Spontaneous vs. induced mutations in DNA: a QMMM approach

José Pedro Cerón et Denis Jacquemin
CEISAM, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.
jose.ceron@univ-nantes.fr
Lundi 6 Mai 2013, 11h00
bibliothèque LCT, tour 12 - 13, 4e étage

The investigation of the tautomeric equilibria in guanine-cytosine base pairs is crucial to understand DNA's mutations [1]. In these tautomeric equilibria the bases pairs exchange one or more proton(s) through proton transfer (PT) reactions, which eventually lead to a so-called rate tautomeric forms. In this talk I will review our work on the study of the PT mechanisms in both undamaged and altered DNA, with a focus on the influence of π-stacking and solvent effects that have been appraised by combining ONIOM calculations [2] to a hydrated doubled stranded DNA fragment [3] (Figure 1). I will discuss how external agents, e.g. metals and ionizing radiation [4], drastically alters these tautomeric equilibria and consequently the DNA's stability.

[Picture]
Figure 1: Side (left) and top (right) views of the three base pairs DNA fragment. The ONIOM layers are represented with balls-and-sticks (high), tube (medium) and wireframe (low), respectively.



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