Keriann Oertell

Synthesis and biological evaluation of fluorinated deoxynucleotide analogs based on bis-(difluoromethylene)triphosphoric acid

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of nucleoside triphosphates in cellular chemistry: They are the building blocks for DNA and RNA and important sources of energy. Modifications of biologically important organic molecules with fluorine are of great interest to chemists and biologists because the size and electronegativity of the fluorine atom can be used to make defined structural alterations to biologically important molecules. Although the concept of nonhydrolyzable nucleotides has been around for some time, the progress in the area of modified triphosphates was limited by the lack of synthetic methods allowing to access bisCF2-substituted nucleotide analogs—one of the most interesting classes of nonhydrolyzable nucleotides. These compounds have “correct” polarity and the smallest possible steric perturbation compared to natural nucleotides. No other known nucleotides have these advantages, making bisCF2-substituted analogs unique. Herein, we report a concise route for the preparation of hitherto unknown highly acidic and polybasic bis(difluoromethylene)triphosphoric acid 1 using a phosphorous(III)/phosphorous(V) interconversion approach. The analog 1 compared to triphosphoric acid is enzymatically nonhydrolyzable due to substitution of two bridging oxygen atoms with CF2 groups, maintaining minimal perturbations in steric bulkiness and overall polarity of the triphosphate polyanion. The fluorinated triphosphoric acid 1 was used for the preparation of the corresponding fluorinated deoxynucleotides (dNTPs). One of these dNTP analogs (dT) was demonstrated to fit into DNA polymerase beta (DNA pol β) binding pocket by obtaining a 2.5 Å resolution crystal structure of a ternary complex with the enzyme. Unexpected dominating effect of triphosphate/Mg2+ interaction over Watson–Crick hydrogen bonding was found and discussed.

Transition state in DNA polymerase β catalysis: rate-limiting chemistry altered by base-pair configuration.

Kinetics studies of dNTP analogues having pyrophosphate-mimicking β,γ-pCXYp leaving groups with variable X and Y substitution reveal striking differences in the chemical transition-state energy for DNA polymerase β that depend on all aspects of base-pairing configurations, including whether the incoming dNTP is a purine or pyrimidine and if base-pairings are right (T•A and G•C) or wrong (T•G and G•T). Brønsted plots of the catalytic rate constant (log(kpol)) versus pKa4 for the leaving group exhibit linear free energy relationships (LFERs) with negative slopes ranging from −0.6 to −2.0, consistent with chemical rate-determining transition-states in which the active-site adjusts to charge-stabilization demand during chemistry depending on base-pair configuration. The Brønsted slopes as well as the intercepts differ dramatically and provide the first direct evidence that dNTP base recognition by the enzyme–primer–template complex triggers a conformational change in the catalytic region of the active-site that significantly modifies the rate-determining chemical step.

Effect of β,γ-CHF- and β,γ-CHCl-dGTP halogen atom stereochemistry on the transition state of DNA polymerase β.

Recently, we synthesized the first individual β,γ-CHX-dGTP diastereomers [(R)- or (S)-CHX, where X is F or Cl] and determined their structures in ternary complexes with DNA polymerase β (pol β). We now report stereospecificity by pol β on the mixed β,γ-CHX diastereomer pairs using nuclear magnetic resonance and on the separate diastereomers using transient kinetics. For both the F and Cl diastereomers, the R isomer is favored over the S isomer for G·C correct incorporation, with stereospecificities [(k(pol)/K(d))(R)/(k(pol)/K(d))(S)] of 3.8 and 6.3, respectively, and also for G·T misincorporation, with stereospecificities of 11 and 7.8, respectively. Stereopreference for the (R)-CHF-dGTP diastereomer was abolished for k(pol) but not K(d) with mutant pol β (R183A). These compounds constitute a new class of stereochemical probes for active site interactions involving halogen atoms. As Arg183 is unique in family X pols, the design of CXY deoxyribonucleotide analogues to enhance interaction is a possible strategy for inhibiting BER selectively in cancer cells.

