Crystal structure of an oligonucleotide duplex containing G.G base pairs: influence of mispairing on DNA backbone conformation.

The structure of the G.G mispaired dodecanucleotide d(CGCGAATTGGCG)2 has been solved by x-ray crystallography and refined to an R factor of 18.8% at 2.2 A resolution for 3513 reflections. The dodecamer crystallizes as a B-type DNA double helix. It contains two G(anti).G(syn) base pairs--i.e., G-4/G-16(anti).G-21/G-9(syn). The Hoogsteen base pairing involves atoms O-6 and N-7 of the guanine in the syn conformation with atoms N-1 and N-2 of the anti-paired purine. One G.G base pair has a bifurcated hydrogen bond between G-4(N-1)...G-21(N-7) and G-4(N-1)...G-21(O-6). There is little overall structural distortion of the double helix induced as a consequence of the mispairing. The helical width is significantly increased by comparison with the structure of the native duplex, and the minor groove width in the 5'-AATT region is decreased. The G.G base pairing induces high-BII phosphate conformations at residues G-9 and T-20 in addition to more normal BII conformations at G-10 and G-22. It is suggested that these backbone aberrations provide signals for the facile repairability of G.G mispairs in DNA.