1
|
Zhan X, Deng L, Lian Y, Shu Z, Xu Y, Mai X, Krishna MS, Lu R, Wang A, Bai S, Zhou F, Xiong C, Xu Y, Ni J, Vandana JJ, Wang Z, Li Y, Sun D, Huang S, Liu J, Cheng GJ, Wu S, Chiang YC, Stjepanovic G, Jiang C, Shao Y, Chen G. Enhanced Recognition of a Herbal Compound Epiberberine by a DNA Quadruplex-Duplex Structure. Anal Chem 2024. [PMID: 39093925 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c02054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
The small molecule epiberberine (EPI) is a natural alkaloid with versatile bioactivities against several diseases including cancer and bacterial infection. EPI can induce the formation of a unique binding pocket at the 5' side of a human telomeric G-quadruplex (HTG) sequence with four telomeric repeats (Q4), resulting in a nanomolar binding affinity (KD approximately 26 nM) with significant fluorescence enhancement upon binding. It is important to understand (1) how EPI binding affects HTG structural stability and (2) how enhanced EPI binding may be achieved through the engineering of the DNA binding pocket. In this work, the EPI-binding-induced HTG structure stabilization effect was probed by a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) invasion assay in combination with a series of biophysical techniques. We show that the PNA invasion-based method may be useful for the characterization of compounds binding to DNA (and RNA) structures under physiological conditions without the need to vary the solution temperature or buffer components, which are typically needed for structural stability characterization. Importantly, the combination of theoretical modeling and experimental quantification allows us to successfully engineer Q4 derivative Q4-ds-A by a simple extension of a duplex structure to Q4 at the 5' end. Q4-ds-A is an excellent EPI binder with a KD of 8 nM, with the binding enhancement achieved through the preformation of a binding pocket and a reduced dissociation rate. The tight binding of Q4 and Q4-ds-A with EPI allows us to develop a novel magnetic bead-based affinity purification system to effectively extract EPI from Rhizoma coptidis (Huang Lian) extracts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Zhan
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Liping Deng
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Yun Lian
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Zhiyu Shu
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371 Singapore
| | - Yunong Xu
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Xinyi Mai
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Manchugondanahalli S Krishna
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371 Singapore
| | - Rongguang Lu
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Anni Wang
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Shiyao Bai
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Fangyu Zhou
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Chi Xiong
- MinJiang Collaborative Center for Theoretical Physics, College of Physics and Electronic Information Engineering, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, Fujian, P. R. China
| | - Yingyi Xu
- LightEdge Technologies Ltd., Zhongshan 528400, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Jie Ni
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - J Jeya Vandana
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10065, United States
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Zi Wang
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Yuqing Li
- Department of Urology, South China Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518111, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Dongmei Sun
- Guangdong Yifang Pharmaceutical, Foshan 528244, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Shaohui Huang
- School of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101499, P. R. China
| | - Jingyan Liu
- School of Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Gui-Juan Cheng
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Song Wu
- Department of Urology, South China Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518111, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Ying-Chih Chiang
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Goran Stjepanovic
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Cheng Jiang
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Yong Shao
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Gang Chen
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Synthesis, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bisoi A, Sarkar S, Singh PC. Flanking Effect on the Structure and Stability of Human Telomeric G-Quadruplex in Varying Salt Concentrations. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:7121-7128. [PMID: 39007177 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c02969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
The stability of the human telomere G-quadruplex (G4) is directly linked to cancer disease. The human telomere is mostly associated with the flanking nucleobases, which can affect the stability of G4. Hence, in this study, the effect of the flanking nucleobases in the context of their chemical nature, number, and position on the structure and stability of G4 has been investigated in varying concentrations of KCl mimicking the normal and cancer KCl microenvironments. The addition of flanking nucleobases does not alter the G4 topology. However, the presence of merely a single flanking nucleobase destabilizes the telomeric G4. This destabilizing effect is more prominent for thymine than adenine flanking nucleobase, probably due to the formation of the intermolecular G4 topology by thymine. Interestingly, the change in the stability of the telomeric G4 in the presence of thymine flanking nucleobase is sensitive to the concentration of KCl relevant to the normal and cancerous microenvironments, in contrast to adenine. Flanking nucleobases have a greater impact at the 5' end compared to the 3' end, particularly noticeable in KCl concentrations resembling the normal microenvironment rather than the cancerous one. These findings indicate that the effect of the flanking nucleobases on telomeric G4 is different in the KCl salt relevant to normal and cancerous microenvironments. This study may be helpful in attaining molecular-level insight into the role of G4 in telomeric length regulation under normal and cancerous KCl salt conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Asim Bisoi
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032 India
| | - Sunipa Sarkar
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032 India
| | - Prashant Chandra Singh
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032 India
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Binacchi F, Giorgi E, Salvadori G, Cirri D, Stifano M, Donati A, Garzella L, Busto N, Garcia B, Pratesi A, Biver T. Exploring the interaction between a fluorescent Ag(I)-biscarbene complex and non-canonical DNA structures: a multi-technique investigation. Dalton Trans 2024; 53:9700-9714. [PMID: 38775704 DOI: 10.1039/d4dt00851k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Silver compounds are mainly studied as antimicrobial agents, but they also have anticancer properties, with the latter, in some cases, being better than their gold counterparts. Herein, we analyse the first example of a new Ag(I)-biscarbene that can bind non-canonical structures of DNA, more precisely G-quadruplexes (G4), with different binding signatures depending on the type of G4. Moreover, we show that this Ag-based carbene binds the i-motif DNA structure. Alternatively, its Au(I) counterpart, which was investigated for comparison, stabilises mitochondrial G4. Theoretical in silico studies elucidated the details of different binding modes depending on the geometry of G4. The two complexes showed increased cytotoxic activity compared to cisplatin, overcoming its resistance in ovarian cancer. The binding of these new drug candidates with other relevant biosubstrates was studied to afford a more complete picture of their possible targets. In particular, the Ag(I) complex preferentially binds DNA structures over RNA structures, with higher binding constants for the non-canonical nucleic acids with respect to natural calf thymus DNA. Regarding possible protein targets, its interaction with the albumin model protein BSA was also tested.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Binacchi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Ester Giorgi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Giacomo Salvadori
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Damiano Cirri
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Mariassunta Stifano
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Aurora Donati
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Linda Garzella
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Natalia Busto
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Burgos, Paseo de los Comendadores s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain
| | - Begona Garcia
- Departamento de Química, Universidad de Burgos, Plaza Misael Bañuelos s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain
| | - Alessandro Pratesi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Tarita Biver
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Farag M, Mouawad L. Comprehensive analysis of intramolecular G-quadruplex structures: furthering the understanding of their formalism. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:3522-3546. [PMID: 38512075 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4) are helical structures found in guanine-rich DNA or RNA sequences. Generally, their formalism is based on a few dozen structures, which can produce some inconsistencies or incompleteness. Using the website ASC-G4, we analyzed the structures of 333 intramolecular G4s, of all types, which allowed us to clarify some key concepts and present new information. To each of the eight distinguishable topologies corresponds a groove-width signature and a predominant glycosidic configuration (gc) pattern governed by the directions of the strands. The relative orientations of the stacking guanines within the strands, which we quantified and related to their vertical gc successions, determine the twist and tilt of the helices. The latter impact the minimum groove widths, which represent the space available for lateral ligand binding. The G4 four helices have similar twists, even when these twists are irregular, meaning that they have various angles along the strands. Despite its importance, the vertical gc succession has no strict one-to-one relationship with the topology, which explains the discrepancy between some topologies and their corresponding circular dichroism spectra. This study allowed us to introduce the new concept of platypus G4s, which are structures with properties corresponding to several topologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marc Farag
- Chemistry and Modeling for the Biology of Cancer, CNRS UMR9187, INSERM U1196, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Université Paris-Saclay, CS 90030, 91401 ORSAYCedex, France
| | - Liliane Mouawad
- Chemistry and Modeling for the Biology of Cancer, CNRS UMR9187, INSERM U1196, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Université Paris-Saclay, CS 90030, 91401 ORSAYCedex, France
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wang C, Xu G, Liu X, Jiang L, Zhou X, Liu M, Li C. 19F Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting Technique for Identifying and Quantifying G-Quadruplex Topology in Human Telomeric Overhangs. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:4741-4751. [PMID: 38346932 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c12247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are noncanonical nucleic acid secondary structures with diverse topological features and biological roles. Human telomeric (Htelo) overhangs consisting of TTAGGG repeats can fold into G4s that adopt different topologies under physiological conditions. These G4s are potential targets for anticancer drugs. Despite intensive research, the existence and topology of G4s at Htelo overhangs in vivo are still unclear because there is no method to distinguish and quantify the topology of Htelo overhangs with native lengths that can form more than three tandem G4s in living cells. Herein, we present a novel 19F chemical shift fingerprinting technique to identify and quantify the topology of the Htelo overhangs up to five G-quadruplexes (G4s) and 120 nucleotides long both in vitro and in living cells. Our results show that longer overhang sequences tend to form stable G4s at the 5'- and 3'-ends, while the interior G4s are dynamic and "sliding" along the sequence, with TTA or 1-3 TTAGGG repeats as a linker. Each G4 in the longer overhang is conformationally heterogeneous, but the predominant ones are hybrid-2, two- or three-tetrad antiparallel, and hybrid-1 at the 5'-terminal, interior, and 3'-terminal, respectively. Additionally, we observed a distinct behavior of different lengths of telomeric sequences in living cells, suggesting that the overhang length and protein accessibility are related to its function. This technique provides a powerful tool for quickly identifying the folding topology and relative population of long Htelo overhangs, which may provide valuable insights into telomere functionality and be beneficial for structure-based anticancer drug development targeting G4s.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Guohua Xu
