence of the delocalized nature of the nucleotide base vibrations via a nonperturbative fashion and will serve as building blocks for constructing a structure-based model of DNA and RNA vibrational spectroscopy.

Folding of a heterogeneous β-hairpin peptide from temperature-jump 2D IR spectroscopy

We provide a time- and structure-resolved characterization of the folding of the heterogeneous β-hairpin peptide Tryptophan Zipper 2 (Trpzip2) using 2D IR spectroscopy. The amide I′ vibrations of three Trpzip2 isotopologues are used as a local probe of the midstrand contacts, β-turn, and overall β-sheet content. Our experiments distinguish between a folded state with a type I′ β-turn and a misfolded state with a bulged turn, providing evidence for distinct conformations of the peptide backbone. Transient 2D IR spectroscopy at 45 °C following a laser temperature jump tracks the nanosecond and microsecond kinetics of unfolding and the exchange between conformers. Hydrogen bonds to the peptide backbone are loosened rapidly compared with the 5-ns temperature jump. Subsequently, all relaxation kinetics are characterized by an observed 1.2 ± 0.2-μs exponential. Our time-dependent 2D IR spectra are explained in terms of folding of either native or nonnative contacts from a common compact disordered state. Conversion from the disordered state to the folded state is consistent with a zip-out folding mechanism.

Coherent two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy: Quantitative analysis of protein secondary structure in solution

We present a method to quantitatively determine the secondary structure composition of globular proteins using coherent two-dimensional infrared (2DIR) spectroscopy of backbone amide I vibrations (1550-1720 cm(-1)). Sixteen proteins with known crystal structures were used to construct a library of 2DIR spectra, and the fraction of residues in α-helix, β-sheet, and unassigned conformations was determined by singular value decomposition (SVD) of the measured two-dimensional spectra. The method was benchmarked by removing each individual protein from the set and comparing the composition extracted from 2DIR against the composition determined from the crystal structures. To highlight the increased structural content extracted from 2DIR spectra a similar analysis was also carried out using conventional infrared absorption of the proteins in the library.

Direct observation of ground-state lactam–lactim tautomerization using temperature-jump transient 2D IR spectroscopy

We provide a systematic characterization of the nanosecond ground-state lactam–lactim tautomerization of pyridone derivatives in aqueous solution under ambient conditions using temperature-jump transient 2D IR spectroscopy. Although electronic excited-state tautomerization has been widely studied, experimental work on the ground electronic state, most relevant to chemistry and biology, is lacking. Using 2D IR spectroscopy, lactam and lactim tautomers of 6-chloro-2-pyridone and 2-chloro-4-pyridone are unambiguously identified by their unique cross-peak patterns. Monitoring the correlated exponential relaxation of these signals in response to a laser temperature jump provides a direct measurement of the nanosecond tautomerization kinetics. By studying the temperature, concentration, solvent, and pH dependence, we extract a thermodynamic and kinetic characterization and conclude that the tautomerization proceeds through a two-state concerted mechanism. We find that the intramolecular proton transfer is mediated by bridging water molecules and the reaction barrier is dictated by the release of a proton from pyridone, as would be expected for an efficient Grothuss-type proton transfer mechanism.

Tautomerism provides a molecular explanation for the mutagenic properties of the anti-HIV nucleoside 5-aza-5,6-dihydro-2′-deoxycytidine

