To broaden the applicability of chemically modified DNAs in nano- and biotechnology, material science, sensor development, and molecular recognition, strategies are required for introducing a large variety of different modifications into the same nucleic acid sequence at once. Here, we investigate the scope and limits for obtaining functionalized dsDNA by primer extension and PCR, using a broad variety of chemically modified deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs), DNA polymerases, and templates. All natural nucleobases in each strand were substituted with up to four different base-modified analogues. We studied the sequence dependence of enzymatic amplification to yield high-density functionalized DNA (fDNA) from modified dNTPs, and of fDNA templates, and found that GC-rich sequences are amplified with decreased efficiency as compared to AT-rich ones. There is also a strong dependence on the polymerase used. While family A polymerases generally performed poorly on "demanding" templates containing consecutive stretches of a particular base, family B polymerases were better suited for this purpose, in particular Pwo and Vent (exo-) DNA polymerase. A systematic analysis of fDNAs modified at increasing densities by CD spectroscopy revealed that single modified bases do not alter the overall B-type DNA structure, regardless of their chemical nature. A density of three modified bases induces conformational changes in the double helix, reflected by an inversion of the CD spectra. Our study provides a basis for establishing a generally applicable toolbox of enzymes, templates, and monomers for generating high-density functionalized DNAs for a broad range of applications.

A series of ferrioxamine B analogues that target the bacterium Yersinia enterocolitica were prepared. These iron carriers are composed of three hydroxamate-containing monomeric units. Two identical monomers consist of N-hydroxy-3-aminopropionic acid coupled with beta-alanine, and a third unit at the amino terminal is composed of N-hydroxy-3-aminopropionic acid and one of the following amino acids: beta-alanine (1a), phenylalanine (1b), cyclohexylalanine (1c), or glycine (1d). Thermodynamic results for representatives of the analogues have shown a strong destabilization (3-4 orders of magnitude) of the ferric complexes with respect to ferrioxamine B, probably due to shorter spacers and a more strained structure around the metal center. No significant effect of the variations at the N-terminal has been observed on the stability of the ferric complexes. By contrast, using in vivo radioactive uptake experiments, we have found that these modifications have a substantial effect on the mechanism of iron(III) uptake in the pathogenic bacteria Yersinia enterocolitica. Analogues 1a and 1d were utilized by the ferrioxamine B uptake system (FoxA), while 1b and 1c either used different uptake systems or were transported to the microbial cell nonspecifically by diffusion via the cell membrane. Transport via the FoxA system was also confirmed by uptake experiments with the FoxA deficient strain of Yersinia enterocolitica. A fluorescent marker, attached to 1a in a way that did not interfere with its biological activity, provided additional means to monitor the uptake mechanism by fluorescence techniques. Of particular interest is the observation that 1a was utilized by the uptake system of ferrioxamine B in Yersinia enterocolitica (FoxA) but failed to use the ferrioxamine uptake route in Pseudomonas putida. Here, we present a case in which biomimetic siderophore analogues deliberately designed for a particular bacterium can distinguish between related uptake systems of different microorganisms.

Student success in large enrollment undergraduate science courses which utilize "active learning" and Learning Assistant (LA) support is a complex phenomenon. It is often ill-defined, is likely impacted by many factors, and regularly interacts with a variety of treatments or interventions. Defining, measuring, and modeling student success as a factor of multiple inputs is the focus of our work. Because this endeavor is complex and multifaceted, there is a need for strong theoretical framing. Without such explicit framing, we argue that our findings would be uninterpretable. In this paper we describe our efforts to define that theoretical framework, present the framework, and describe how it defines our methodological approach, analyses, and future work.