A DNA Polymerase Stop Assay for Characterization of G-Quadruplex Formation and Identification of G-Quadruplex-Interactive Compounds

Guide for phenotype-specific profiling of DNA G-quadruplex-regulated genes

DNA G-quadruplex (G4) is a non-canonical four-stranded secondary structure that has been shown to play a role in epigenetic modulation of gene expression. Here, we present a primer on phenotype-specific profiling of DNA G-quadruplex-regulated genes. We provide guidance on in silico exploration of G4-related genes and phenotypes, and in vitro and in vivo validation of the relationship between G4 and phenotype. We describe commonly utilized techniques and detail critical steps involved in determining the phenotype-specific G4-regulated genes for subsequent investigations.

Thermodynamic and structural investigation of the interaction of quaternized 2,3-octakis-[(2-mercaptopyridine)phthalocyaninato] copper (II) sulfate (CuPc) with parallel and hybrid type G-quadruplex

G-quadruplexes are important drug targets and get attention due to their existence in telomere, ribosomal DNA, promoter regions of some oncogenes, and the untranslated regions of mRNA. Due to the biological roles of G-quadruplexes, investigating of the G-quadruplex-small molecule interaction is essential. The primary motivation for these studies is the possibility of inhibiting cell functions associated with G-quadruplex sequences by binding with small molecules. Targeting the small molecules to desired tissue with the G-quadruplex vehicles is the second important goal of the G-quadruplex-small molecule interaction studies. In the present study, the new peripherally 2-mercaptopyridine octasubstituted copper(II) phthalocyanine and its quaternized derivative (CuPc) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis FT-IR, UV-Vis, and mass spectra. The excellent solubility of CuPc in water is essential for its transport in the organism. Because of this feature, its affinity toward G-quadruplex forming aptamers, AS1411, Tel21, and Tel45, was investigated. The UV-Vis spectrophotometric titration data confirmed the prevention of aggregation upon interaction with G-quadruplex, which is very important for biomedical applications. The CD spectroscopic analyses and binding stoichiometry confirmed the "end stacking" model for interaction of AS1411 with CuPc. The interaction of CuPc caused the equilibrium shift from hybrid conformation to antiparallel conformation for Tel21 and Tel45. The isothermal titration calorimeter (ITC) was used for the determination of thermodynamic parameters. The thermodynamic data of the interaction was fitted well with the one-site model. The negative values of Gibbs free energy change confirmed the spontaneous nature of the reactions. Besides, the negative values of enthalpy change and entropy change proved that the nature of processes was "enthalpy driven." The interaction stoichiometry was 2 for AS1411 and Tel21 and 1.5 for Tel45. The binding constants were 1.3(±0.3) × 105 , 3.2(±0.4) × 105 , and 1.1(±0.3) × 105 M-1 , which were at the level of ethidium bromide intercalation binding constant given in the literature. The DNA polymerase stop assay further supported the interaction of CuPc with G-quadruplex DNA. The experimental results confirm that the CuPc has a potential photosensitizer behaviour for photodynamic therapy.

In vivo detection of DNA secondary structures using permanganate/S1 footprinting with direct adapter ligation and sequencing (PDAL-Seq)

DNA secondary structures are essential elements of the genomic landscape, playing a critical role in regulating various cellular processes. These structures refer to G-quadruplexes, cruciforms, Z-DNA or H-DNA structures, amongst others (collectively called 'non-B DNA'), which DNA molecules can adopt beyond the B conformation. DNA secondary structures have significant biological roles, and their landscape is dynamic and can rearrange due to various factors, including changes in cellular conditions, temperature, and DNA-binding proteins. Understanding this dynamic nature is crucial for unraveling their functions in cellular processes. Detecting DNA secondary structures remains a challenge. Conventional methods, such as gel electrophoresis and chemical probing, have limitations in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Emerging techniques, including next-generation sequencing and single-molecule approaches, offer promise but face challenges since these techniques are mostly limited to only one type of secondary structure. Here we describe an updated version of a technique permanganate/S1 nuclease footprinting, which uses potassium permanganate to trap single-stranded DNA regions as found in many non-B structures, in combination with S1 nuclease digest and adapter ligation to detect genome-wide non-B formation. To overcome technical hurdles, we combined this method with direct adapter ligation and sequencing (PDAL-Seq). Furthermore, we established a user-friendly pipeline available on Galaxy to standardize PDAL-Seq data analysis. This optimized method allows the analysis of many types of DNA secondary structures that form in a living cell and will advance our knowledge of their roles in health and disease.

G-Quadruplexes and Their Ligands: Biophysical Methods to Unravel G-Quadruplex/Ligand Interactions

Progress in the design of G-quadruplex (G4) binding ligands relies on the availability of approaches that assess the binding mode and nature of the interactions between G4 forming sequences and their putative ligands. The experimental approaches used to characterize G4/ligand interactions can be categorized into structure-based methods (circular dichroism (CD), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography), affinity and apparent affinity-based methods (surface plasmon resonance (SPR), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and mass spectrometry (MS)), and high-throughput methods (fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-melting, G4-fluorescent intercalator displacement assay (G4-FID), affinity chromatography and microarrays. Each method has unique advantages and drawbacks, which makes it essential to select the ideal strategies for the biological question being addressed. The structural- and affinity and apparent affinity-based methods are in several cases complex and/or time-consuming and can be combined with fast and cheap high-throughput approaches to improve the design and development of new potential G4 ligands. In recent years, the joint use of these techniques permitted the discovery of a huge number of G4 ligands investigated for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Overall, this review article highlights in detail the most commonly used approaches to characterize the G4/ligand interactions, as well as the applications and types of information that can be obtained from the use of each technique.