Derrick Watkins

RNA Folding and Catalysis Mediated by Iron (II)

Mg2+ shares a distinctive relationship with RNA, playing important and specific roles in the folding and function of essentially all large RNAs. Here we use theory and experiment to evaluate Fe2+ in the absence of free oxygen as a replacement for Mg2+ in RNA folding and catalysis. We describe both quantum mechanical calculations and experiments that suggest that the roles of Mg2+ in RNA folding and function can indeed be served by Fe2+. The results of quantum mechanical calculations show that the geometry of coordination of Fe2+ by RNA phosphates is similar to that of Mg2+. Chemical footprinting experiments suggest that the conformation of the Tetrahymena thermophila Group I intron P4–P6 domain RNA is conserved between complexes with Fe2+ or Mg2+. The catalytic activities of both the L1 ribozyme ligase, obtained previously by in vitro selection in the presence of Mg2+, and the hammerhead ribozyme are enhanced in the presence of Fe2+ compared to Mg2+. All chemical footprinting and ribozyme assays in the presence of Fe2+ were performed under anaerobic conditions. The primary motivation of this work is to understand RNA in plausible early earth conditions. Life originated during the early Archean Eon, characterized by a non-oxidative atmosphere and abundant soluble Fe2+. The combined biochemical and paleogeological data are consistent with a role for Fe2+ in an RNA World. RNA and Fe2+ could, in principle, support an array of RNA structures and catalytic functions more diverse than RNA with Mg2+ alone.

Recognition of HIV-TAR RNA using neomycin-benzimidazole conjugates.

Synthesis of a novel class of compounds and their biophysical studies with TAR-RNA are presented. The synthesis of these compounds was achieved by conjugating neomycin, an aminoglycoside, with benzimidazoles modeled from a B-DNA minor groove binder, Hoechst 33258. The neomycin-benzimidazole conjugates have varying linkers that connect the benzimidazole and neomycin units. The linkers of varying length (5-23 atoms) in these conjugates contain one to three triazole units. The UV thermal denaturation experiments showed that the conjugates resulted in greater stabilization of the TAR-RNA than either neomycin or benzimidazole used in the synthesis of conjugates. These results were corroborated by the FID displacement and tat-TAR inhibition assays. The binding of ligands to the TAR-RNA is affected by the length and composition of the linker. Our results show that increasing the number of triazole groups and the linker length in these compounds have diminishing effect on the binding to TAR-RNA. Compounds that have shorter linker length and fewer triazole units in the linker displayed increased affinity towards the TAR RNA.

Influence of linker length and composition on enzymatic activity and ribosomal binding of neomycin dimers

ABSTRACT The human and bacterial A site rRNA binding as well as the aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme (AME) activity against a series of neomycin B (NEO) dimers is presented. The data indicate that by simple modifications of linker length and composition, substantial differences in rRNA selectivity and AME activity can be obtained. We tested five different AMEs with dimeric NEO dimers that were tethered via triazole, urea, and thiourea linkages. We show that triazole-linked dimers were the worst substrates for most AMEs, with those containing the longer linkers showing the largest decrease in activity. Thiourea-linked dimers that showed a decrease in activity by AMEs also showed increased bacterial A site binding, with one compound (compound 14) even showing substantially reduced human A site binding. The urea-linked dimers showed a substantial decrease in activity by AMEs when a conformationally restrictive phenyl linker was introduced. The information learned herein advances our understanding of the importance of the linker length and composition for the generation of dimeric aminoglycoside antibiotics capable of avoiding the action of AMEs and selective binding to the bacterial rRNA over binding to the human rRNA.

Rapid Synthesis, RNA Binding, and Antibacterial Screening of a Peptidic-Aminosugar (PA) Library

A 215-member mono- and diamino acid peptidic-aminosugar (PA) library, with neomycin as the model aminosugar, was systematically and rapidly synthesized via solid phase synthesis. Antibacterial activities of the PA library, on 13 bacterial strains (seven Gram-positive and six Gram-negative bacterial strains), and binding affinities of the PA library for a 27-base model of the bacterial 16S ribosomal A-site RNA were evaluated using high-throughput screening. The results of the two assays were correlated using Ribosomal Binding-Bacterial Inhibition Plot (RB-BIP) analysis to provide structure-activity relationship (SAR) information. From this work, we have identified PAs that can discriminate the E. coli A-site from the human A-site by up to a 28-fold difference in binding affinity. Aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme activity studies indicate that APH(2″)-Ia showed nearly complete removal of activity with a number of PAs. The synthesis of the compound library and screening can both be performed rapidly, allowing for an iterative process of aminoglycoside synthesis and screening of PA libraries for optimal binding and antibacterial activity for lead identification.

