Circular dichroism (CD) is remarkably sensitive to the conformational states of nucleic acids; therefore, CD spectroscopy has been used to study most features of DNA and RNA structures. Quadruplexes are among the significant noncanonical nucleic acids architectures that have received special attentions recently. This article presents examples on the contribution of CD spectroscopy to our knowledge of quadruplex structures and their polymorphism. The examples were selected to demonstrate the potential of this simple method in the quadruplex field. As CD spectroscopy detects only the global feature of a macromolecule, it should preferably be used in combination with other techniques. On the other hand, CD spectroscopy, often as a pioneering approach, can reveal the formation of particular structural arrangements, to search for the conditions stabilizing the structures, to follow the transitions between various structural states, to explore kinetics of their appearance, to determine thermodynamic parameters and also detect formation of higher order structures. This article aims to show that CD spectroscopy is an important complementary technique to NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction in quadruplex studies.

• MeSH
• cirkulární dichroismus metody   MeSH
• difrakce rentgenového záření MeSH
• DNA chemie   MeSH
• G-kvadruplexy * MeSH
• guanin chemie   MeSH
• kinetika MeSH
• konformace nukleové kyseliny * MeSH
• oligonukleotidy chemie   MeSH
• termodynamika MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

The locations of three bilirubin (BR)-binding sites with different affinities were identified as subdomains IB, IIA and IIIA for five mammalian serum albumins (SAs): human (HSA), bovine (BSA), rat, (RSA), rabbit (RbSA) and sheep (SSA). The stereoselectivity of a high-affinity BR-binding site was identified in the BR/SA=1/1 system by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, the sites with low affinity to BR were analyzed using difference CD. Site-specific ligand-competition experiments with ibuprofen (marker for subdomain IIIA) and hemin (marker for subdomain IB) did not reveal any changes for the BR/SA=1/1 system and showed a decrease of the bound BR at BR/SA=3/1. Both sites were identified as sites with low affinity to BR. The correlation between stereoselectivity and the arrangement of Arg-Lys residues indicated similarity between the BR-binding sites in subdomain IIIA for all of the SAs studied. Subdomain IB in HSA, BSA, SSA and RbSA has P-stereoselectivity while in RSA it has M-selectivity toward BR. A ligand-competition experiment with gossypol shows a decrease of the CD signal of bound BR for the BR/SA=1/1 system as well as for BR/SA=3/1. Subdomain IIA was assigned as a high-affinity BR-binding site. The P-stereoselectivity of this site in HSA (and RSA, RbSA) was caused by the right-hand localization of charged residues R257/R218-R222, whereas the left-hand orientation of R257/R218-R199 led to the M-stereoselectivity of the primary binding site in BSA (and SSA).

• MeSH
• aminokyselinové motivy MeSH
• bilirubin chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• cirkulární dichroismus MeSH
• hemin chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• ibuprofen chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• králíci MeSH
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• ligandy * MeSH
• molekulární konformace MeSH
• ovce MeSH
• sérový albumin chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• simulace molekulového dockingu MeSH
• skot MeSH
• terciární struktura proteinů MeSH
• vazba proteinů MeSH
• vazebná místa MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• králíci MeSH
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• skot MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Circular Dichroic (CD) spectroscopy is one of the most frequently used methods for guanine quadruplex studies and in general for studies of conformational properties of nucleic acids. The reason is its high sensitivity to even slight changes in mutual orientation of absorbing bases of DNA. CD can reveal formation of particular structural DNA arrangements and can be used to search for the conditions stabilizing the structures, to follow the transitions between various structural states, to explore kinetics of their appearance, to determine thermodynamic parameters, and also to detect formation of higher order structures. CD spectroscopy is an important complementary technique to NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction in quadruplex studies due to its sensitivity, easy manipulation of studied samples, and relative inexpensiveness. In this part, we present the protocol for the use of CD spectroscopy in the study of guanine quadruplexes, together with practical advice and cautions about various, particularly interpretation, difficulties.

