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Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Computational insights into the molecular basis for the replication of flexible tobacco-derived DNA lesions

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

DNA is damaged by many agents in the environment and this affects many cellular processes, including DNA replication. The present thesis uses a multiscale computational modeling approach to study the intrinsic conformational and base-pairing preferences of flexible O6-G and O2-T alkyl DNA lesions, and the corresponding properties within DNA duplexes and polymerase active sites. Specifically, the replication of O6-benzylguanine (Bz-G) by a prototypical DNA polymerase, DNA polymerase IV, as well as the replication of the tobacco-derived carcinogens, O6-[4-oxo-4-(3-pyridyl)butyl]guanine (POB-G), O6-[4-hydroxy-4-(3-pyridyl)butyl]guanine (PHB-G), and O2-[4-oxo-4-(3-pyridyl)butyl] thymine (POB-T), by human DNA polymerases η and κ, were investigated. This work uncovers structural bases for the reported lesion mutagenicity and biological processing. Additionally, a consistent theoretical framework was used to provide insight into the previously unidentified general base for the nucleotidyl transfer reaction catalyzed by polymerase η. Overall, this thesis emphasizes the complex interplay between many factors that are required to replicate damaged DNA.

Degree

thesis:*
Grantor dc:publisher
Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Year dc:date.issued
2018

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Authors dc:creator
  • Wilson, Katie A.
  • University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
Advisor dc:contributor.supervisor
  • Wetmore, Stacey D.

Subjects

dc:subject × 14

Rights

Language dc:language.iso
en_US

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Identifier
hdl:10133/5337

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of Lethbridge
Base URL
opus.uleth.ca/server/oai/request
Last updated
2026-08-21
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Wilson, Katie A.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science. Computational insights into the molecular basis for the replication of flexible tobacco-derived DNA lesions. Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 2018. https://hdl.handle.net/10133/5337