Significance Unlike conventional antiviral therapy, lethal mutagenesis is a therapeutic strategy that exploits the high mutation rates of certain viruses. It works by intentionally increasing the viral mutation rate, causing excessive error accumulation and viral population collapse. The mutagenic nucleoside analog 5-aza-5,6-dihydro-2′-deoxycytidine (KP1212) is specifically designed to use lethal mutagenesis against HIV. The mechanism of KP1212 mutagenesis was proposed to involve tautomerism—the repositioning of active protons on the nucleic acid base on a fast time scale. Using a multifaceted approach, we demonstrate that KP1212 exists in multiple tautomeric forms, and that the tautomeric distribution correlates with the mutagenic properties of KP1212. This work also provides a toolset for studying tautomerism in nucleic acids and developing the next-generation antiviral lethal mutagens. Viral lethal mutagenesis is a strategy whereby the innate immune system or mutagenic pool nucleotides increase the error rate of viral replication above the error catastrophe limit. Lethal mutagenesis has been proposed as a mechanism for several antiviral compounds, including the drug candidate 5-aza-5,6-dihydro-2′-deoxycytidine (KP1212), which causes A-to-G and G-to-A mutations in the HIV genome, both in tissue culture and in HIV positive patients undergoing KP1212 monotherapy. This work explored the molecular mechanism(s) underlying the mutagenicity of KP1212, and specifically whether tautomerism, a previously proposed hypothesis, could explain the biological consequences of this nucleoside analog. Establishing tautomerism of nucleic acid bases under physiological conditions has been challenging because of the lack of sensitive methods. This study investigated tautomerism using an array of spectroscopic, theoretical, and chemical biology approaches. Variable temperature NMR and 2D infrared spectroscopic methods demonstrated that KP1212 existed as a broad ensemble of interconverting tautomers, among which enolic forms dominated. The mutagenic properties of KP1212 were determined empirically by in vitro and in vivo replication of a single-stranded vector containing a single KP1212. It was found that KP1212 paired with both A (10%) and G (90%), which is in accord with clinical observations. Moreover, this mutation frequency is sufficient for pushing a viral population over its error catastrophe limit, as observed before in cell culture studies. Finally, a model is proposed that correlates the mutagenicity of KP1212 with its tautomeric distribution in solution.

Transient two-dimensional spectroscopy with linear absorption corrections applied to temperature-jump two-dimensional infrared

Multidimensional spectroscopies provide increased spectral information but time resolution is often limited by the picosecond lifetimes of the transitions they probe. At the expense of additional complexity, transient multidimensional techniques extend the accessible timescales for studying nonequilibrium chemical and biophysical phenomena. Transient temperature-jump (T-jump) experiments are particularly versatile, since they can be applied to any temperature-dependent change of state. We have developed a method to correct transient nonlinear techniques for distortions resulting from transient linear absorption of the probing pulses, distortions which can lead to false interpretations of the data. We apply these corrections in the collection of T-jump transient two-dimensional infrared spectra for the peptides diglycine and the β-hairpin peptide trpzip2. For diglycine, the T-jump induces changes in H-bonding, a response which is inherent to all aqueous systems. The trpzip2 results probe the hairpin unfolding kinetics and reveal two time scales: <10 ns increased flexibility and 1.1 μsβ-hairpin disordering.

Weakened N3 Hydrogen Bonding by 5-Formylcytosine and 5-Carboxylcytosine Reduces Their Base-Pairing Stability

In the active cytosine demethylation pathway, 5-methylcytosine (5mC) is oxidized sequentially to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-formylcytosine (5fC), and 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC). Thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) selectively excises 5fC and 5caC but not cytosine (C), 5mC, and 5hmC. We propose that the electron-withdrawing properties of -CHO and -COOH in 5fC and 5caC increase N3 acidity, leading to weakened hydrogen bonding and reduced base pair stability relative to C, 5mC, and 5hmC, thereby facilitating the selective recognition of 5fC and 5caC by TDG. Through (13)C NMR, we measured the pKa at N3 of 5fC as 2.4 and the two pKas of 5caC as 2.1 and 4.2. We used isotope-edited IR spectroscopy coupled with density functional theory (DFT) calculations to site-specifically assign the more acidic pKa of 5caC to protonation at N3, indicating that N3 acidity is increased in 5fC and 5caC relative to C. IR and UV melting studies of self-complementary DNA oligomers confirm reduced stability for 5fC-G and 5caC-G base pairs. Furthermore, while the 5fC-G base pair stability is insensitive to pH, the 5caC-G stability is reduced as pH decreases and the carboxyl group is increasingly protonated. Despite suggestions that 5fC and 5caC may exist in rare tautomeric structures which form wobble GC base pairs, our two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) spectroscopy of 5fC and 5caC free nucleosides confirms that both bases are predominantly in the canonical amino-keto form. Taken together, these findings support our model that weakened base pairing ability for 5fC and 5caC in dsDNA contributes to their selective recognition by TDG.