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoli Liu
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P. R. China
| | - Ling Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P. R. China
| | - Xin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P. R. China
| | - Maili Liu
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P. R. China
| | - Conggang Li
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Gajarsky M, Stadlbauer P, Sponer J, Cucchiarini A, Dobrovolna M, Brazda V, Mergny JL, Trantirek L, Lenarcic Zivkovic M. DNA Quadruplex Structure with a Unique Cation Dependency. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202313226. [PMID: 38143239 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202313226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
DNA quadruplex structures provide an additional layer of regulatory control in genome maintenance and gene expression and are widely used in nanotechnology. We report the discovery of an unprecedented tetrastranded structure formed from a native G-rich DNA sequence originating from the telomeric region of Caenorhabditis elegans. The structure is defined by multiple properties that distinguish it from all other known DNA quadruplexes. Most notably, the formation of a stable so-called KNa-quadruplex (KNaQ) requires concurrent coordination of K+ and Na+ ions at two distinct binding sites. This structure provides novel insight into G-rich DNA folding under ionic conditions relevant to eukaryotic cell physiology and the structural evolution of telomeric DNA. It highlights the differences between the structural organization of human and nematode telomeric DNA, which should be considered when using C. elegans as a model in telomere biology, particularly in drug screening applications. Additionally, the absence/presence of KNaQ motifs in the host/parasite introduces an intriguing possibility of exploiting the KNaQ fold as a plausible antiparasitic drug target. The structure's unique shape and ion dependency and the possibility of controlling its folding by using low-molecular-weight ligands can be used for the design or discovery of novel recognition DNA elements and sensors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Gajarsky
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
- Current address: Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Petr Stadlbauer
- Institute of Biophysics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Kralovopolska 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Sponer
- Institute of Biophysics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Kralovopolska 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Anne Cucchiarini
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, Inserm, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Michaela Dobrovolna
- Institute of Biophysics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Kralovopolska 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, Purkynova 464, 61200, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vaclav Brazda
- Institute of Biophysics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Kralovopolska 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, Purkynova 464, 61200, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jean-Louis Mergny
- Institute of Biophysics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Kralovopolska 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, Inserm, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Lukas Trantirek
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Lenarcic Zivkovic
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
- Slovenian NMR Centre, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Wang J, Qiao JQ, Zheng WJ, Lian HZ. Effect of ionic liquids as mobile phase additives on retention behaviors of G-quadruplexes in reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. J Chromatogr A 2024; 1715:464604. [PMID: 38176351 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2023.464604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) play an important role in a variety of biological processes and have extensive application prospects. Due to the significance of G4s in physiology and biosensing, studies on G4s have attracted much attention, stimulating the development or improvement of methods for G4 structures and polymorphism analysis. In this work, ionic liquids (ILs) were involved as mobile phase additives in reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) to analyse G4s with various conformations for the first time. How ILs affected the retention behaviors of G4s was investigated comprehensively. It was found that the addition of ILs markedly enhanced G4 retention, along with obvious amelioration on chromatographic peak shapes and separation. The influence of pH of mobile phase and types of ILs were also included in order to acquire an in-depth understanding. It appeared that the effect of ILs on G4 retention behaviors was the result of a combination of various interactions between G4s with the hydrophobic stationary phase and with the IL-containing mobile phase, where ion pair mechanism and enhanced hydrophobic interaction dominated. The findings of this work revealed that ILs could effectively improve the separation of G4s in RP-HPLC, which was conducive to G4 structural analysis, especially for G4s polymorphism elucidation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ju Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Center of Materials Analysis, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jun-Qin Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Center of Materials Analysis, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Wei-Juan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Hong-Zhen Lian
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Center of Materials Analysis, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Zareie AR, Dabral P, Verma SC. G-Quadruplexes in the Regulation of Viral Gene Expressions and Their Impacts on Controlling Infection. Pathogens 2024; 13:60. [PMID: 38251367 PMCID: PMC10819198 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13010060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are noncanonical nucleic acid structures that play significant roles in regulating various biological processes, including replication, transcription, translation, and recombination. Recent studies have identified G4s in the genomes of several viruses, such as herpes viruses, hepatitis viruses, and human coronaviruses. These structures are implicated in regulating viral transcription, replication, and virion production, influencing viral infectivity and pathogenesis. G4-stabilizing ligands, like TMPyP4, PhenDC3, and BRACO19, show potential antiviral properties by targeting and stabilizing G4 structures, inhibiting essential viral life-cycle processes. This review delves into the existing literature on G4's involvement in viral regulation, emphasizing specific G4-stabilizing ligands. While progress has been made in understanding how these ligands regulate viruses, further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms through which G4s impact viral processes. More research is necessary to develop G4-stabilizing ligands as novel antiviral agents. The increasing body of literature underscores the importance of G4s in viral biology and the development of innovative therapeutic strategies against viral infections. Despite some ligands' known regulatory effects on viruses, a deeper comprehension of the multifaceted impact of G4s on viral processes is essential. This review advocates for intensified research to unravel the intricate relationship between G4s and viral processes, paving the way for novel antiviral treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Subhash C. Verma
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, 1664 N Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA; (A.R.Z.); (P.D.)
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Zeraati M, Ross SE, Aghaei B, Rajal AG, King C, Dinger ME. Protocol for the production and purification of an i-Motif-specific nanobody. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102729. [PMID: 37995194 PMCID: PMC10700382 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Intercalated motifs or i-Motifs (iMs) are nucleic acid structures formed by cytosine-rich sequences, which may regulate cellular processes and have broad applications in nanotechnology due to their pH-dependent nature. We have developed an iM-specific nanobody (iMbody) that can recognize iM DNA structures regardless of their sequences, making it a versatile research tool for studying iMs in various contexts. Here, we provide a protocol for the bacterial expression and His-tag purification of iMbody. We then describe procedures for performing ELISA and immunostaining using iMbody.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahdi Zeraati
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - Samuel E Ross
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Behnaz Aghaei
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Alvaro González Rajal
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Cecile King
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Marcel E Dinger
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Pathak R. G-Quadruplexes in the Viral Genome: Unlocking Targets for Therapeutic Interventions and Antiviral Strategies. Viruses 2023; 15:2216. [PMID: 38005893 PMCID: PMC10674748 DOI: 10.3390/v15112216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are unique non-canonical four-stranded nucleic acid secondary structures formed by guanine-rich DNA or RNA sequences. Sequences with the potential to form quadruplex motifs (pG4s) are prevalent throughout the genomes of all organisms, spanning from prokaryotes to eukaryotes, and are enriched within regions of biological significance. In the past few years, the identification of pG4s within most of the Baltimore group viruses has attracted increasing attention due to their occurrence in regulatory regions of the genome and the subsequent implications for regulating critical stages of viral life cycles. In this context, the employment of specific G4 ligands has aided in comprehending the intricate G4-mediated regulatory mechanisms in the viral life cycle, showcasing the potential of targeting viral G4s as a novel antiviral strategy. This review offers a thorough update on the literature concerning G4s in viruses, including their identification and functional significance across most of the human-infecting viruses. Furthermore, it delves into potential therapeutic avenues targeting G4s, encompassing various G4-binding ligands, G4-interacting proteins, and oligonucleotide-based strategies. Finally, the article highlights both progress and challenges in the field, providing valuable insights into leveraging this unusual nucleic acid structure for therapeutic purposes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rajiv Pathak
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Galer P, Wang B, Plavec J, Šket P. Unveiling the structural mechanism of a G-quadruplex pH-Driven switch. Biochimie 2023; 214:73-82. [PMID: 37573019 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
The human telomere oligonucleotide, d[TAGGG(TTAGGG)2TTAGG] (TAGGG), can adopt two distinct 2-G-quartet G-quadruplex structures at pH 7.0 and 5.0, referred to as the TD and KDH+ forms, respectively. By using a combination of NMR and computational techniques, we determined high-resolution structures of both forms, which revealed unique loop architectures, base triples, and base pairs that play a crucial role in the pH-driven structural transformation of TAGGG. Our study demonstrated that TAGGG represents a reversible pH-driven switch system where the stability and pH-induced structural transformation of the G-quadruplexes are influenced by the terminal residues and base triples. Gaining insight into the factors that regulate the formation of G-quadruplexes and their pH-sensitive structural equilibrium holds great potential for the rational design of novel DNA based pH-driven switches. These advancements in understanding create exciting opportunities for applications in the field of nanotechnology, specifically in the development of bio-nano-motors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Petra Galer
