TY - JOUR A1 - Hahn, Marc Benjamin A1 - Smales, Glen Jacob A1 - Seitz, H. A1 - Solomun, Tihomir A1 - Sturm, Heinz T1 - Ectoine interaction with DNA: Influence on ultraviolet radiation damage JF - Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics N2 - Ectoine is a small zwitterionic osmolyte and compatible solute, which does not interfere with cell metabolism even at molar concentrations. Plasmid DNA (pUC19) was irradiated with ultraviolet radiation (UV-C at 266 nm) under quasi physiological conditions (PBS) and in pure water in the presence and absence of ectoine (THP(B)) and hydroxyectoine (THP(A)). Different types of UV induced DNA damage were analysed: DNA single-strand breaks (SSBs), abasic sites and cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs). A complex interplay between these factors was observed with respect to the nature and occurrence of DNA damage with 266 nm photons. In PBS, the cosolutes showed efficient protection against base damage, whilst in pure water, a dramatic shift from SSB damage to base damage was observed when cosolutes were added. To test whether these effects are caused by ectoine binding to DNA, further experiments were conducted: small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), surface-plasmon resonance (SPR) measurements and Raman spectroscopy. The results show, for the first time, a close interaction between ectoine and DNA. This is in stark contrast to the assumption made by preferential exclusion models, which are often used to interpret the behaviour of compatible solutes within cells and with biomolecules. It is tentatively proposed that the alterations of UV damage to DNA are attributed to ectoine influence on nucleobases through the direct interaction between ectoine and DNA. KW - Ectoine KW - DNA KW - Radiation damage KW - Radiation protection KW - SSB KW - DNA damage KW - DNA protection KW - Compatible solute KW - Zwitterion KW - Hydroxyectoine KW - Salt KW - PBS KW - UV absorption KW - DNA strand-break KW - DNA base damage KW - Ectoine UV absorption KW - Ectoine DNA protection KW - Excited states KW - UV irradiation KW - UV-A KW - UV-B KW - UV-C KW - 266nm KW - UV photons KW - Ectoine-DNA binding KW - Raman spectroscopy KW - UV-Vis KW - Radical scavenger KW - OH scavenger KW - Hydroxyl radicals KW - CPD KW - Abasic site KW - Agarose gel electrophorese KW - SYBR gold KW - DNA melting temperature KW - Counterions KW - Preferential exclusion KW - Cancer KW - Therapy KW - UV protection KW - Sunscreen PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-505772 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d0cp00092b SN - 1463-9076 SN - 1463-9084 VL - 22 IS - 13 SP - 6984 EP - 6992 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge AN - OPUS4-50577 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hahn, Marc Benjamin A1 - Susann, Meyer A1 - Schröter, Maria-Astrid A1 - Kunte, Hans-Jörg A1 - Solomun, Tihomir A1 - Sturm, Heinz T1 - DNA protection by ectoine from ionizing radiation: molecular mechanisms JF - Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics N2 - Ectoine, a compatible solute and osmolyte, is known to be an effective protectant of biomolecules and whole cells against heating, freezing and extreme salinity. Protection of cells (human keratinocytes) by ectoine against ultraviolet radiation has also been reported by various authors, although the underlying mechanism is not yet understood. We present the first electron irradiation of DNA in a fully aqueous environment in the presence of ectoine and at high salt concentrations. The results demonstrate effective protection of DNA by ectoine against the induction of single-strand breaks by ionizing radiation. The effect is explained by an increase in low-energy electron scattering at the enhanced free-vibrational density of states of water due to ectoine, as well as the use of ectoine as an ˙OH-radical scavenger. This was demonstrated by Raman spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). KW - Ectoine KW - DNA KW - Radiation protection KW - Ionizing radiation KW - Compatible solute KW - Biomolecules KW - Sodium chloride KW - Aqueous solution KW - Hydroxyectoine KW - Raman spectroscopy KW - Electron irradiation KW - Cancer KW - Radical scavenger KW - Low energy electrons KW - Hydroxyl radical KW - OH-radical KW - Ectoin KW - UV radiation KW - Sun KW - Salt KW - Radiation therapy PY - 2017 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-419332 UR - http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2017/cp/c7cp02860a DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CP02860A SN - 1463-9076 VL - 19 IS - 37 SP - 25717 EP - 25722 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - United Kingdom AN - OPUS4-41933 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schröter, Maria-Astrid A1 - Meyer, Susann A1 - Hahn, Marc Benjamin A1 - Solomun, Tihomir A1 - Sturm, Heinz A1 - Kunte, Hans-Jörg T1 - Ectoine protects DNA from damage by ionizing radiation JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Ectoine plays an important role in protecting biomolecules and entire cells against environmental stressors such as salinity, freezing, drying and high temperatures. Recent studies revealed that ectoine also provides effective protection for human skin cells from damage caused by UV-A radiation. These protective properties make ectoine a valuable compound and it is applied as an active ingredient in numerous pharmaceutical devices and cosmetics. Interestingly, the underlying mechanism resulting in protecting cells from radiation is not yet fully understood. Here we present a study on ectoine and its protective influence on DNA during electron irradiation. Applying gel electrophoresis and atomic force microscopy, we demonstrate for the first time that ectoine prevents DNA strand breaks caused by ionizing electron radiation. The results presented here point to future applications of ectoine for instance in cancer radiation therapy. KW - Plasmid DNA pUC19 KW - Electron irradiation 30 [kV] KW - Effective irradiation dose 0.2-16 [Gy] KW - Gel electrophoresis KW - AFM intermittent contact KW - Radioprotector ectoine KW - Compatible solute PY - 2017 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-428287 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-15512-4 SN - 2045-2322 VL - 7 IS - 1 SP - 15272, 1 EP - 15272, 7 PB - Nature AN - OPUS4-42828 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wittmar, J. A1 - Meyer, Susann A1 - Sieling, T. A1 - Kunte, Hans-Jörg A1 - Smiatek, Jens A1 - Brand, Izabella T1 - What Does Ectoine Do to DNA? A Molecular-Scale Picture of Compatible Solute−Biopolymer Interactions JF - The Journal of Physical Chemistry N2 - Compatible solutes are accumulated in the cytoplasm of halophilic microorganisms. These molecules enable their survival in a high salinity environment. Ectoine is such a compatible solute. It is a zwitterionic molecule which strongly interacts with surrounding water molecules and changes the dynamics of the local hydration shell. Ectoine interacts with biomolecules such as lipids, proteins and DNA. The molecular interaction between ectoine and biomolecules in particular the interaction between ectoine and DNA is far from being understood. In this paper we describe molecular aspects of the interaction between ectoine and double stranded DNA(dsDNA). Two 20 base pairs long dsDNA fragments were immobilized on a Gold surface via a thiol-tether. The interaction between the dsDNA monolayers with diluted and concentrated ectoine solutions was examined by means of X-ray photoelectron and polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopies (PM IRRAS). Experimental results indicate that the ability of ectoine to bind water reduces the strength of hydrogen bonds formed to the ribose-phosphate backbone in the dsDNA. In diluted (0.1 M) ectoine solution, DNA interacts predominantly with water molecules. The sugar-phosphate backbone is involved in the formation of strong hydrogen bonds to water, which with elapsing time leads to a reorientation of the planes of nucleic acid bases. This reorientation destabilizes the hydrogen bonds strength between the bases and leads to a partial dehybridizaiton of the dsDNA. In concentrated ectoine solution (2.5 M), almost all water molecules interact with ectoine. Under this condition ectoine is able to interact directly with DNA. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the direct interaction involves the nitrogen atoms in ectoine and phosphate groups in the DNA molecule. The results of the quantum chemical calculations Show that rearrangements in the ribose-phosphate backbone, caused by a direct interaction with ectoine, facilitates contacts between O atom in the phosphate group and H atoms in a nucleic acid base. In the PM IRRA spectra, an increase in the number of the IR absorption modes in the base pair frequency region proves that the hydrogen bonds between bases become weaker. Thus, a sequence of reorientations caused by interaction with ectoine leads to a breakdown of hydrogen bonds between bases in the double helix. KW - Compatible solute KW - Ectoine KW - DNA KW - Self-assembled monolayer KW - IR spectroscopy KW - XPS PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c05273 VL - 124 IS - 37 SP - 7999 EP - 8011 PB - ACS Publicatios AN - OPUS4-51182 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -