Greg P. Brewood

DNA multiplex hybridization on microarrays and thermodynamic stability in solution: a direct comparison

Hybridization intensities of 30 distinct short duplex DNAs measured on spotted microarrays, were directly compared with thermodynamic stabilities measured in solution. DNA sequences were designed to promote formation of perfect match, or hybrid duplexes containing tandem mismatches. Thermodynamic parameters ΔH°, ΔS° and ΔG° of melting transitions in solution were evaluated directly using differential scanning calorimetry. Quantitative comparison with results from 63 multiplex microarray hybridization experiments provided a linear relationship for perfect match and most mismatch duplexes. Examination of outliers suggests that both duplex length and relative position of tandem mismatches could be important factors contributing to observed deviations from linearity. A detailed comparison of measured thermodynamic parameters with those calculated using the nearest-neighbor model was performed. Analysis revealed the nearest-neighbor model generally predicts mismatch duplexes to be less stable than experimentally observed. Results also show the relative stability of a tandem mismatch is highly dependent on the identity of the flanking Watson–Crick (w/c) base pairs. Thus, specifying the stability contribution of a tandem mismatch requires consideration of the sequence identity of at least four base pair units (tandem mismatch and flanking w/c base pairs). These observations underscore the need for rigorous evaluation of thermodynamic parameters describing tandem mismatch stability.

Electrical detection of the temperature induced melting transition of a DNA hairpin covalently attached to gold interdigitated microelectrodes

The temperature induced melting transition of a self-complementary DNA strand covalently attached at the 5′ end to the surface of a gold interdigitated microelectrode (GIME) was monitored in a novel, label-free, manner. The structural state of the hairpin was assessed by measuring four different electronic properties of the GIME (capacitance, impedance, dissipation factor and phase angle) as a function of temperature from 25°C to 80°C. Consistent changes in all four electronic properties of the GIME were observed over this temperature range, and attributed to the transition of the attached single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) from an intramolecular, folded hairpin structure to a melted ssDNA. The melting curve of the self-complementary single strand was also measured in solution using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and UV absorbance spectroscopy. Temperature dependent electronic measurements on the surface and absorbance versus temperature values measured in solution experiments were analyzed assuming a two-state process. The model analysis provided estimates of the thermodynamic transition parameters of the hairpin on the surface. Two-state analyses of optical melting data and DSC measurements provided evaluations of the thermodynamic transition parameters of the hairpin in solution. Comparison of surface and solution measurements provided quantitative evaluation of the effect of the surface on the thermodynamics of the melting transition of the DNA hairpin.

A structural transition in duplex DNA induced by ethylene glycol.

The twist energy parameter ( E T) that governs the supercoiling free energy, and the linking difference (Delta l) are measured for p30delta DNA in solutions containing 0-40 w/v % ethylene glycol (EG). A plot of E T vs -ln a w, where a w is the water activity, displays the full (reverse) sigmoidal profile of a discrete structural transition. A general theory for the effect of added osmolyte on a cooperative structural transition between two duplex states, 1 right arrow over left arrow 2, is formulated in terms of parameters applicable to individual base-pair subunits. The resulting fraction of base pairs in the 2-state ( f 2 (0)) is incorporated into expressions for the effective torsion and bending elastic constants, the effective twist energy parameter ( E T (eff)), and the change in intrinsic twist (delta l 0). Fitting the expression for E T (eff) to the measured E T values yields reasonably unambiguous estimates of E T 1 and E T 2 , the midpoint value (ln a w) 1/2, and the midpoint slope ( partial differential E T/ partial differential ln a w) 1/2, but does not yield unambiguous estimates of the equilibrium constant ( K 0), the difference in DNA-water preferential interaction coefficient (DeltaGamma), or the inverse cooperativity parameter ( J). Fitting a noncooperative model (assumed J = 1.0) to the data yields K 0 = 0.067 and DeltaGamma = -30.0 per base pair (bp). Essentially equivalent fits are provided by models with a wide range of correlated J, DeltaGamma, and K 0 values. Other results favor DeltaGamma in the range -1.0 to 0, which then requires K 0 > or = 0.914, and a cooperativity parameter, 1/ J > or = 30.0 bp. The measured delta l 0 and circular dichroism (CD) at 272 nm are found to be compatible with curves predicted using the same f 2 (0) values that best-fit the E T data. At least 7-10% of the base pairs are inferred to exist in the 2-state in 0.1 M NaCl in the complete absence of added osmolyte. Compared with the 1-state, the 2-state has a approximately 2.0- to 2.1-fold greater torsion elastic constant, a approximately 0.70-fold smaller bending elastic constant, a approximately 0.91-fold smaller E T value, a approximately 0.2% lower intrinsic twist, a somewhat lower CD near both 272 and 245 nm, and less water and/or more EG in its neighborhood. However, the relative change in preferential interaction coefficient associated with the transition is likely rather slight.

Calf-Thymus Topoisomerase I Equilibrates Metastable Secondary Structure Subsequent to Relaxation of Superhelical Stress

After relaxation of superhelical stress by various methods not involving topoisomerases, a long-lived metastable secondary structure with an anomalously low torsion elastic constant commonly prevails. The aim here is to ascertain whether such metastable secondary structure also results from the action of calf-thymus topoisomerase I (CT Topo I) on a native supercoiled DNA and, if so, whether the enzyme catalyzes its subsequent equilibration. The action of CT Topo I on supercoiled p30delta DNA was examined over a range of times from 10 min to 6 h. We verify that the enzyme operates in an almost completely processive manner, and at each time point determine the twist energy parameter, E(T), that governs the supercoiling free energy. E(T) is initially low, 533 +/- 60, and remains essentially constant up to at least 360 min, when no further CT Topo I is added. The activity of the rather dilute enzyme dies within approximately 60 min. During the 60 min after a second addition of fresh enzyme at either 60 or 120 min, E(T) rises up to a plateau at approximately 1100, which lies within the consensus equilibrium range, 1000 +/- 100. Over that same time period, the average peak spacing between the gel bands (corresponding to individual topoisomers) decreases somewhat with increasing time of exposure to active CT Topo I. After a third addition of fresh CT Topo I at 240 min, there is no further change in either E(T) or the average gel spacing. These and other observations indicate that active CT Topo I catalyzes the equilibration of a metastable secondary structure with abnormally low torsion and bending elastic constants that prevails after the initial release of superhelical stress. An observed temporal lag of this structural equilibration behind the relaxation of native superhelical DNAs suggests that it may require cleavage and religation events at multiple sites on the DNA. A novel analysis of the unwinding kinetics using literature data accounts for the almost complete processivity of the enzyme. The action of CT Topo I was also examined in the presence of 20 and 40 w/v% ethylene glycol (EG), which shift a secondary structure equilibrium toward an alternative state with altered torsion and bending elastic constants. The present results suggest that the usual metastable state coexists with the EG-induced state, and is equilibrated more rapidly than in the absence of EG.