Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.119, No.29, 6722-6730, 1997
Molecular-Dynamics Simulations Find That 3’ Phosphoramidate Modified DNA Duplexes Undergo a B-Transition to A-Transition and Normal DNA Duplexes an A-Transition to B-Transition
We present unrestrained molecular dynamics studies on a deoxyribose dodecamer duplex d(CGCGAAT-TCGCG)(2) and its phosphoramidate (replacing O3’ by NH) analog using particle mesh Ewald electrostatics(1) and the Cornell et al. forte field.(2) The simulations were carried out beginning in both canonical A and B forms, which differ in RMS position by similar to 6.5 Angstrom. These simulations, which were carried out for similar to 1-1.5 ns, are consistent with experiment in that the unmodified dodecamer, whether started in A or B DNA, converges to a B structure which is closer to the observed X-ray structure (9bna) than canonical B. On the other hand, the phosphoramidate modified duplex, whether starred in A or B forms, converges to an A form. In this duplex, however, the structure from the simulation begun in the Ii form has a dependence on the initial location of the N-H hydrogen. In one of our simulations, we find base pair opening and closing at the end of the duplex. Specifically, in the simulation of d(CGCGAATTCGCG)(2) begun in the A form, base pair opening of the terminal G-C base pair occurs at 400 ps, and then the bases remain unpaired for 700 ps before reclosing.