- Slovenian NMR Center, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Baifan Wang
- Slovenian NMR Center, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Janez Plavec
- Slovenian NMR Center, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia; EN-FIST Center of Excellence, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Primož Šket
- Slovenian NMR Center, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Szeltner Z, Ferenc G, Juhász T, Kupihár Z, Váradi Z, Szüts D, Kovács L. Probing telomeric-like G4 structures with full or partial 2'-deoxy-5-hydroxyuridine substitutions. Biochimie 2023; 214:33-44. [PMID: 36707016 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Guanine quadruplexes (G4s) are stable four-stranded secondary DNA structures held together by noncanonical G-G base tetrads. We synthesised the nucleoside analogue 2'-deoxy-5-hydroxyuridine (H) and inserted its phosphoramidite into telomeric repeat-type model oligonucleotides. Full and partial substitutions were made, replacing all guanines in all the three tetrads of a three-tier G4 structure, or only in the putative upper, central, or lower tetrads. We characterised these modified structures using CD, UV absorbance spectroscopy, native gel studies, and a capture oligo-based G4 disruption kinetic assay. The strand separation activity of BLM helicase on these substituted structures was also investigated. Two of the partially H-substituted constructs adopted G4-like structures, but displayed lower thermal stabilities compared to unsubstituted G4. The construct modified in its central tetrad remained mostly denatured, but the possibility of a special structure for the fully replaced variant remained open. H substitutions did not interfere with the G4-resolving activity of BLM helicase, but its efficiency was highly influenced by construct topology and even more by the G4 ligand PhenDC3. Our results suggest that the H modification can be incorporated into G quadruplexes, but only at certain positions to maintain G4 stability. The destabilizing effect observed for 2'-deoxy-5-hydroxyuridine indicates that the cytosine deamination product 5-hydroxyuracil and its nucleoside counterpart in RNA (5-hydroxyuridine), might also be destabilizing in cellular DNA and RNA quadruplexes. The kinetic assay employed in this study can be generally employed for a fast comparison of the stabilities of various G4s either in their free or ligand-bound states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Szeltner
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Györgyi Ferenc
- Nucleic Acid Synthesis Laboratory, Biological Research Centre, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Temesvári Krt. 62, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Tünde Juhász
- Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Kupihár
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Szeged, Dom Tér 8, H-6720, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Váradi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Szeged, Dom Tér 8, H-6720, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Dávid Szüts
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Lajos Kovács
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Szeged, Dom Tér 8, H-6720, Szeged, Hungary.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Sharma T, Kundu N, Kaur S, Shankaraswamy J, Saxena S. Why to target G-quadruplexes using peptides: Next-generation G4-interacting ligands. J Pept Sci 2023; 29:e3491. [PMID: 37009771 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
Guanine-rich oligonucleotides existing in both DNA and RNA are able to fold into four-stranded DNA secondary structures via Hoogsteen type hydrogen-bonding, where four guanines self-assemble into a square planar arrangement, which, when stacked upon each other, results in the formation of higher-order structures called G-quadruplexes. Their distribution is not random; they are more frequently present at telomeres, proto-oncogenic promoters, introns, 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions, stem cell markers, ribosome binding sites and so forth and are associated with various biological functions, all of which play a pivotal role in various incurable diseases like cancer and cellular ageing. Several studies have suggested that G-quadruplexes could not regulate biological processes by themselves; instead, various proteins take part in this regulation and can be important therapeutic targets. There are certain limitations in using whole G4-protein for therapeutics purpose because of its high manufacturing cost, laborious structure prediction, dynamic nature, unavailability for oral administration due to its degradation in the gut and inefficient penetration to reach the target site because of the large size. Hence, biologically active peptides can be the potential candidates for therapeutic intervention instead of the whole G4-protein complex. In this review, we aimed to clarify the biological roles of G4s, how we can identify them throughout the genome via bioinformatics, the proteins interacting with G4s and how G4-interacting peptide molecules may be the potential next-generation ligands for targeting the G4 motifs located in biologically important regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taniya Sharma
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
| | - Nikita Kundu
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
| | - Sarvpreet Kaur
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
| | - Jadala Shankaraswamy
- Department of Fruit Science, College of Horticulture, Mojerla, Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University, Budwel, Telangana, India
| | - Sarika Saxena
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Parekh VJ, Węgrzyn G, Arluison V, Sinden RR. Genomic Instability of G-Quadruplex Sequences in Escherichia coli: Roles of DinG, RecG, and RecQ Helicases. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1720. [PMID: 37761860 PMCID: PMC10530614 DOI: 10.3390/genes14091720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Guanine-rich DNA can fold into highly stable four-stranded DNA structures called G-quadruplexes (G4). Originally identified in sequences from telomeres and oncogene promoters, they can alter DNA metabolism. Indeed, G4-forming sequences represent obstacles for the DNA polymerase, with important consequences for cell life as they may lead to genomic instability. To understand their role in bacterial genomic instability, different G-quadruplex-forming repeats were cloned into an Escherichia coli genetic system that reports frameshifts and complete or partial deletions of the repeat when the G-tract comprises either the leading or lagging template strand during replication. These repeats formed stable G-quadruplexes in single-stranded DNA but not naturally supercoiled double-stranded DNA. Nevertheless, transcription promoted G-quadruplex formation in the resulting R-loop for (G3T)4 and (G3T)8 repeats. Depending on genetic background and sequence propensity for structure formation, mutation rates varied by five orders of magnitude. Furthermore, while in vitro approaches have shown that bacterial helicases can resolve G4, it is still unclear whether G4 unwinding is important in vivo. Here, we show that a mutation in recG decreased mutation rates, while deficiencies in the structure-specific helicases DinG and RecQ increased mutation rates. These results suggest that G-quadruplex formation promotes genetic instability in bacteria and that helicases play an important role in controlling this process in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Virali J. Parekh
- Laboratory of DNA Structure and Mutagenesis, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Health Sciences, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD 57701, USA;
| | - Grzegorz Węgrzyn
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland;
| | - Véronique Arluison
- Laboratoire Léon Brillouin LLB, CEA, CNRS UMR12, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- UFR Sciences du Vivant, Université Paris Cité, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Richard R. Sinden
- Laboratory of DNA Structure and Mutagenesis, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Health Sciences, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD 57701, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Stadlbauer P, Mlýnský V, Krepl M, Šponer J. Complexity of Guanine Quadruplex Unfolding Pathways Revealed by Atomistic Pulling Simulations. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:4716-4731. [PMID: 37458574 PMCID: PMC10428220 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Guanine quadruplexes (GQs) are non-canonical nucleic acid structures involved in many biological processes. GQs formed in single-stranded regions often need to be unwound by cellular machinery, so their mechanochemical properties are important. Here, we performed steered molecular dynamics simulations of human telomeric GQs to study their unfolding. We examined four pulling regimes, including a very slow setup with pulling velocity and force load accessible to high-speed atomic force microscopy. We identified multiple factors affecting the unfolding mechanism, i.e.,: (i) the more the direction of force was perpendicular to the GQ channel axis (determined by GQ topology), the more the base unzipping mechanism happened, (ii) the more parallel the direction of force was, GQ opening and cross-like GQs were more likely to occur, (iii) strand slippage mechanism was possible for GQs with an all-anti pattern in a strand, and (iv) slower pulling velocity led to richer structural dynamics with sampling of more intermediates and partial refolding events. We also identified that a GQ may eventually unfold after a force drop under forces smaller than those that the GQ withstood before the drop. Finally, we found out that different unfolding intermediates could have very similar chain end-to-end distances, which reveals some limitations of structural interpretations of single-molecule spectroscopic data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Petr Stadlbauer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech
Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 612 00, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Mlýnský
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech
Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 612 00, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Krepl
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech
Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 612 00, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech
Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, Brno 612 00, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Libera V, Ripanti F, Petrillo C, Sacchetti F, Ramos-Soriano J, Galan MC, Schirò G, Paciaroni A, Comez L. Stability of Human Telomeric G-Quadruplexes Complexed with Photosensitive Ligands and Irradiated with Visible Light. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24109090. [PMID: 37240437 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24109090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Guanine-rich DNA sequences can fold into non-canonical nucleic acid structures called G-quadruplexes (G4s). These nanostructures have strong implications in many fields, from medical science to bottom-up nanotechnologies. As a result, ligands interacting with G4s have attracted great attention as candidates in medical therapies, molecular probe applications, and biosensing. In recent years, the use of G4-ligand complexes as photopharmacological targets has shown significant promise for developing novel therapeutic strategies and nanodevices. Here, we studied the possibility of manipulating the secondary structure of a human telomeric G4 sequence through the interaction with two photosensitive ligands, DTE and TMPyP4, whose response to visible light is different. The effect of these two ligands on G4 thermal unfolding was also considered, revealing the occurrence of peculiar multi-step melting pathways and the different attitudes of the two molecules on the quadruplex stabilization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Libera
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
- Istituto Officina dei Materiali-IOM, National Research Council-CNR, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Francesca Ripanti
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Caterina Petrillo
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Francesco Sacchetti
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Javier Ramos-Soriano
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Maria Carmen Galan