Arginine-linked neomycin B dimers: synthesis, rRNA binding, and resistance enzyme activity

The nucleotides comprising the ribosomal decoding center are highly conserved, as they are important for maintaining translational fidelity. The bacterial A-site has a small base variation as compared with the human analogue, allowing aminoglycoside (AG) antibiotics to selectively bind within this region of the ribosome and negatively affect microbial protein synthesis. Here, by using a fluorescence displacement screening assay, we demonstrate that neomycin B (NEO) dimers connected by L-arginine-containing linkers of varying length and composition bind with higher affinity to model A-site RNAs compared to NEO, with IC50 values ranging from ~40-70 nM, and that a certain range of linker lengths demonstrates a clear preference for the bacterial A-site RNA over the human analogue. Furthermore, AG-modifying enzymes (AMEs), such as AG O-phosphotransferases, which are responsible for conferring antibiotic resistance in many types of infectious bacteria, demonstrate markedly reduced activity against several of the L-arginine-linked NEO dimers in vitro. The antimicrobial activity of these dimers against several bacterial strains is weaker than that of the parent NEO.

An assay for human telomeric G-quadruplex DNA binding drugs.

Compounds that stabilize the G-quadruplexes formed by human telomeres can inhibit the telomerase activity and are potential cancer therapies. We have developed an assay for the screening of compounds with high affinity for human telomeric G-quadruplexes (HTG). The assay uses a thiazole orange fluorescent reporter molecule conjugated to the aminoglycoside, neomycin, as a probe in a fluorescence displacement assay. The conjugation of the planar base stacking thiazole orange with the groove binding neomycin results in high affinity probe that can determine the relative binding affinity of high affinity HTG binding drugs in a high throughput format. The robust assay is applicable for the determination of the binding affinity of HTG in the presence of K(+) or Na(+).

Characterization of Ribosomal Binding and Antibacterial Activities Using Two Orthogonal High-Throughput Screens

ABSTRACT We report here the affinity and antibacterial activity of a structurally similar class of neomycin dimers. The affinity of the dimer library for rRNA was established by using a screen that measures the displacement of fluorescein-neomycin (F-neo) probe from RNA. A rapid growth inhibition assay using a single drug concentration was used to examine the antibacterial activity. The structure-activity relationship data were then rapidly analyzed using a two-dimensional ribosomal binding-bacterial inhibition plot analysis.

A pH sensitive high-throughput assay for miRNA binding of a Peptide-Aminoglycoside (PA) library

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small RNAs that have a regulatory role in gene expression. Because of this regulatory role, miRNAs have become a new target for therapeutic compounds. Here, we outline an approach to target specific miRNAs using a high throughput capable assay and a 215 compound peptidic-aminosugar (PA) library. Aminosugars have been shown in a number of recent reports as important lead compounds that bind miRNA. In order to screen for compounds that bind miRNA, we have developed a high throughput displacement assay using a fluorescein-neomycin conjugated molecule (F-neo) as a probe for competitive miRNA binding compounds. We have applied the F-neo assay to four different miRNA constructs and the assay is applicable to most miRNAs, at various stages of processing. The results of the screen were validated by the determination of the IC50 for a select group of compounds from the library. For example, we identified eight compounds that bind to hsa-miR 504 with higher affinity than the parent neomycin. From the F-neo displacement assay we found that the number of binding sites differs for each miRNA, and the binding sites appear to differ both physically and chemically, with different affinity of the compounds resulting from the size of the molecule as well as the chemical structure. Additionally, the affinity of the compounds was dependent on the identity and position of the amino acid position of conjugation and the affinity of the compounds relative to other compounds in the library was miRNA dependent with the introduction of a second amino acid.

Application of Anomalous Diffraction Methods to the Study of DNA and DNA-Complexes

Anomalous scattering is commonly used to solve X-ray structures. As discussed here, anomalous scattering is also useful for characterizing complex systems with mixed and partial occupancies, where true electron density is represented by unresolvable ensemble averages. The solvent environment surrounding nucleic acids is an example of such a system, as are some DNA-ligand systems. The atomic number and wavelength dependencies of anomalous scattering allow one to filter out the electron densities of C, N, and O, and to cleanly visualize the electron densities of heavier atoms. Therefore, anomalous scattering can make beacons of selected atoms. In addition, anomalous scattering provides a model-independent method for determining atomic identities. Here, we describe applications of anomalous scattering to the structure determination of DNA-platinum complexes and in cation associations of free DNA, of DNA-anthracycline complexes, of chemically modified DNA, and of DNA-protein complexes. The utility of Rb(+) and Tl(+) as K(+) substitutes is supported by similarities in Rb(+) and Tl(+) association with DNA.

Probing A-form DNA: A fluorescent aminosugar probe and dual recognition by anthraquinone-neomycin conjugates

Nucleic acids adopt a broad array of hydrogen-bonded structures that enable their diverse roles in the cell; even the familiar DNA double helix displays subtle architectural nuances that are sequence dependent. While there have been many approaches for recognition of B-form nucleic acids, A-form DNA recognition has lagged behind. Here, using a tight binding fluorescein-neomycin (F-neo) conjugate that can probe the electrostatic environment of A-form DNA major groove, we developed a fluorescent displacement assay to be used as a screen for DNA duplex-binding compounds. As opposed to intercalating dyes that can significantly perturb DNA structure, the groove binding F-neo allows the probing of native DNA conformation. In combination with the assay development and probing of DNA grooves, we also report the synthesis and binding of a series of neomycin-anthraquinone conjugates, two units with a known preference for binding GC rich DNA. The assay can be used to identify duplex DNA-binding compounds, as well as probe structural features of a target DNA duplex, and can easily be scaled up for high throughput screening of compound libraries.