• MeSH
• cirkulární dichroismus MeSH
• difrakce rentgenového záření MeSH
• DNA chemie   MeSH
• G-kvadruplexy * MeSH
• konformace nukleové kyseliny MeSH
• magnetická rezonanční spektroskopie MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Combination of viscometry and CD spectrometry made it possible to suggest the existence of a new conformational state of cytochrome c at high temperatures and ionic strengths. The molten globule state of cytochrome c was found at acidic pH in the presence of high concentrations of a salt at 20 °C. A low-cooperative conformational change of the cytochrome c to the unfolded state was observed with increasing temperature. Viscometry is a suitable tool for studies of similar processes in biomacromolecules.

• MeSH
• cirkulární dichroismus * metody   přístrojové vybavení   využití   MeSH
• cytochromy c * analýza   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• konformace proteinů * MeSH
• proteiny chemie   MeSH
• spektrální analýza metody   přístrojové vybavení   využití   MeSH
• viskozita * MeSH

Chiroptical methods are widely used in structural and conformational analyses of biopolymers. The application of these methods to investigations of biofluids would provide new avenues for the molecular diagnosis of protein-misfolding diseases. In this work, samples of human blood plasma and hen egg white were analyzed using a combination of conventional and chiroptical methods: ultraviolet absorption/electronic circular dichroism (UV/ECD), Fourier transform infrared absorption/vibrational circular dichroism (FTIR/VCD), and Raman scattering/Raman optical activity (Raman/ROA). For comparison, the main components of these substances--human serum albumin (HSA) and ovalbumin (Ova)--were also analyzed by these methods. The ultraviolet region of the ECD spectrum was analyzed using the CDNN CD software package to evaluate the secondary structures of the proteins. The UV/ECD, FTIR/VCD, and Raman/ROA spectra of the substances were quite similar to those of the corresponding major proteins, while some differences were also detected and explained. The conclusions drawn from the FTIR/VCD and Raman/ROA data were in good agreement with the secondary structures calculated from ECD. The results obtained in this work demonstrate that the chiroptical methods used here can be applied to analyze not only pure protein solutions but also more complex systems, such as biological fluids.

• MeSH
• aminokyseliny chemie   MeSH
• cirkulární dichroismus metody   MeSH
• krevní proteiny analýza   chemie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• Ramanova spektroskopie metody   MeSH
• sekundární struktura proteinů * MeSH
• sérový albumin analýza   MeSH
• software MeSH
• spektrofotometrie ultrafialová metody   MeSH
• spektroskopie infračervená s Fourierovou transformací metody   MeSH
• stereoizomerie MeSH
• vaječný bílek analýza   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

BACKGROUND: Aggregation of the neuronal protein α-synuclein into amyloid fibrils is a hallmark of Parkinson's disease. The propensity of α-synuclein to aggregate increases with the protein concentration. For the development of efficient inhibitors of α-synuclein aggregation, it is important to know the critical concentration of aggregation (the concentration of monomeric protein, below which the protein does not aggregate). METHODS: We performed in vitro aggregation studies of α-synuclein at low concentrations (0.11-20 μM). Aggregation kinetics was measured by ThT fluorescence. Obtained aggregates were characterized using CD-spectroscopy, fluorescent spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and AFM imaging. RESULTS: Monomeric α-synuclein at concentrations 0.45 μM and above was able to bind to fibril ends resulting in fibril growth. At the protein concentrations below 0.4 μM, monomers did not fibrillize, and fibrils disaggregated. In the absence of seeds, fibrils were formed only at monomer concentrations higher than 10 μM. At low micromolar concentrations, we observed formation of prefibrillar amyloid aggregates, which are able to induce fibril formation in α-synuclein solutions of high concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: The critical concentration of α-synuclein fibril growth is ~0.4 μM. Prefibrillar amyloid aggregates appear at concentrations between 0.45 and 3 μM and are an intermediate state between monomers and fibrils. Although morphologically different from fibrils, prefibrillar aggregates have similar properties to those of fibrils. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: We determined the critical concentration of α-synuclein fibril growth. We showed that fibrils can grow at much lower monomer concentrations than that required for de novo fibril formation. We characterized a prefibrillar intermediate species formed upon aggregation of α-synuclein at low micromolar concentration.