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Giorgio Schirò
- CNRS, CEA, IBS, c/o University Grenoble Alpes, 38400 Grenoble, France
| | - Alessandro Paciaroni
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Lucia Comez
- Istituto Officina dei Materiali-IOM, National Research Council-CNR, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Howpay Manage SA, Zhu J, Fleming AM, Burrows CJ. Promoters vs. telomeres: AP-endonuclease 1 interactions with abasic sites in G-quadruplex folds depend on topology. RSC Chem Biol 2023; 4:261-270. [PMID: 37034403 PMCID: PMC10074553 DOI: 10.1039/d2cb00233g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The DNA repair endonuclease APE1 is responsible for the cleavage of abasic sites (AP) in DNA as well as binding AP in promoter G-quadruplex (G4) folds in some genes to regulate transcription. The present studies focused on the topological properties of AP-bearing G4 folds and how they impact APE1 interaction. The human telomere sequence with a tetrahydrofuran model (F) of an AP was folded in K+- or Na+-containing buffers to adopt hybrid- or basket-folds, respectively. Endonuclease and binding assays were performed with APE1 and the G4 substrates, and the data were compared to prior work with parallel-stranded VEGF and NEIL3 promoter G4s to identify topological differences. The APE1-catalyzed endonuclease assays led to the conclusion that telomere G4 folds were slightly better substrates than the promoter G4s, but the yields were all low compared to duplex DNA. In the binding assays, G4 topological differences were observed in which APE1 bound telomere G4s with dissociation constants similar to single-stranded DNA, and promoter G4s were bound with nearly ten-fold lower values similar to duplex DNA. An in-cellulo assay with the telomere G4 in a model promoter bearing a lesion failed to regulate transcription. These data support a hypothesis that G4 topology in gene promoters is a critical feature that APE1 recognizes for gene regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Judy Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah 315 S. 1400 E. Salt Lake City UT 84112-0850 USA
| | - Aaron M Fleming
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah 315 S. 1400 E. Salt Lake City UT 84112-0850 USA
| | - Cynthia J Burrows
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah 315 S. 1400 E. Salt Lake City UT 84112-0850 USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Farag M, Messaoudi C, Mouawad L. ASC-G4, an algorithm to calculate advanced structural characteristics of G-quadruplexes. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:2087-2107. [PMID: 36794725 PMCID: PMC10018348 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
ASC-G4 is an algorithm for the calculation of the advanced structural characteristics of G-quadruplexes (G4). It allows the unambiguous determination of the intramolecular G4 topology, based on the oriented strand numbering. It also resolves the ambiguity in the determination of the guanine glycosidic configuration. With this algorithm, we showed that the use of the C3' or C5' atoms to calculate the groove width in G4 is more appropriate than the P atoms and that the groove width does not always reflect the space available within the groove. For the latter, the minimum groove width is more appropriate. The application of ASC-G4 to 207 G4 structures guided the choices made for the calculations. A website based on ASC-G4 (http://tiny.cc/ASC-G4) was created, where the user uploads his G4 structure and gets its topology, the types of its loops and their lengths, the presence of snapbacks and bulges, the distribution of guanines in the tetrads and strands, the glycosidic configuration of these guanines, their rise, the groove widths, the minimum groove widths, the tilt and twist angles, the backbone dihedral angles, etc. It also provides a large number of atom-atom and atom-plane distances that are relevant to evaluating the quality of the structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marc Farag
- Chemistry and Modeling for the Biology of Cancer, CNRS UMR9187, INSERM U1196, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Université Paris-Saclay, CS 90030, 91401 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Cédric Messaoudi
- Multimodal Imaging Center, CNRS UMS2016, INSERM US43, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Université Paris-Saclay, CS 90030, 91401 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Liliane Mouawad
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +33 1 69 86 71 51;
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Asha H, Green JA, Esposito L, Santoro F, Improta R. Computing the electronic circular dichroism spectrum of DNA quadruple helices of different topology: A critical test for a generalized excitonic model based on a fragment diabatization. Chirality 2023; 35:298-310. [PMID: 36775278 DOI: 10.1002/chir.23540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we exploit a recently developed fragment diabatization-based excitonic model, FrDEx, to simulate the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra of three guanine-rich DNA sequences arranged in guanine quadruple helices with different topologies: thrombin binding aptamer (antiparallel), c-Myc promoter (parallel), and human telomeric sequence (3+1 hybrid). Starting from time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations with the M052X functional, we apply our protocol to parameterize the FrDEX Hamiltonian, which accounts for electron density overlap and includes both the coupling with charge transfer transitions and the effect of the surrounding bases on the local excitation of each chromophore. The TD-DFT/M052X spectral shapes are in good agreement with the experimental ones, the main source of discrepancy being related to the intrinsic error on the computed transition energies of guanine monomer. FrDEx spectra are fairly close to the reference TD-DFT ones, allowing a significant advance with respect to a more standard excitonic Hamiltonian. We also show that the ECD spectra are sensitive to the inclusion of the inner K + $$ {}^{+} $$ cation in the calculation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haritha Asha
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Napoli, Italy
| | - James A Green
- Institut für Physikalische Theoretische Chemie, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Fabrizio Santoro
- Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici (ICCOM-CNR), Area della Ricerca del CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Synergistic effect of naphthalenediimide and squaraine ligand targeting G-quadruplex DNA in cancer cells. Chem Biol Interact 2023; 370:110330. [PMID: 36563735 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Targeting and stabilizing nonclassical DNA G-quadruplexes (G4s) with a ligand to inhibit cell proliferation is a very promising approach for cancer treatment. Here, we demonstrate that the combination of a naphthalenediimide (NDI) ligand and a squaraine ligand significantly improves the anticancer activity of either ligand alone. The NDI ligand binds the 5'-terminal of hybrid-type G4s and induces the topological conversion from a metastable hybrid to a stable parallel conformation, which allows the end-stacking of the squaraine ligand on the 3'-terminal of the resultant parallel-type G4 structure. Moreover, the NDI ligand promotes the diffusion of the squaraine ligand into the nucleus, and the synergistic effect of the two ligands improves the stability of G4s in cancer cells, blocks the cell cycle in the sub-G1 phase, and induces the DNA damage response. These findings will be helpful in the development of combinational ligands targeting DNA G4s with enhanced bioactivity toward the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation.
Collapse
|
21
|
López-Tena M, Chen SK, Winssinger N. Supernatural: Artificial Nucleobases and Backbones to Program Hybridization-Based Assemblies and Circuits. Bioconjug Chem 2023; 34:111-123. [PMID: 35856656 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.2c00292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The specificity and predictability of hybridization make oligonucleotides a powerful platform to program assemblies and networks with logic-gated responses, an area of research which has grown into a field of its own. While the field has capitalized on the commercial availability of DNA oligomers with its four canonical nucleobases, there are opportunities to extend the capabilities of the hardware with unnatural nucleobases and other backbones. This Topical Review highlights nucleobases that favor hybridizations that are empowering for assemblies and networks as well as two chiral XNAs than enable orthogonal hybridization networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel López-Tena
- University of Geneva, Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, NCCR Chemical Biology, 30 Quai Ernest Ansermet, CH-1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Si-Kai Chen
- University of Geneva, Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, NCCR Chemical Biology, 30 Quai Ernest Ansermet, CH-1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Winssinger
- University of Geneva, Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, NCCR Chemical Biology, 30 Quai Ernest Ansermet, CH-1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Smeller L. Pressure Tuning Studies of Four-Stranded Nucleic Acid Structures. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021803. [PMID: 36675317 PMCID: PMC9866529 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Four-stranded folded structures, such as G-quadruplexes and i-motifs in the genome, have attracted a growing interest nowadays since they have been discovered in the telomere and in several oncogene promoter regions. Their biological relevance is undeniable since their existence in living cells has been observed. In vivo they take part in the regulation of gene expression, in vitro they are used in the analytical biochemistry. They are attractive and promising targets for cancer therapy. Pressure studies can reveal specific aspects of the molecular processes. Pressure tuning experiments allow the determination of the volumetric parameters of the folded structures and of the folding-unfolding processes. Here, we review the thermodynamic parameters with a special focus on the volumetric ones, which were determined using pressure tuning spectroscopic experiments on the G-quadruplex and i-motif nucleic acid forms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- László Smeller
- Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Semmelweis University, Tűzoltó u. 37-47, 1094 Budapest, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Wang J, Qiao J, Zheng W, Lian H. Study on the Interaction of a Peptide Targeting Specific G-Quadruplex Structures Based on Chromatographic Retention Behavior. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021438. [PMID: 36674950 PMCID: PMC9866954 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are of vital biological significance and G4-specific ligands with conformational selectivity show great application potential in disease treatment and biosensing. RHAU, a RNA helicase associated with AU-rich element, exerts biological functions through the mediation of G4s and has been identified to be a G4 binder. Here, we investigated the interactions between the RHAU peptide and G4s with different secondary structures using size exclusion chromatography (SEC) in association with circular dichroism (CD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption, and native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (Native-PAGE). Spectral results demonstrated that the RHAU peptide did not break the main structure of G4s, making it more reliable for G4 structural analysis. The RHAU peptide was found to display a structural selectivity for a preferential binding to parallel G4s as reflected by the distinct chromatographic retention behaviors. In addition, the RHAU peptide exhibited different interactions with intermolecular parallel G4s and intramolecular parallel G4s, providing a novel recognition approach to G4 structures. The findings of this study enriched the insight into the binding of RHAU to G4s with various conformations. It is noteworthy that SEC technology can be easy and reliable for elucidating G4-peptide interactions, especially for a multiple G4 coexisting system, which supplied an alternative strategy to screen novel specific ligands for G4s.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ju Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Center of Materials Analysis, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Junqin Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Center of Materials Analysis, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
- Correspondence: (J.Q.); (H.L.)
| | - Weijuan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Hongzhen Lian
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Center of Materials Analysis, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
- Correspondence: (J.Q.); (H.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Fabijanić I, Kurutos A, Tomašić Paić A, Tadić V, Kamounah FS, Horvat L, Brozovic A, Crnolatac I, Radić Stojković M. Selenium-Substituted Monomethine Cyanine Dyes as Selective G-Quadruplex Spectroscopic Probes with Theranostic Potential. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13010128. [PMID: 36671513 PMCID: PMC9856044 DOI: 10.3390/biom13010128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The binding interactions of six ligands, neutral and monocationic asymmetric monomethine cyanine dyes comprising benzoselenazolyl moiety with duplex DNA and RNA and G-quadruplex structures were evaluated using fluorescence, UV/Vis (thermal melting) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The main objective was to assess the impact of different substituents (methyl vs. sulfopropyl vs. thiopropyl/thioethyl) on the nitrogen atom of the benzothiazolyl chromophore on various nucleic acid structures. The monomethine cyanine dyes with methyl substituents showed a 100-fold selectivity for G-quadruplex versus duplex DNA. Study results indicate that cyanines bind with G-quadruplex via end π-π stacking interactions and possible additional interactions with nucleobases/phosphate backbone of grooves or loop bases. Cyanine with thioethyl substituent distinguishes duplex DNA and RNA and G-quadruplex structures by distinctly varying ICD signals. Furthermore, cell viability assay reveals the submicromolar activity of cyanines with methyl substituents against all tested human cancer cell lines. Confocal microscopy analysis shows preferential accumulation of cyanines with sulfopropyl and thioethyl substituents in mitochondria and indicates localization of cyanines with methyl in nucleus, particularly nucleolus. This confirms the potential of examined cyanines as theranostic agents, possessing both fluorescent properties and cell viability inhibitory effect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Fabijanić
- Division of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Atanas Kurutos
- Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 9, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Ana Tomašić Paić
- Division of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Vanja Tadić
- Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Fadhil S. Kamounah
- Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lucija Horvat
- Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anamaria Brozovic
- Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivo Crnolatac
- Division of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marijana Radić Stojković
- Division of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +385-14571220; Fax: +385-14680195
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Vinayagamurthy S, Bagri S, Mergny JL, Chowdhury S. Telomeres expand sphere of influence: emerging molecular impact of telomeres in non-telomeric functions. Trends Genet 2023; 39:59-73. [PMID: 36404192 PMCID: PMC7614491 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Although the impact of telomeres on physiology stands well established, a question remains: how do telomeres impact cellular functions at a molecular level? This is because current understanding limits the influence of telomeres to adjacent subtelomeric regions despite the wide-ranging impact of telomeres. Emerging work in two distinct aspects offers opportunities to bridge this gap. First, telomere-binding factors were found with non-telomeric functions. Second, locally induced DNA secondary structures called G-quadruplexes are notably abundant in telomeres, and gene regulatory regions genome wide. Many telomeric factors bind to G-quadruplexes for non-telomeric functions. Here we discuss a more general model of how telomeres impact the non-telomeric genome - through factors that associate at telomeres and genome wide - and influence cell-intrinsic functions, particularly aging, cancer, and pluripotency.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Soujanya Vinayagamurthy
- Integrative and Functional Biology Unit, CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi 110025, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Sulochana Bagri
- Integrative and Functional Biology Unit, CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi 110025, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Jean-Louis Mergny
- Institute of Biophysics of the CAS, v.v.i. Královopolská 135, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic; Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Shantanu Chowdhury
- Integrative and Functional Biology Unit, CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi 110025, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India; GNR Knowledge Centre for Genome and Informatics, CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi 110025, India.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Li Q, Trajkovski M, Fan C, Chen J, Zhou Y, Lu K, Li H, Su X, Xi Z, Plavec J, Zhou C. 4'-SCF 3 -Labeling Constitutes a Sensitive 19 F NMR Probe for Characterization of Interactions in the Minor Groove of DNA. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202201848. [PMID: 36163470 PMCID: PMC9828712 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202201848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Fluorinated nucleotides are invaluable for 19 F NMR studies of nucleic acid structure and function. Here, we synthesized 4'-SCF3 -thymidine (T 4 ' - SCF 3 ${{^{4{^\prime}\hbox{-}{\rm SCF}{_{3}}}}}$ ) and incorporated it into DNA by means of solid-phase DNA synthesis. NMR studies showed that the 4'-SCF3 group exhibited a flexible orientation in the minor groove of DNA duplexes and was well accommodated by various higher order DNA structures. The three magnetically equivalent fluorine atoms in 4'-SCF3 -DNA constitute an isolated spin system, offering high 19 F NMR sensitivity and excellent resolution of the positioning of T 4 ' - SCF 3 ${{^{4{^\prime}\hbox{-}{\rm SCF}{_{3}}}}}$ within various secondary and tertiary DNA structures. The high structural adaptability and high sensitivity of T 4 ' - SCF 3 ${{^{4{^\prime}\hbox{-}{\rm SCF}{_{3}}}}}$ make it a valuable 19 F NMR probe for quantitatively distinguishing diverse DNA structures with single-nucleotide resolution and for monitoring the dynamics of interactions in the minor groove of double-stranded DNA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical BiologyCollege of ChemistryNankai UniversityTianjin300071China,Slovenian NMR CentreNational Institute of ChemistryHajdrihova 19SI-1000LjubljanaSlovenia
| | - Marko Trajkovski
- Slovenian NMR CentreNational Institute of ChemistryHajdrihova 19SI-1000LjubljanaSlovenia
| | - Chaochao Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical BiologyCollege of ChemistryNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Jialiang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical BiologyCollege of ChemistryNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Yifei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical BiologyCollege of ChemistryNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Kuan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical BiologyCollege of ChemistryNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Hongjun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical BiologyCollege of ChemistryNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Xuncheng Su
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical BiologyCollege of ChemistryNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Zhen Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical BiologyCollege of ChemistryNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Janez Plavec
- Slovenian NMR CentreNational Institute of ChemistryHajdrihova 19SI-1000LjubljanaSlovenia
| | - Chuanzheng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical BiologyCollege of ChemistryNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Ghosh A, Trajkovski M, Teulade‐Fichou M, Gabelica V, Plavec J. Phen-DC 3 Induces Refolding of Human Telomeric DNA into a Chair-Type Antiparallel G-Quadruplex through Ligand Intercalation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202207384. [PMID: 35993443 PMCID: PMC9826182 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202207384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Human telomeric G-quadruplex DNA structures are attractive anticancer drug targets, but the target's polymorphism complicates the drug design: different ligands prefer different folds, and very few complexes have been solved at high resolution. Here we report that Phen-DC3 , one of the most prominent G-quadruplex ligands in terms of high binding affinity and selectivity, causes dTAGGG(TTAGGG)3 to completely change its fold in KCl solution from a hybrid-1 to an antiparallel chair-type structure, wherein the ligand intercalates between a two-quartet unit and a pseudo-quartet, thereby ejecting one potassium ion. This unprecedented high-resolution NMR structure shows for the first time a true ligand intercalation into an intramolecular G-quadruplex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anirban Ghosh
- CNRS, INSERM, ARNA, UMR 5320, U1212, IECBUniversité de Bordeaux33600PessacFrance
| | - Marko Trajkovski
- Slovenian NMR CentreNational Institute of ChemistryHajdrihova 191000LjubljanaSlovenia
| | | | - Valérie Gabelica
- CNRS, INSERM, ARNA, UMR 5320, U1212, IECBUniversité de Bordeaux33600PessacFrance
| | - Janez Plavec
- Slovenian NMR CentreNational Institute of ChemistryHajdrihova 191000LjubljanaSlovenia
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical TechnologyUniversity of Ljubljana1000LjubljanaSlovenia
- EN-FIST, Centre of Excellence1000LjubljanaSlovenia
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Oblak D, Hadži S, Podlipnik Č, Lah J. Binding-Induced Diversity of a Human Telomeric G-Quadruplex Stability Phase Space. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15091150. [PMID: 36145371 PMCID: PMC9501445 DOI: 10.3390/ph15091150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The structural polymorphism of G-quadruplex nucleic acids is an important factor in their recognition by proteins and small-molecule ligands. However, it is not clear why the binding of several ligands alters G-quadruplex topology. We addressed this question by following the (un)folding and binding of the human telomeric fragment 5′-(GGGTTA)3GGGT-3′ (22GT) by calorimetry (DSC, ITC) and spectroscopy (CD). A thermodynamic analysis of the obtained data led to a detailed description of the topological phase space of stability (phase diagram) of 22GT and shows how it changes in the presence of a specific bisquinolinium ligand (360A). Various 1:1 and 2:1 ligand–quadruplex complexes were observed. With increasing temperature, the 1:1 complexes transformed into 2:1 complexes, which is attributed to the preferential binding of the ligand to the folding intermediates. Overall, the dissection of the thermodynamic parameters in combination with molecular modelling clarified the driving forces of the topological quadruplex transformations in a wide range of ligand concentrations and temperatures.
