TY - INPR A1 - Seitz, Florian A1 - Jungnickel, Tina A1 - Kleiber, Nicole A1 - Kretschmer, Jens A1 - Dietzsch, Julia A1 - Adelmann, Juliane A1 - Bohnsack, Katherine E. A1 - Bohnsack, Markus T. A1 - Höbartner, Claudia T1 - Atomic mutagenesis of N\(^6\)-methyladenosine reveals distinct recognition modes by human m\(^6\)A reader and eraser proteins T2 - Journal of the American Chemical Society N2 - N\(^6\)-methyladenosine (m\(^6\)A) is an important modified nucleoside in cellular RNA associated with multiple cellular processes and is implicated in diseases. The enzymes associated with the dynamic installation and removal of m\(^6\)A are heavily investigated targets for drug research, which requires detailed knowledge of the recognition modes of m\(^6\)A by proteins. Here, we use atomic mutagenesis of m\(^6\)A to systematically investigate the mechanisms of the two human m\(^6\)A demethylase enzymes FTO and ALKBH5 and the binding modes of YTH reader proteins YTHDF2/DC1/DC2. Atomic mutagenesis refers to atom-specific changes that are introduced by chemical synthesis, such as the replacement of nitrogen by carbon atoms. Synthetic RNA oligonucleotides containing site-specifically incorporated 1-deaza-, 3-deaza-, and 7-deaza-m\(^6\)A nucleosides were prepared by solid-phase synthesis and their RNA binding and demethylation by recombinant proteins were evaluated. We found distinct differences in substrate recognition and transformation and revealed structural preferences for the enzymatic activity. The deaza m\(^6\)A analogues introduced in this work will be useful probes for other proteins in m\(^6\)A research. KW - modified nucleosides KW - N6-methyladenosine (m6A) KW - atomic mutagenesis KW - YTH reader proteins KW - demethylase enzymes FTO and ALKBH5 Y1 - 2024 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-352376 ER - TY - THES A1 - Seitz, Florian T1 - Synthesis, enzymatic recognition and antiviral properties of modified purine nucleosides T1 - Synthese, enzymatische Erkennung und antivirale Eigenschaften modifizierter Purin-Nukleoside N2 - Beyond the four canonical nucleosides as primary building blocks of RNA, posttranscriptional modifications give rise to the epitranscriptome as a second layer of genetic information. In eukaryotic mRNA, the most abundant posttranscriptional modification is N6-methyladenosine (m6A), which is involved in the regulation of cellular processes. Throughout this thesis, the concept of atomic mutagenesis was employed to gain novel mechanistic insights into the substrate recognition by human m6A reader proteins as well as in the oxidative m6A demethylation by human demethylase enzymes. Non-natural m6A atomic mutants featuring distinct steric and electronic properties were synthesized and incorporated into RNA oligonucleotides. Fluorescence anisotropy measurements using these modified oligonucleotides revealed the impact of the atomic mutagenesis on the molecular recognition by the human m6A readers YTHDF2, YTHDC1 and YTHDC2 and allowed to draw conclusions about structural prerequisites for substrate recognition. Furthermore, substrate recognition and demethylation mechanism of the human m6A demethylase enzymes FTO and ALKBH5 were analyzed by HPLC-MS and PAGE-based assays using the modified oligonucleotides synthesized in this work. Modified nucleosides not only expand the genetic alphabet, but are also extensively researched as drug candidates. In this thesis, the antiviral mechanism of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug remdesivir was investigated, which causes delayed stalling of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Novel remdesivir phosphoramidite building blocks were synthesized and used to construct defined RNA-RdRp complexes for subsequent studies by cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM). It was found that the 1'-cyano substituent causes Rem to act as a steric barrier of RdRp translocation. Since this translocation barrier can eventually be overcome by the polymerase, novel derivatives of Rem with potentially improved antiviral properties were designed. N2 - Über die vier kanonischen Nukleoside als primäre RNA-Bausteine hinausgehend bauen posttranskriptionelle Modifikationen eine zweite Informationsebene, das Epitranskriptom, auf. Die häufigste posttranskriptionelle Modifikation in eukaryotischer mRNA ist N6-Methyladenosin (m6A), welches in die Regulierung zellulärer Prozesse involviert ist. In dieser Arbeit wurde das Konzept der atomaren Mutagenese genutzt, um neue Einblicke in die Erkennung von m6A durch menschliche m6A-bindende Proteine sowie in die oxidative Demethylierung von m6A durch menschliche Demethylase-Enzyme zu gewinnen. Es wurden nicht natürlich vorkommende m6A Atommutanten mit unterschiedlichen elektronischen und sterischen Eigenschaften synthetisiert und in RNA-Oligonukleotide eingebaut. Durch Fluoreszenzanisotropie-Messungen mit diesen Oligonukleotiden wurde der Einfluss der Atommutagenese auf die