Two-dimensional IR spectroscopy of the anti-HIV agent KP1212 reveals protonated and neutral tautomers that influence pH-dependent mutagenicity

Significance The anti-HIV drug KP1212 was designed to intentionally increase the mutation rate of HIV, thereby causing viral population collapse. Its mutagenicity and thus antiviral activity was proposed to be the result of tautomerization. We used 2D IR spectroscopy to identify rapidly interconverting tautomers under physiological conditions. The traditionally rare enol–imino tautomer for nucleobases was found to be the major species for KP1212, providing a structural support for the tautomer hypothesis. We further found that KP1212 is significantly protonated at physiological pH with a pKa of 7. The protonated KP1212 was shown to be mutagenic, revealing a bimodal mutagenic property of KP1212. The results could prove instrumental in developing the next-generation antiviral treatments. Antiviral drugs designed to accelerate viral mutation rates can drive a viral population to extinction in a process called lethal mutagenesis. One such molecule is 5,6-dihydro-5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (KP1212), a selective mutagen that induces A-to-G and G-to-A mutations in the genome of replicating HIV. The mutagenic property of KP1212 was hypothesized to originate from its amino–imino tautomerism, which would explain its ability to base pair with either G or A. To test the multiple tautomer hypothesis, we used 2D IR spectroscopy, which offers subpicosecond time resolution and structural sensitivity to distinguish among rapidly interconverting tautomers. We identified several KP1212 tautomers and found that >60% of neutral KP1212 is present in the enol–imino form. The abundant proportion of this traditionally rare tautomer offers a compelling structure-based mechanism for pairing with adenine. Additionally, the pKa of KP1212 was measured to be 7.0, meaning a substantial population of KP1212 is protonated at physiological pH. Furthermore, the mutagenicity of KP1212 was found to increase dramatically at pH <7, suggesting a significant biological role for the protonated KP1212 molecules. Overall, our data reveal that the bimodal mutagenic properties of KP1212 result from its unique shape shifting ability that utilizes both tautomerization and protonation.

Studying Protein–Protein Binding through T-Jump Induced Dissociation: Transient 2D IR Spectroscopy of Insulin Dimer

Insulin homodimer associates through the coupled folding and binding of two partially disordered monomers. We aim to understand this dynamics by observing insulin dimer dissociation initiated with a nanosecond temperature jump using transient two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy (2D IR) of amide I vibrations. With the help of equilibrium FTIR and 2D IR spectra, and through a systematic study of the dependence of dissociation kinetics on temperature and insulin concentration, we are able to decompose and analyze the spectral evolution associated with different secondary structures. We find that the dissociation under all conditions is characterized by two processes whose influence on the kinetics varies with temperature: the unfolding of the β sheet at the dimer interface observed as exponential kinetics between 250 and 1000 μs and nonexponential kinetics between 5 and 150 μs that we attribute to monomer disordering. Microscopic reversibility arguments lead us to conclude that dimer association requires significant conformational changes within the monomer in concert with the folding of the interfacial β sheet. While our data indicates a more complex kinetics, we apply a two-state model to the β-sheet unfolding kinetics to extract thermodynamic parameters and kinetic rate constants. The association rate constant, ka (23 °C) = 8.8 × 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) (pH 0, 20% EtOD), is approximately 3 orders of magnitude slower than the calculated diffusion limited association rate, which is explained by the significant destabilizing effect of ethanol on the dimer state and the highly positive charge of the monomers at this pH.

Two-Dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy as a Probe of Protein Folding: Bridging the Gap between Experiment and Simulation

Two-dimensional infrared (2DIR) spectroscopy is a newly-developed experimental technique that measures protein structure and dynamics in solution with subpicosecond time resolution. Amide-I vibrations, consisting mainly of backbone C=O stretching modes, contain a wealth of structural information. Two-dimensional spectroscopy offers enhanced structural sensitivity by spreading the spectral information onto two frequency axes. Through a combination of temperature-jump 2DIR spectroscopy, isotope labeling, and Markov state models derived from molecular dynamics simulations, we develop a new method which can directly probe the structural rearrangements on timescales from nanoseconds to milliseconds. Markov state models provide an intuitive interpretation of the protein folding process while retaining much of the structural heterogeneity and diversity of folding pathways.The unfolding mechanism of a 39-residue α/β mini protein, NTL9, a two-state folder, is studied on timescales from 100 ns to 50 milliseconds. Transient 2DIR reveal a rapid sub-100 ns response that is attributed to weakening of the hydrogen-bonds, followed by unraveling of the beta sheet. The more stable helix is seen to denature on the 150 microsecond timescale. Experimental data is interpreted in the context of the recently-available Markov state model of NTL9. Simulated 2DIR spectra are generated for the structural ensemble, and are observed to be in great agreement with the temperature-jump 2DIR experiments. The results provide an elegant illustration of how a combination of cutting-edge experiments and state-of-the-art simulations gives new insights into the complex mechanism of protein folding.