Collapse
|
29
|
Ghosh A, Trajkovski M, Teulade-Fichou MP, Gabelica V, Plavec J. Phen‐DC3 Induces Refolding of Human Telomeric DNA into a Chair‐type Antiparallel G‐quadruplex through Ligand Intercalation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202207384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anirban Ghosh
- IECB: Institut Europeen de Chimie et Biologie ARNA FRANCE
| | - Marko Trajkovski
- National Institute of Chemistry Slovenia: Kemijski institut Slovenian NMR centre SLOVENIA
| | | | | | - Janez Plavec
- National Institute of Chemistry NMR centre Hajdrihova 19 SI-1001 Ljubljana SLOVENIA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Liu W, Zhu BC, Liu LY, Xia XY, Mao ZW. G-quadruplex structural transition driven by a platinum compound. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:7816-7828. [PMID: 35766415 PMCID: PMC9371902 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplex (G4) transitions play integral roles in regulating biological functions and can be modified by ligands. However, little is known about G4 transitions. Herein, we reveal distinct pathways of a platinum(II) compound Pt-phen converting parallel-stranded MYC G4 to a hybrid-type structure. Three NMR structures, 1:1 5'-end binding, 1:1 3'-end binding and 2:1 Pt-phen-MYC G4 complexes, were determined by NMR. We find that Pt-phen drives G4 transition at a low ratio. Under physiological 100 mM K+ conditions, a significant stable hydrogen-bonded T:T:A triad is formed at 3'-end of hybrid-type Myc1234, and consequently, Pt-phen first binds the 5'-end to form a 1:1 5'-end binding complex and then disrupts the 3' T:T:A triad and binds 3'-end to form a 2:1 complex with more Pt-phen. Remarkably, the G4 transition pathway is different in 5 mM K+ with Pt-phen first binding the 3'-end and then the 5'-end. 'Edgewise-loop and flanking/ligand/G-tetrad' sandwich structure formation and terminal T:T:A triad stabilization play decisive roles in advancing and altering transition pathways. Our work is the first to elucidate the molecular structures of G4 transitions driven by a small molecule. The ligand-driven G4 transition is a dynamic process that includes a quick G4 transition and multiple complexes formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Bo-Chen Zhu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Liu-Yi Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Xiao-Yu Xia
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Zong-Wan Mao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Cyclic Triimidazoles as Stabilizers for Gene Promoter and Human Telomeric DNA G‐Quadruplexes. European J Org Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.202200718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
|
32
|
Marquevielle J, De Rache A, Vialet B, Morvan E, Mergny JL, Amrane S. G-quadruplex structure of the C. elegans telomeric repeat: a two tetrads basket type conformation stabilized by a non-canonical C-T base-pair. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:7134-7146. [PMID: 35736226 PMCID: PMC9262591 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The Caenorhabditis elegans model has greatly contributed to the understanding of the role of G-quadruplexes in genomic instability. The GGCTTA repeats of the C. elegans telomeres resemble the GGGTTA repeats of the human telomeres. However, the comparison of telomeric sequences (Homo sapiens, Tetrahymena, Oxytricha, Bombyx mori and Giardia) revealed that small changes in these repeats can drastically change the topology of the folded G-quadruplex. In the present work we determined the structure adopted by the C. elegans telomeric sequence d[GG(CTTAGG)3]. The investigated C. elegans telomeric sequence is shown to fold into an intramolecular two G-tetrads basket type G-quadruplex structure that includes a C-T base pair in the diagonal loop. This work sheds light on the telomeric structure of the widely used C. elegans animal model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julien Marquevielle
- Univ. Bordeaux, Inserm U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, ARNA laboratory, 146 rue Léo Saignat F-33000 Bordeaux, France
- Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, UMS 3033 US001, CNRS-Université de Bordeaux, 2 rue Robert Escarpit, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - Aurore De Rache
- Univ. Bordeaux, Inserm U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, ARNA laboratory, 146 rue Léo Saignat F-33000 Bordeaux, France
- Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, UMS 3033 US001, CNRS-Université de Bordeaux, 2 rue Robert Escarpit, F-33600 Pessac, France
- Department of Chemistry, UNamur, 61 rue de Bruxelles, B-5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Brune Vialet
- Univ. Bordeaux, Inserm U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, ARNA laboratory, 146 rue Léo Saignat F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Estelle Morvan
- Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, UMS 3033 US001, CNRS-Université de Bordeaux, 2 rue Robert Escarpit, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - Jean-Louis Mergny
- Univ. Bordeaux, Inserm U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, ARNA laboratory, 146 rue Léo Saignat F-33000 Bordeaux, France
- Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, UMS 3033 US001, CNRS-Université de Bordeaux, 2 rue Robert Escarpit, F-33600 Pessac, France
- Laboratoire d’Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Samir Amrane
- Univ. Bordeaux, Inserm U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, ARNA laboratory, 146 rue Léo Saignat F-33000 Bordeaux, France
- Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, UMS 3033 US001, CNRS-Université de Bordeaux, 2 rue Robert Escarpit, F-33600 Pessac, France
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Sarkar S, Bisoi A, Singh PC. Spectroscopic and Molecular Dynamics Aspect of Antimalarial Drug Hydroxychloroquine Binding with Human Telomeric G-Quadruplex. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:5241-5249. [PMID: 35793709 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c03267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is an important drug that is in the trial stage for different types of cancer diseases; however, insight about the mechanism of its action is almost unknown. G-quadruplex (Gq) has been considered one of the potential targets for the cure of cancer; hence, it is essential to understand the possibility of the binding of HCQ with Gq to get a better understanding of its action. In this study, the molecular insight into the possibility of the binding of HCQ with different topological forms of Gq of the human telomere (htel) has been investigated using spectroscopic, thermochemical, and molecular dynamics simulation techniques. The spectroscopic and thermochemical studies clearly suggest that HCQ has a topological preference in the binding with htel in the form of a hybrid structure rather than the antiparallel form and the binding of HCQ stabilizes preferably to the hybrid form. The molecular dynamics simulation study suggests that the interaction of HCQ in the groove and loop regions of the hybrid structure is more stable compared to the antiparallel form, which is the probable reason for the topological preference of HCQ. This study depicts that HCQ has a topological preference in the binding and stabilization of the Gq of htel, which makes it potentially an important drug for targeting the telomere region associated with cancer disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sunipa Sarkar
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Asim Bisoi
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Prashant Chandra Singh
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Lei W, Hu J, Chen HY, Xu JJ. Combined strategies for suppressing nonspecific cationic adduction to G-quadruplexes in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Anal Chim Acta 2022; 1220:340146. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2022.340146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
|
35
|
New insights into the effect of molecular crowding environment induced by dimethyl sulfoxide on the conformation and stability of G-quadruplex. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2022.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
36
|
Jana J, Vianney YM, Schröder N, Weisz K. Guiding the folding of G-quadruplexes through loop residue interactions. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:7161-7175. [PMID: 35758626 PMCID: PMC9262619 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A G-rich sequence was designed to allow folding into either a stable parallel or hybrid-type topology. With the parent sequence featuring coexisting species, various related sequences with single and double mutations and with a shortened central propeller loop affected the topological equilibrium. Two simple modifications, likewise introduced separately to all sequences, were employed to lock folds into one of the topologies without noticeable structural alterations. The unique combination of sequence mutations, high-resolution NMR structural information, and the thermodynamic stability for both topological competitors identified critical loop residue interactions. In contrast to first loop residues, which are mostly disordered and exposed to solvent in both propeller and lateral loops bridging a narrow groove, the last loop residue in a lateral three-nucleotide loop is engaged in stabilizing stacking interactions. The propensity of single-nucleotide loops to favor all-parallel topologies by enforcing a propeller-like conformation of an additional longer loop is shown to result from their preference in linking two outer tetrads of the same tetrad polarity. Taken together, the present studies contribute to a better structural and thermodynamic understanding of delicate loop interactions in genomic and artificially designed quadruplexes, e.g. when employed as therapeutics or in other biotechnological applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jagannath Jana
- Institute of Biochemistry, Universität Greifswald, D-17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | | | - Nina Schröder
- Institute of Biochemistry, Universität Greifswald, D-17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Klaus Weisz
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +49 3834 420 4426; Fax: +49 3834 420 4427;
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Lena A, Benassi A, Stasi M, Saint‐Pierre C, Freccero M, Gasparutto D, Bombard S, Doria F, Verga D. Photoactivatable V-Shaped Bifunctional Quinone Methide Precursors as a New Class of Selective G-quadruplex Alkylating Agents. Chemistry 2022; 28:e202200734. [PMID: 35441438 PMCID: PMC9322314 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202200734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Combining the selectivity of G-quadruplex (G4) ligands with the spatial and temporal control of photochemistry is an emerging strategy to elucidate the biological relevance of these structures. In this work, we developed six novel V-shaped G4 ligands that can, upon irradiation, form stable covalent adducts with G4 structures via the reactive intermediate, quinone methide (QM). We thoroughly investigated the photochemical properties of the ligands and their ability to generate QMs. Subsequently, we analyzed their specificity for various topologies of G4 and discovered a preferential binding towards the human telomeric sequence. Finally, we tested the ligand ability to act as photochemical alkylating agents, identifying the covalent adducts with G4 structures. This work introduces a novel molecular tool in the chemical biology toolkit for G4s.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Lena
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of PaviaViale Taramelli 1027100PaviaItaly
| | - Alessandra Benassi
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of PaviaViale Taramelli 1027100PaviaItaly
| | - Michele Stasi
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of PaviaViale Taramelli 1027100PaviaItaly
- Present Address: Department of ChemistryTechnical University of MunichLichtenbergstraße 485748GarchingGermany
| | | | - Mauro Freccero
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of PaviaViale Taramelli 1027100PaviaItaly
| | - Didier Gasparutto
- University Grenoble AlpesCEACNRSIRIGSyMMES-UMR581938054GrenobleFrance
| | - Sophie Bombard
- CNRS UMR9187INSERM U1196Institut CuriePSL Research University91405OrsayFrance
- CNRS UMR9187INSERM U1196Université Paris-Saclay91405OrsayFrance
| | - Filippo Doria
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of PaviaViale Taramelli 1027100PaviaItaly
| | - Daniela Verga
- CNRS UMR9187INSERM U1196Institut CuriePSL Research University91405OrsayFrance
- CNRS UMR9187INSERM U1196Université Paris-Saclay91405OrsayFrance
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Biomolecules under Pressure: Phase Diagrams, Volume Changes, and High Pressure Spectroscopic Techniques. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105761. [PMID: 35628571 PMCID: PMC9144967 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pressure is an equally important thermodynamical parameter as temperature. However, its importance is often overlooked in the biophysical and biochemical investigations of biomolecules and biological systems. This review focuses on the application of high pressure (>100 MPa = 1 kbar) in biology. Studies of high pressure can give insight into the volumetric aspects of various biological systems; this information cannot be obtained otherwise. High-pressure treatment is a potentially useful alternative method to heat-treatment in food science. Elevated pressure (up to 120 MPa) is present in the deep sea, which is a considerable part of the biosphere. From a basic scientific point of view, the application of the gamut of modern spectroscopic techniques provides information about the conformational changes of biomolecules, fluctuations, and flexibility. This paper reviews first the thermodynamic aspects of pressure science, the important parameters affecting the volume of a molecule. The technical aspects of high pressure production are briefly mentioned, and the most common high-pressure-compatible spectroscopic techniques are also discussed. The last part of this paper deals with the main biomolecules, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids: how they are affected by pressure and what information can be gained about them using pressure. I I also briefly mention a few supramolecular structures such as viruses and bacteria. Finally, a subjective view of the most promising directions of high pressure bioscience is outlined.