molekulare Erkennung durch die menschlichen m6A-bindenden Proteine YTHDF2, YTHDC1 und YTHDC2 untersucht. Die erhaltenen Ergebnisse ließen Rückschlüsse auf die strukturellen Voraussetzungen für die Erkennung eines Substrates zu. Weiterhin wurden die in dieser Arbeit synthetisierten modifizierten Oligonukleotide zur Untersuchung von Substraterkennung und Demethylierungs-Mechanismus der menschlichen m6A-Demethylasen FTO und ALKBH5 mittels HPLC-MS- und PAGE-basierter Analysen verwendet. Modifizierte Nukleoside dienen nicht nur zur Erweiterung des genetischen Alphabets, sondern werden auch als potentielle Wirkstoff-Kandidaten erforscht. In dieser Arbeit wurde der antivirale Wirkmechanismus des Anti-SARS-CoV-2-Wirkstoffes Remdesivir untersucht, der eine verzögerte Blockade der viralen RNA-abhängigen RNA-Polymerase (RdRp) bewirkt. Neuartige Remdesivir Phosphoramidit-Bausteine wurden synthetisiert und genutzt, um RNA-RdRp-Komplexe mit definierter Struktur zu konstruieren, welche anschließend mittels Cryoelektronenmikroskopie (Cryo-EM) untersucht wurden. Es wurde herausgefunden, dass der 1'-Cyano-Substituent dazu führt, dass Rem als sterische Blockade der RdRp-Translokation agiert. Da diese Tranlokationsbarriere von der Polymerase überwunden werden kann, wurden neuartige Rem-Derivate mit potentiell verbesserten antiviralen Eigenschaften entworfen. KW - Nucleinsäuren KW - Nucleoside KW - Demethylierung KW - COVID-19 KW - SARS-CoV-2 KW - Demethylase KW - Epitranskriptom Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-313238 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Okuda, Takumi A1 - Lenz, Ann-Kathrin A1 - Seitz, Florian A1 - Vogel, Jörg A1 - Höbartner, Claudia T1 - A SAM analogue-utilizing ribozyme for site-specific RNA alkylation in living cells JF - Nature Chemistry N2 - Post-transcriptional RNA modification methods are in high demand for site-specific RNA labelling and analysis of RNA functions. In vitro-selected ribozymes are attractive tools for RNA research and have the potential to overcome some of the limitations of chemoenzymatic approaches with repurposed methyltransferases. Here we report an alkyltransferase ribozyme that uses a synthetic, stabilized S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) analogue and catalyses the transfer of a propargyl group to a specific adenosine in the target RNA. Almost quantitative conversion was achieved within 1 h under a wide range of reaction conditions in vitro, including physiological magnesium ion concentrations. A genetically encoded version of the SAM analogue-utilizing ribozyme (SAMURI) was expressed in HEK293T cells, and intracellular propargylation of the target adenosine was confirmed by specific fluorescent labelling. SAMURI is a general tool for the site-specific installation of the smallest tag for azide-alkyne click chemistry, which can be further functionalized with fluorophores, affinity tags or other functional probes. KW - Alkyltransferase Ribozyme SAMURI KW - Site-specific RNA labelling KW - bioorthogonal SAM analogue ProSeDMA KW - Chemical modification KW - RNA Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-328762 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kokic, Goran A1 - Hillen, Hauke S. A1 - Tegunov, Dimitry A1 - Dienermann, Christian A1 - Seitz, Florian A1 - Schmitzova, Jana A1 - Farnung, Lucas A1 - Siewert, Aaron A1 - Höbartner, Claudia A1 - Cramer, Patrick T1 - Mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 polymerase stalling by remdesivir JF - Nature Communications N2 - Remdesivir is the only FDA-approved drug for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. The active form of remdesivir acts as a nucleoside analog and inhibits the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2. Remdesivir is incorporated by the RdRp into the growing RNA product and allows for addition of three more nucleotides before RNA synthesis stalls. Here we use synthetic RNA chemistry, biochemistry and cryoelectron microscopy to establish the molecular mechanism of remdesivir-induced RdRp stalling. We show that addition of the fourth nucleotide following remdesivir incorporation into the RNA product is impaired by a barrier to further RNA translocation. This translocation barrier causes retention of the RNA 3ʹ-nucleotide in the substrate-binding site of the RdRp and interferes with entry of the next nucleoside triphosphate, thereby stalling RdRp. In the structure of the remdesivir-stalled state, the 3ʹ-nucleotide of the RNA product is matched and located with the template base in the active center, and this may impair proofreading by the viral 3ʹ-exonuclease. These mechanistic insights should facilitate the quest for improved antivirals that target coronavirus replication. KW - SARS-CoV-2 polymerase KW - Remdesivir KW - RNA-dependent RNA polymerase KW - Molecular mechanism KW - Biochemistry KW - Cryoelectron microscopy KW - RNA Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-220979 VL - 12 ER -