Kinetic selection vs. free energy of DNA base pairing in control of polymerase fidelity.

Significance We address a fundamental biological issue: the source of free energy enabling high-fidelity DNA replication. DNA polymerase errors occur at about 1 per 1,000–10,000 bp, indicating “right” vs. “wrong” free energy differences ΔΔGinc = 3–5 kcal/mol. A recent paper using high inorganic pyrophosphate concentrations to “equilibrate” right and wrong forward and reverse incorporation reactions concluded that base pairing in DNA alone is sufficient to account for polymerase fidelity. By performing an explicit analysis of forward and reverse reactions, we show that steady-state pol incorporation levels are far from equilibrium for wrong incorporations, so that polymerase fidelity cannot depend solely on intrinsic DNA properties. DNA polymerases must operate under kinetic control to achieve high fidelity. What is the free energy source enabling high-fidelity DNA polymerases (pols) to favor incorporation of correct over incorrect base pairs by 103- to 104-fold, corresponding to free energy differences of ΔΔGinc ∼ 5.5–7 kcal/mol? Standard ΔΔG° values (∼0.3 kcal/mol) calculated from melting temperature measurements comparing matched vs. mismatched base pairs at duplex DNA termini are far too low to explain pol accuracy. Earlier analyses suggested that pol active-site steric constraints can amplify DNA free energy differences at the transition state (kinetic selection). A recent paper [Olson et al. (2013) J Am Chem Soc 135:1205–1208] used Vent pol to catalyze incorporations in the presence of inorganic pyrophosphate intended to equilibrate forward (polymerization) and backward (pyrophosphorolysis) reactions. A steady-state leveling off of incorporation profiles at long reaction times was interpreted as reaching equilibrium between polymerization and pyrophosphorolysis, yielding apparent ΔG° = −RT ln Keq, indicating ΔΔG° of 3.5–7 kcal/mol, sufficient to account for pol accuracy without need of kinetic selection. Here we perform experiments to measure and account for pyrophosphorolysis explicitly. We show that forward and reverse reactions attain steady states far from equilibrium for wrong incorporations such as G opposite T. Therefore, ΔΔGinc° values obtained from such steady-state evaluations of Keq are not dependent on DNA properties alone, but depend largely on constraints imposed on right and wrong substrates in the polymerase active site.

Probing DNA Base-Dependent Leaving Group Kinetic Effects on the DNA Polymerase Transition State

We examine the DNA polymerase β (pol β) transition state (TS) from a leaving group pre-steady-state kinetics perspective by measuring the rate of incorporation of dNTPs and corresponding novel β,γ-CXY-dNTP analogues, including individual β,γ-CHF and -CHCl diastereomers with defined stereochemistry at the bridging carbon, during the formation of right (R) and wrong (W) base pairs. Brønsted plots of log kpol versus p Ka4 of the leaving group bisphosphonic acids are used to interrogate the effects of the base identity, the dNTP analogue leaving group basicity, and the precise configuration of the C-X atom in R and S stereoisomers on the rate-determining step ( kpol). The dNTP analogues provide a range of leaving group basicity and steric properties by virtue of monohalogen, dihalogen, or methyl substitution at the carbon atom bridging the β,γ-bisphosphonate that mimics the natural pyrophosphate leaving group in dNTPs. Brønsted plot relationships with negative slopes are revealed by the data, as was found for the dGTP and dTTP analogues, consistent with a bond-breaking component to the TS energy. However, greater multiplicity was shown in the linear free energy relationship, revealing an unexpected dependence on the nucleotide base for both A and C. Strong base-dependent perturbations that modulate TS relative to ground-state energies are likely to arise from electrostatic effects on catalysis in the pol active site. Deviations from a uniform linear Brønsted plot relationship are discussed in terms of insights gained from structural features of the prechemistry DNA polymerase active site.