• MeSH
• alfa-synuklein chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• amyloid chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• cirkulární dichroismus MeSH
• fluorescenční spektrometrie MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• proteinové agregáty * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

BACKGROUND: Natural bioproducts are invaluable resources in drug discovery. Isoquinoline alkaloids of Chelidonium majus constitute a structurally diverse family of natural products that are of great interest, one of them being their selectivity for human telomeric G-quadruplex structure and telomerase inhibition. METHODS: The study focuses on the mechanism of telomerase inhibition by stabilization of telomeric G-quadruplex structures by berberine, chelerythrine, chelidonine, sanguinarine and papaverine. Telomerase activity and mRNA levels of hTERT were estimated using quantitative telomere repeat amplification protocol (q-TRAP) and qPCR, in MCF-7 cells treated with different groups of alkaloids. The selectivity of the main isoquinoline alkaloids of Chelidonium majus towards telomeric G-quadruplex forming sequences were explored using a sensitive modified thermal FRET-melting measurement in the presence of the complementary oligonucleotide CT22. We assessed and monitored G-quadruplex topologies using circular dichroism (CD) methods, and compared spectra to previously well-characterized motifs, either alone or in the presence of the alkaloids. Molecular modeling was performed to rationalize ligand binding to the G-quadruplex structure. RESULTS: The results highlight strong inhibitory effects of chelerythrine, sanguinarine and berberine on telomerase activity, most likely through substrate sequestration. These isoquinoline alkaloids interacted strongly with telomeric sequence G-quadruplex. In comparison, chelidonine and papaverine had no significant interaction with the telomeric quadruplex, while they strongly inhibited telomerase at transcription level of hTERT. Altogether, all of the studied alkaloids showed various levels and mechanisms of telomerase inhibition. CONCLUSIONS: We report on a comparative study of anti-telomerase activity of the isoquinoline alkaloids of Chelidonium majus. Chelerythrine was most effective in inhibiting telomerase activity by substrate sequesteration through G-quadruplex stabilization. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Understanding structural and molecular mechanisms of anti-cancer agents can help in developing new and more potent drugs with fewer side effects. Isoquinolines are the most biologically active agents from Chelidonium majus, which have shown to be telomeric G-quadruplex stabilizers and potent telomerase inhibitors.

• MeSH
• alkaloidy farmakologie   MeSH
• benzofenantridiny farmakologie   MeSH
• Chelidonium chemie   MeSH
• cirkulární dichroismus MeSH
• G-kvadruplexy * MeSH
• isochinoliny farmakologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• MFC-7 buňky MeSH
• molekulární modely MeSH
• rezonanční přenos fluorescenční energie metody   MeSH
• telomerasa antagonisté a inhibitory   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

The structure of the active site in a metalloenzyme can be a key determinant of its metal ion binding affinity and catalytic activity. In this study, the conformational features of the Zn(2+)-binding HNH motif were investigated by CD-spectroscopy in combination with isothermal microcalorimetric titrations. Various point mutations, including T454A, K458A and W464A, were introduced into the N-terminal loop of the nuclease domain of colicin E7 (NColE7). We show that the folding of the proteins was severely disturbed by the mutation of the tryptophan residue. This points to the importance of W464, being a part of the hydrophobic core located close to the HNH-motif. ITC demonstrated that the Zn(2+)-binding of the mutants including the W464 site became weak, and according to CD-spectroscopic measurements the addition of the metal ion itself cannot fully recover the functional structure. Titrations with Zn(2+)-ion in the presence and absence of the Im7 protein proved that the structural changes in the unfolded mutant included the HNH-motif itself. The metal-binding of the NColE7 mutants could be, however, fully rescued by the complexation of Im7. This suggests that the formation of a preorganized metal-binding site--existing in the wild-type enzyme but not in the W464 mutants--was induced by Im7. The low nuclease activity of all W464A mutants, however, implies that the interactions of this tryptophan residue are required for precise location of the catalytic residues, i.e. for stabilization of the fine-structure and of the tertiary structure. Our results contribute to the understanding of the metal binding site preorganization.