Collapse
|
39
|
Rocca R, Scionti F, Nadai M, Moraca F, Maruca A, Costa G, Catalano R, Juli G, Di Martino MT, Ortuso F, Alcaro S, Tagliaferri P, Tassone P, Richter SN, Artese A. Chromene Derivatives as Selective TERRA G-Quadruplex RNA Binders with Antiproliferative Properties. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15050548. [PMID: 35631373 PMCID: PMC9147070 DOI: 10.3390/ph15050548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammalian cells, telomerase transcribes telomeres in large G-rich non-coding RNA, known as telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA), which folds into noncanonical nucleic acid secondary structures called G-quadruplexes (G4s). Since TERRA G4 has been shown to be involved in telomere length and translation regulation, it could provide valuable insight into fundamental biological processes, such as cancer growth, and TERRA G4 binders could represent an innovative strategy for cancer treatment. In this work, the three best candidates identified in our previous virtual screening campaign on bimolecular DNA/RNA G4s were investigated on the monomolecular Tel DNA and TERRA G4s by means of molecular modelling simulations and in vitro and in cell analysis. The results obtained in this work highlighted the stabilizing power of all the three candidates on TERRA G4. In particular, the two compounds characterized by a chromene scaffold were selective TERRA G4 binders, while the compound with a naphthyridine core acted as a dual Tel/TERRA G4-binder. A biophysical investigation by circular dichroism confirmed the relative stabilization efficiency of the compounds towards TERRA and Tel G4s. The TERRA G4 stabilizing hits showed good antiproliferative activity against colorectal and lung adenocarcinoma cell lines. Lead optimization to increase TERRA G4 stabilization may provide new powerful tools against cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Rocca
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Campus “Salvatore Venuta”, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (R.R.); (G.J.); (M.T.D.M.); (P.T.); (P.T.)
- Net4science Srl, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (F.M.); (A.M.); (G.C.); (R.C.); (F.O.); (S.A.)
| | - Francesca Scionti
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), 98164 Messina, Italy;
| | - Matteo Nadai
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Via A. Gabelli 63, 35121 Padua, Italy;
| | - Federica Moraca
- Net4science Srl, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (F.M.); (A.M.); (G.C.); (R.C.); (F.O.); (S.A.)
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Annalisa Maruca
- Net4science Srl, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (F.M.); (A.M.); (G.C.); (R.C.); (F.O.); (S.A.)
- Department of Health Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Campus “Salvatore Venuta”, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Giosuè Costa
- Net4science Srl, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (F.M.); (A.M.); (G.C.); (R.C.); (F.O.); (S.A.)
- Department of Health Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Campus “Salvatore Venuta”, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Raffaella Catalano
- Net4science Srl, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (F.M.); (A.M.); (G.C.); (R.C.); (F.O.); (S.A.)
- Department of Health Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Campus “Salvatore Venuta”, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Giada Juli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Campus “Salvatore Venuta”, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (R.R.); (G.J.); (M.T.D.M.); (P.T.); (P.T.)
| | - Maria Teresa Di Martino
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Campus “Salvatore Venuta”, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (R.R.); (G.J.); (M.T.D.M.); (P.T.); (P.T.)
| | - Francesco Ortuso
- Net4science Srl, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (F.M.); (A.M.); (G.C.); (R.C.); (F.O.); (S.A.)
- Department of Health Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Campus “Salvatore Venuta”, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Stefano Alcaro
- Net4science Srl, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (F.M.); (A.M.); (G.C.); (R.C.); (F.O.); (S.A.)
- Department of Health Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Campus “Salvatore Venuta”, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Pierosandro Tagliaferri
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Campus “Salvatore Venuta”, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (R.R.); (G.J.); (M.T.D.M.); (P.T.); (P.T.)
| | - Pierfrancesco Tassone
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Campus “Salvatore Venuta”, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (R.R.); (G.J.); (M.T.D.M.); (P.T.); (P.T.)
| | - Sara N. Richter
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Via A. Gabelli 63, 35121 Padua, Italy;
- Correspondence: (S.N.R.); (A.A.)
| | - Anna Artese
- Net4science Srl, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (F.M.); (A.M.); (G.C.); (R.C.); (F.O.); (S.A.)
- Department of Health Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Campus “Salvatore Venuta”, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
- Correspondence: (S.N.R.); (A.A.)
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Debbarma S, Acharya PC. Targeting G-Quadruplex Dna For Cancer Chemotherapy. Curr Drug Discov Technol 2022; 19:e140222201110. [PMID: 35156574 DOI: 10.2174/1570163819666220214115408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The self-association of DNA formed by Hoogsteen hydrogen bonding comprises several layers of four guanine or G-tetrads or G4s. The distinct feature of G4s, such as the G-tetrads and loops, qualify structure-selective recognition by small molecules and various ligands and can act as potential anticancer therapeutic molecules. The G4 selective-ligands, can influence gene expression by targeting a nucleic acid structure rather than sequence. Telomere G4 can be targeted for cancer treatment by small molecules inhibiting the telomerase activity whereas c-MYC is capable of controlling transcription, can be targeted to influence transcription. The k-RAS is one of the most frequently encountered oncogenic driver mutations in pancreatic, colorectal, and lung cancers. The k-RAS oncogene plays important role in acquiring and increasing the drug resistance and can also be directly targeted by small molecules to combat k-RAS mutant tumors. Modular G4 ligands with different functional groups, side chains and rotatable bonds as well as conformation affect the binding affinity/selectivity in cancer chemotherapeutic interventions. These modular G4 ligands act by targeting the diversity of G4 loops and groves and assists to develop more drug-like compounds with selectivity. In this review, we present the recent research on synthetic G4 DNA-interacting ligands as an approach toward the discovery of target specific anticancer chemotherapeutic agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sumanta Debbarma
- Department of Pharmacy, Tripura University, Suryamaninagar-799022, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Boyle EP, Lomidze L, Musier‐Forsyth K, Kankia B. A Chimeric DNA/RNA Antiparallel Quadruplex with Improved Stability. ChemistryOpen 2022; 11:e202100276. [PMID: 35103415 PMCID: PMC8805387 DOI: 10.1002/open.202100276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleic acid quadruplexes are proposed to play a role in the regulation of gene expression, are often present in aptamers selected for specific binding functions and have potential applications in medicine and biotechnology. Therefore, understanding their structure and thermodynamic properties and designing highly stable quadruplexes is desirable for a variety of applications. Here, we evaluate DNA→RNA substitutions in the context of a monomolecular, antiparallel quadruplex, the thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA, GGTTGGTGTGGTTGG) in the presence of either K+ or Sr2+ . TBA predominantly folds into a chair-type configuration containing two G-tetrads, with G residues in both syn and anti conformation. All chimeras with DNA→RNA substitutions (G→g) at G residues requiring the syn conformation demonstrated strong destabilization. In contrast, G→g substitutions at Gs with anti conformation increased stability without affecting the monomolecular chair-type topology. None of the DNA→RNA substitutions in loop positions affected the quadruplex topology; however, these substitutions varied widely in their stabilizing or destabilizing effects in an unpredictable manner. This analysis allowed us to design a chimeric DNA/RNA TBA construct that demonstrated substantially improved stability relative to the all-DNA construct. These results have implications for a variety of quadruplex-based applications including for the design of dynamic nanomachines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elaina P. Boyle
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOH 43210USA
- Center for RNA BiologyThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOH 43210USA
| | - Levan Lomidze
- Institute of BiophysicsIlia State UniversityTbilisi0162Republic of Georgia
| | - Karin Musier‐Forsyth
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOH 43210USA
- Center for RNA BiologyThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOH 43210USA
| | - Besik Kankia
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOH 43210USA
- Center for RNA BiologyThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOH 43210USA
- Institute of BiophysicsIlia State UniversityTbilisi0162Republic of Georgia
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Ngai CK, Lam SL, Lee HK, Guo P. A purine and a backbone discontinuous site alter the structure and thermal stability of DNA minidumbbells containing two pentaloops. FEBS Lett 2022; 596:826-840. [DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cheuk Kit Ngai
- Department of Chemistry The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shatin New Territories Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Sik Lok Lam
- Department of Chemistry The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shatin New Territories Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Hung Kay Lee
- Department of Chemistry The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shatin New Territories Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Pei Guo
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering South China University of Technology Guangzhou Guangdong 51006 China
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Fluorescent AgNCs Formed on Bifunctional DNA Template for Potassium Ion Detection. CHEMOSENSORS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/chemosensors9120349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we examined properties of silver nanoclusters, which are AgNCs stabilized by DNA oligonucleotide scaffold containing G-quadruplex-forming sequences: human telomeric (Tel22) or thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA). Thus, we obtained two fluorescent probes abbreviated as Tel22C12-AgNCs and TBAC12-AgNCs, which were characterized using absorption, circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy. Both probes emit green and red fluorescence. The presence of silver nanoclusters did not destabilize the formed G-quadruplexes. The structural changes of probes upon binding K+ or Na+ ions cause quenching in their red emission. Green emission was slightly quenched only in the case of Tel22C12-AgNCs; on the contrary, for TBAC12-AgNC’s green emission, we observed an increasing fluorescence signal. Moreover, the Tel22C12-AgNCs system shows not only a higher binding preference for K+ over Na+, but it was able to monitor small changes in K+ concentrations in the buffer mimicking extracellular conditions (high content of Na+ ions). These results suggest that Tel22C12-AgNCs exhibit the potential to monitor transmembrane potassium transport.
Collapse
|
44
|
Pilot imaging study of o-BMVC foci for discrimination of indeterminate cytology in diagnosing fine-needle aspiration of thyroid nodules. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23475. [PMID: 34873208 PMCID: PMC8648827 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02887-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy of a fluorescence probe, 3,6-bis(1-methyl-2-vinylpyridinium) carbazole diiodide (o-BMVC), provides an objective method for preoperative diagnosis of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of thyroid nodules. The key of this o-BMVC test of FNA smears is the measurement of the digital number of o-BMVC foci in the nucleus. Thus, there are three categories classified in the o-BMVC test, which are nondiagnostic for unsatisfactory samples, benign for less numbers of o-BMVC foci, and malignant for more numbers of o-BMVC foci. The discrimination of indeterminate (including atypia, follicular neoplasm, suspicious) cytology into benign or malignant cases can reduce diagnostic uncertainty and benefit clinical decision making. This pilot study strongly suggests that the o-BMVC test is an invaluable method for diagnosing FNA samples. Particularly, the combination of FNA cytology and the o-BMVC test holds great promise to improve the efficacy of diagnosis and reduce the healthcare costs.
Collapse
|
45
|
Patil KM, Chin D, Seah HL, Shi Q, Lim KW, Phan AT. G4-PROTAC: targeted degradation of a G-quadruplex binding protein. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 57:12816-12819. [PMID: 34783801 DOI: 10.1039/d1cc05025g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
G-quadruplex (G4) binding proteins regulate important biological processes, but their interaction networks are poorly understood. We report the first use of G4 as a warhead of a proteolysis-targeting chimera (G4-PROTAC) for targeted degradation of a G4-binding protein (RHAU/DHX36). G4-PROTAC provides a new way to explore G4-protein networks and to develop potential therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kiran M Patil
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371, Singapore.
| | - Danielle Chin
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371, Singapore.
| | - Hui Ling Seah
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371, Singapore.
| | - Qi Shi
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371, Singapore.
| | - Kah Wai Lim
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371, Singapore.
| | - Anh Tuân Phan
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371, Singapore. .,NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University, 636921, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Liu YC, Yang DY, Sheu SY. Insights into the free energy landscape and salt-controlled mechanism of the conformational conversions between human telomeric G-quadruplex structures. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 191:230-242. [PMID: 34536474 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.09.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
G-quadruplexes have become attractive drug targets in cancer therapy. However, due to the polymorphism of G-quadruplex structures, it is difficult to experimentally verify the relevant structures of multiple intermediates and transition states in dynamic equilibrium. Hence, understanding the mechanism by which structural conversions of G-quadruplexes occur is still challenging. We conducted targeted molecular dynamics simulation with umbrella sampling to investigate how salt affects the conformational conversion of human telomeric G-quadruplex. Our results explore a unique view into the structures and energy barrier of the intermediates and transition states in the interconversion process. The pathway of G-quadruplex conformational interconversion was mapped out by a free energy landscape, consisting of branched parallel pathways with multiple energy basins. We propose a salt-controlled mechanism that as the salt concentration increases, the conformational conversion mechanism switches from multi-pathway folding to sequential folding pathways. The hybrid-I and hybrid-II structures are intermediates in the basket-propeller transformation. In high-salt solutions, the conformational conversion upon K+ binding is more feasible than upon Na+ binding. The free energy barrier for conformational conversions ranges from 1.6 to 4.6 kcal/mol. Our work will be beneficial in developing anticancer agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Cheng Liu
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
| | - Dah-Yen Yang
- Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
| | - Sheh-Yi Sheu
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan; Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Wang Y, Li G, Meng T, Qi L, Yan H, Wang Z. Molecular insights into the selective binding mechanism targeting parallel human telomeric G-quadruplex. J Mol Graph Model 2021; 110:108058. [PMID: 34736054 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2021.108058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Stabilizing human telomere DNA G-quadruplex (G4) proves a promising anti-cancer strategy. Though plenty of G4 stabilizing molecules have been reported, little is known about their selective binding mechanism among various G4s. Recently, a designed monohydrazone derivative (compound 15) was reported to display specific preference in binding and stabilizing parallel human telomeric G4. To reveal the selective binding mechanism, a comparative theoretical investigation was performed on two monohydrazone derivatives (compounds 1 and 15) and three telomeric G4s showing parallel, hybrid-I, and hybrid-II conformations. Two probable binding modes, i.e. the end-stacking binding and the groove binding, were predicted by molecular dockings for each monohydrazone in its binding with the telomeric G4s. Further long-timescale molecular dynamics simulations reveal the conversion from the groove binding to the end-stacking binding for both compounds, indicating the preference of the end-stacking binding mode. Structural analysis together with binding free energy calculations show that the van der Waals interaction plays a leading role in ranking the binding affinity. By forming extensive van der Waals interactions, the parallel G4-15 binding complex shows the highest binding affinity, and the corresponding compound 15 exhibits the strongest stabilizing effect to the telomeric G4. These findings agree well with the experimental observations. Through characterizing the selective binding between monohydrazones and telomeric G4s at the atomic level, the current study provides support to the design of novel selective stabilizers targeting telomeric G4s.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong Province, 252059, China
| | - Guo Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, Hainan Province, 571199, China
| | - Tong Meng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong Province, 252059, China
| | - Lin Qi
- Railway Police College, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450053, China
| | - Hui Yan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong Province, 252059, China.
| | - Zhiguo Wang
- Institute of Ageing Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 311121, China.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Sarkar S, Singh PC. The combined action of cations and anions of ionic liquids modulates the formation and stability of G-quadruplex DNA. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:24497-24504. [PMID: 34700329 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp03730g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
G-Quadruplex (Gq) formation and stabilization by any molecule is an essential requirement for its application in therapy, especially in oncology. Metal cations have shown higher propensity of the formation of the Gq structure and its stabilization. In this study, the role of both cations and anions of ionic liquids (ILs) on the Gq formation of human telomere (hTeloG) and its stability was investigated using spectroscopic and molecular dynamics simulation techniques. Irrespective of the nature of anions of ILs, tetramethylguanidinium (TMG) cations associated with different anions can form an antiparallel Gq structure in hTeloG. However, the propensity of the formation of an antiparallel Gq structure and its stability depend on the chain length of anions of ILs. Gq is significantly less stable in ILs having longer hydrocarbon chain anions compared to the short chain anions suggesting that the hydrophobicity of the anion plays a critical role in the stability and formation of the Gq structure by ILs. The data indicate that longer hydrocarbon chain anions of ILs preferably interact in the loop region of Gq through hydrophobic interaction which enhances the overall binding of the cation of ILs with Gq causing a decrease in the stacking energy between the G-quartets as well as Hoogsteen hydrogen bonds between the guanine bases leading to the destabilization of the antiparallel Gq structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sunipa Sarkar
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata, India, 700032.
| | - Prashant Chandra Singh
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata, India, 700032.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Fu W, Jing H, Xu X, Xu S, Wang T, Hu W, Li H, Zhang N. Two coexisting pseudo-mirror heteromolecular telomeric G-quadruplexes in opposite loop progressions differentially recognized by a low equivalent of Thioflavin T. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:10717-10734. [PMID: 34500466 PMCID: PMC8501994 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The final 3′-terminal residue of the telomeric DNA G-overhang is inherently less precise. Here, we describe how alteration of the last 3′-terminal base affects the mutual recognition between two different G-rich oligomers of human telomeric DNA in the formation of heteromolecular G-quadruplexes (hetero-GQs). Associations between three- and single-repeat fragments of human telomeric DNA, target d(GGGTTAGGGTTAGGG) and probe d(TAGGGT), in Na+ solution yield two coexisting forms of (3 + 1) hybrid hetero-GQs: the kinetically favourable LLP-form (left loop progression) and the thermodynamically controlled RLP-form (right loop progression). However, only the adoption of a single LLP-form has been previously reported between the same probe d(TAGGGT) and a target variant d(GGGTTAGGGTTAGGGT) having one extra 3′-end thymine. Moreover, the flanking base alterations of short G-rich probe variants also significantly affect the loop progressions of hetero-GQs. Although seemingly two pseudo-mirror counter partners, the RLP-form exhibits a preference over the LLP-form to be recognized by a low equivalent of fluorescence dye thioflavin T (ThT). To a greater extent, ThT preferentially binds to RLP hetero-GQ than with the corresponding telomeric DNA duplex context or several other representative unimolecular GQs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenqiang Fu
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China.,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Haitao Jing
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China.,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Xiaojuan Xu
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China.,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Suping Xu
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Tao Wang
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Wenxuan Hu
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China.,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Huihui Li
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China.,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Na Zhang
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China.,Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China.,Key Laboratory of Anhui Province for High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Hefei 230031, China.,High Magnetic Field Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei 230031, China
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Jana J, Weisz K. Thermodynamic Stability of G-Quadruplexes: Impact of Sequence and Environment. Chembiochem 2021; 22:2848-2856. [PMID: 33844423 PMCID: PMC8518667 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
G-quadruplexes have attracted growing interest in recent years due to their occurrence in vivo and their possible biological functions. In addition to being promising targets for drug design, these four-stranded nucleic acid structures have also been recognized as versatile tools for various technological applications. Whereas a large number of studies have yielded insight into their remarkable structural diversity, our current knowledge on G-quadruplex stabilities as a function of sequence and environmental factors only gradually emerges with an expanding collection of thermodynamic data. This minireview provides an overview of general rules that may be used to better evaluate quadruplex thermodynamic stabilities but also discusses present challenges in predicting most stable folds for a given sequence and environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jagannath Jana
- Institute of BiochemistryUniversität GreifswaldFelix-Hausdorff Str. 417489GreifswaldGermany
| | - Klaus Weisz
- Institute of BiochemistryUniversität GreifswaldFelix-Hausdorff Str. 417489GreifswaldGermany
| |
Collapse
|