• MeSH
• aminokyselinové motivy MeSH
• cirkulární dichroismus MeSH
• elektroforéza v agarovém gelu MeSH
• endonukleasy chemie   MeSH
• hydrofobní a hydrofilní interakce MeSH
• kalorimetrie MeSH
• molekulární modely MeSH
• roztoky chemie   MeSH
• terciární struktura proteinů MeSH
• vazebná místa MeSH
• zinek chemie   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: The DNA lesions, resulting from oxidative damage, were shown to destabilize human telomere four-repeat quadruplex and to alter its structure. Long telomere DNA, as a repetitive sequence, offers, however, other mechanisms of dealing with the lesion: extrusion of the damaged repeat into loop or shifting the quadruplex position by one repeat. METHODS: Using circular dichroism and UV absorption spectroscopy and polyacrylamide electrophoresis, we studied consequences of lesions at different positions of the model five-repeat human telomere DNA sequences on the structure and stability of their quadruplexes in sodium and in potassium. RESULTS: The repeats affected by lesion are preferentially positioned as terminal overhangs of the core quadruplex structurally similar to the four-repeat one. Forced affecting of the inner repeats leads to presence of variety of more parallel folds in potassium. In sodium the designed models form mixture of two dominant antiparallel quadruplexes whose population varies with the position of the affected repeat. The shapes of quadruplex CD spectra, namely the height of dominant peaks, significantly correlate with melting temperatures. CONCLUSION: Lesion in one guanine tract of a more than four repeats long human telomere DNA sequence may cause re-positioning of its quadruplex arrangement associated with a shift of the structure to less common quadruplex conformations. The type of the quadruplex depends on the loop position and external conditions. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: The telomere DNA quadruplexes are quite resistant to the effect of point mutations due to the telomere DNA repetitive nature, although their structure and, consequently, function might be altered.

• MeSH
• blízká infračervená spektroskopie MeSH
• bodová mutace MeSH
• cirkulární dichroismus MeSH
• G-kvadruplexy účinky léků   MeSH
• guanin chemie   MeSH
• konformace nukleové kyseliny účinky léků   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• oxidační stres genetika   MeSH
• repetitivní sekvence nukleových kyselin genetika   MeSH
• sodík toxicita   MeSH
• telomery chemie   účinky léků   genetika   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

The bilirubin (BR) photo-conversion in the human body is a protein-dependent process; an effective photo-isomerization of the potentially neurotoxic Z,Z-BR as well as its oxidation to biliverdin in the antioxidant redox cycle is possible only when BR is bound on serum albumin. We present a novel analytical concept in the study of linear tetrapyrroles metabolic processes based on an in-depth mapping of binding sites in the structure of human serum albumin (HSA). A combination of fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and molecular modeling methods was used for recognition of the binding site for BR, its derivatives (mesobilirubin and bilirubin ditaurate), and the products of the photo-isomerization and oxidation (lumirubin, biliverdin, and xanthobilirubic acid) on HSA. The CD spectra and fluorescent quenching of the Trp-HSA were used to calculate the binding constants. The results of the CD displacement experiments performed with hemin were interpreted together with the findings of molecular docking performed on the pigment-HSA complexes. We estimated that Z,Z-BR and its metabolic products bind on two independent binding sites. Our findings support the existence of a reversible antioxidant redox cycle for BR and explain an additional pathway of the photo-isomerization process (increase of HSA binding capacity; the excess free [unbound] BR can be converted and also bound to HSA).

• MeSH
• bilirubin analogy a deriváty   chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• biliverdin analogy a deriváty   chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• cirkulární dichroismus MeSH
• fluorescenční spektrometrie MeSH
• fotochemické procesy * MeSH
• kompetitivní vazba MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• ligandy MeSH
• molekulární konformace MeSH
• molekulární modely * MeSH
• oxidace-redukce MeSH
• sérový albumin chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• simulace molekulového dockingu MeSH
• stereoizomerie MeSH
• taurin analogy a deriváty   chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• tryptofan chemie   MeSH
• vazebná místa MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH