1
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Yang B, Guneri D, Yu H, Wright EP, Chen W, Waller ZE, Ding Y. Prediction of DNA i-motifs via machine learning. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:2188-2197. [PMID: 38364855 PMCID: PMC10954440 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae092] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
i-Motifs (iMs), are secondary structures formed in cytosine-rich DNA sequences and are involved in multiple functions in the genome. Although putative iM forming sequences are widely distributed in the human genome, the folding status and strength of putative iMs vary dramatically. Much previous research on iM has focused on assessing the iM folding properties using biophysical experiments. However, there are no dedicated computational tools for predicting the folding status and strength of iM structures. Here, we introduce a machine learning pipeline, iM-Seeker, to predict both folding status and structural stability of DNA iMs. The programme iM-Seeker incorporates a Balanced Random Forest classifier trained on genome-wide iMab antibody-based CUT&Tag sequencing data to predict the folding status and an Extreme Gradient Boosting regressor to estimate the folding strength according to both literature biophysical data and our in-house biophysical experiments. iM-Seeker predicts DNA iM folding status with a classification accuracy of 81% and estimates the folding strength with coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.642 on the test set. Model interpretation confirms that the nucleotide composition of the C-rich sequence significantly affects iM stability, with a positive correlation with sequences containing cytosine and thymine and a negative correlation with guanine and adenine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibo Yang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Dilek Guneri
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Haopeng Yu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Elisé P Wright
- Molecular Physiology School of Medicine, and Molecular Medicine Research Group, University of Western Sydney, Campbelltown, NSW 1797, Australia
| | - Wenqian Chen
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Zoë A E Waller
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Yiliang Ding
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
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2
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Datta S, Patel M, Sathyaseelan C, Ghosh C, Mudgal A, Patel D, Rathinavelan T, Singh U. G-quadruplex landscape and its regulation revealed by a new antibody capture method. Oncotarget 2024; 15:175-198. [PMID: 38484151 PMCID: PMC10939474 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28564] [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: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of DNA G-quadruplexes (G4s) from in vitro studies has been complemented by genome-wide G4 landscapes from cultured cells. Conventionally, the formation of G4s is accepted to depend on G-repeats such that they form tetrads. However, genome-wide G4s characterized through high-throughput sequencing suggest that these structures form at a large number of regions with no such canonical G4-forming signatures. Many G4-binding proteins have been described with no evidence for any protein that binds to and stabilizes G4s. It remains unknown what fraction of G4s formed in human cells are protein-bound. The G4-chromatin immunoprecipitation (G4-ChIP) method hitherto employed to describe G4 landscapes preferentially reports G4s that get crosslinked to proteins in their proximity. Our current understanding of the G4 landscape is biased against representation of G4s which escape crosslinking as they are not stabilized by protein-binding and presumably transient. We report a protocol that captures G4s from the cells efficiently without any bias as well as eliminates the detection of G4s formed artifactually on crosslinked sheared chromatin post-fixation. We discover that G4s form sparingly at SINEs. An application of this method shows that depletion of a repeat-binding protein CGGBP1 enhances net G4 capture at CGGBP1-dependent CTCF-binding sites and regions of sharp interstrand G/C-skew transitions. Thus, we present an improved method for G4 landscape determination and by applying it we show that sequence property-specific constraints of the nuclear environment mitigate G4 formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhamoy Datta
- HoMeCell Lab, Discipline of Biological Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
| | - Manthan Patel
- Centre for Genomics and Child Health, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK
| | - Chakkarai Sathyaseelan
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi Campus, Telangana 502285, India
| | - Chandrama Ghosh
- Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Henrietta Szold 8A, Safed 1311502, Israel
| | - Akanksha Mudgal
- Department of Biopharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin 20059, Poland
| | - Divyesh Patel
- Research Programs Unit, Applied Tumor Genomics Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Biomedicum, Helsinki 00290, Finland
| | | | - Umashankar Singh
- HoMeCell Lab, Discipline of Biological Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
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3
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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.
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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
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4
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Korsakova A, Phan AT. Prediction of G4 formation in live cells with epigenetic data: a deep learning approach. NAR Genom Bioinform 2023; 5:lqad071. [PMID: 37636021 PMCID: PMC10448861 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqad071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are secondary structures abundant in DNA that may play regulatory roles in cells. Despite the ubiquity of the putative G-quadruplex-forming sequences (PQS) in the human genome, only a small fraction forms G4 structures in cells. Folded G4, histone methylation and chromatin accessibility are all parts of the complex cis regulatory landscape. We propose an approach for prediction of G4 formation in cells that incorporates epigenetic and chromatin accessibility data. The novel approach termed epiG4NN efficiently predicts cell-specific G4 formation in live cells based on a local epigenomic snapshot. Our results confirm the close relationship between H3K4me3 histone methylation, chromatin accessibility and G4 structure formation. Trained on A549 cell data, epiG4NN was then able to predict G4 formation in HEK293T and K562 cell lines. We observe the dependency of model performance with different epigenetic features on the underlying experimental condition of G4 detection. We expect that this approach will contribute to the systematic understanding of correlations between structural and epigenomic feature landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Korsakova
- 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
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5
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Hu W, Jing H, Fu W, Wang Z, Zhou J, Zhang N. Conversion to Trimolecular G-Quadruplex by Spontaneous Hoogsteen Pairing-Based Strand Displacement Reaction between Bimolecular G-Quadruplex and Double G-Rich Probes. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:18578-18590. [PMID: 37553999 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c05617] [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: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Bimolecular or tetramolecular G-quadruplexes (GQs) are predominantly self-assembled by the same sequence-identical G-rich oligonucleotides and usually remain inert to the strand displacement reaction (SDR) with other short G-rich invading fragments of DNA or RNA. Appealingly, in this study, we demonstrate that a parallel homomeric bimolecular GQ target of Tub10 d(CAGGGAGGGT) as the starting reactant, although completely folded in K+ solution and sufficiently stable (melting temperature of 57.7 °C), can still spontaneously accept strand invasion by a pair of short G-rich invading probes of P1 d(TGGGA) near room temperature. The final SDR product is a novel parallel heteromeric trimolecular GQ (tri-GQ) of Tub10/2P1 reassembled between one Tub10 strand and two P1 strands. Here we present, to the best of our knowledge, the first NMR solution structure of such a discrete heteromeric tri-GQ and unveil a unique mode of two probes vs one target in mutual recognition among G-rich canonical DNA oligomers. As a model system, the short invading probe P1 can spontaneously trap G-rich target Tub10 from a Watson-Crick duplex completely hybridized between Tub10 and its fully complementary strand d(ACCCTCCCTG). The Tub10 sequence of d(CAGGGAGGGT) is a fragment from the G-rich promoter region of the human β2-tubulin gene. Our findings provide new insights into the Hoogsteen pairing-based SDR between a GQ target and double invading probes of short G-rich DNA fragments and are expected to grant access to increasingly complex architectures in GQ-based DNA nanotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxuan Hu
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Haitao Jing
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Wenqiang Fu
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Zengrong Wang
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Jiang Zhou
- Analytical Instrumentation Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Na Zhang
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, 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
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
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6
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Trizna L, Osif B, Víglaský V. G-QINDER Tool: Bioinformatically Predicted Formation of Different Four-Stranded DNA Motifs from (GT) n and (GA) n Repeats. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087565. [PMID: 37108727 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087565] [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: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The recently introduced semi-orthogonal system of nucleic acid imaging offers a greatly improved method of identifying DNA sequences that are capable of adopting noncanonical structures. This paper uses our newly developed G-QINDER tool to identify specific repeat sequences that adopt unique structural motifs in DNA: TG and AG repeats. The structures were found to adopt a left-handed G-quadruplex form under extreme crowding conditions and a unique tetrahelical motif under certain other conditions. The tetrahelical structure likely consists of stacked AGAG-tetrads but, unlike G-quadruplexes, their stability does not appear to be dependent on the type of monovalent cation present. The occurrence of TG and AG repeats in genomes is not rare, and they are also found frequently in the regulatory regions of nucleic acids, so it is reasonable to assume that putative structural motifs, like other noncanonical forms, could play an important regulatory role in cells. This hypothesis is supported by the structural stability of the AGAG motif; its unfolding can occur even at physiological temperatures since the melting temperature is primarily dependent on the number of AG repeats in the sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukáš Trizna
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 04001 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Branislav Osif
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 04001 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Viktor Víglaský
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 04001 Košice, Slovakia
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7
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Structural insights and shedding light on preferential interactions of dietary flavonoids with G-quadruplex DNA structures: A new horizon. Heliyon 2023; 9:e13959. [PMID: 36879969 PMCID: PMC9984854 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplex, a structurally unique structure in nucleic acids present all throughout the human genome, has sparked great attention in therapeutic investigations. Targeting G-quadruplex structure is a new strategy for the drug development. Flavonoids are found in almost all dietary plant-based beverages and food products; therefore, they are ingested in significant proportions through the human diet. Although synthetically developed drug molecules are used vigorously but they have various adverse effects. While on the other hand, nature supplies chemically unique scaffolds in the form of distinct dietary flavonoids that are easily accessible, less poisonous, and have higher bioavailability. Because of their great pharmacological effectiveness and minimal cytotoxicity, such low molecular weight compounds are feasible alternatives to synthetic therapeutic medicines. Therefore, from a drug-development point of view, investigation on screening the binding capabilities of quadruplex-interactive small natural compounds like dietary flavonoids are expected to be highly effective, with a particular emphasis on the selectivity towards polymorphic G-quadruplex structures. In this respect, quadruplexes have scintillated research into their potential interaction with these dietary flavonoids. The purpose of this review is to offer an up-to-date close-up look at the research on their interaction with structurally varied dietary flavonoids with the goal of providing newer perspectives to construct novel therapeutic agents for next-generation disease managements.
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8
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Mora A, Huang X, Jauhari S, Jiang Q, Li X. Chromatin Hubs: A biological and computational outlook. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:3796-3813. [PMID: 35891791 PMCID: PMC9304431 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This review discusses our current understanding of chromatin biology and bioinformatics under the unifying concept of “chromatin hubs.” The first part reviews the biology of chromatin hubs, including chromatin–chromatin interaction hubs, chromatin hubs at the nuclear periphery, hubs around macromolecules such as RNA polymerase or lncRNAs, and hubs around nuclear bodies such as the nucleolus or nuclear speckles. The second part reviews existing computational methods, including enhancer–promoter interaction prediction, network analysis, chromatin domain callers, transcription factory predictors, and multi-way interaction analysis. We introduce an integrated model that makes sense of the existing evidence. Understanding chromatin hubs may allow us (i) to explain long-unsolved biological questions such as interaction specificity and redundancy of mechanisms, (ii) to develop more realistic kinetic and functional predictions, and (iii) to explain the etiology of genomic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Mora
- Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University and Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Guangzhou 511436, PR China
- Corresponding authors.
| | - Xiaowei Huang
- Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University and Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Guangzhou 511436, PR China
| | - Shaurya Jauhari
- Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University and Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Guangzhou 511436, PR China
| | - Qin Jiang
- Affiliated Eye Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210000, PR China
| | - Xuri Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou 510060, PR China
- Corresponding authors.
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9
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Severov V, Tsvetkov V, Barinov N, Babenko V, Klinov D, Pozmogova G. Spontaneous DNA Synapsis by Forming Noncanonical Intermolecular Structures. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14102118. [PMID: 35632001 PMCID: PMC9144187 DOI: 10.3390/polym14102118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
We report the spontaneous formation of DNA-DNA junctions in solution in the absence of proteins visualised using atomic force microscopy. The synapsis position fits with potential G-quadruplex (G4) sites. In contrast to the Holliday structure, these conjugates have an affinity for G4 antibodies. Molecular modelling was used to elucidate the possible G4/IM-synaptic complex structures. Our results indicate a new role of the intermolecular noncanonical structures in chromatin architecture and genomic rearrangement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viacheslav Severov
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Malaya Pirogovskaya Str. 1a, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (N.B.); (V.B.); (D.K.); (G.P.)
- Correspondence: (V.S.); (V.T.)
| | - Vladimir Tsvetkov
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Malaya Pirogovskaya Str. 1a, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (N.B.); (V.B.); (D.K.); (G.P.)
- Institute of Biodesign and Complex System Modeling, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Trubetskaya Str. 8-2, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- A.V. Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, Leninsky prospect Str. 29, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence: (V.S.); (V.T.)
| | - Nikolay Barinov
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Malaya Pirogovskaya Str. 1a, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (N.B.); (V.B.); (D.K.); (G.P.)
| | - Vladislav Babenko
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Malaya Pirogovskaya Str. 1a, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (N.B.); (V.B.); (D.K.); (G.P.)
| | - Dmitry Klinov
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Malaya Pirogovskaya Str. 1a, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (N.B.); (V.B.); (D.K.); (G.P.)
- Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), 6 Miklukho-Maklaya str.6, 117198 Moscow, Russia
| | - Galina Pozmogova
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Malaya Pirogovskaya Str. 1a, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (N.B.); (V.B.); (D.K.); (G.P.)
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10
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Galati E, Bosio MC, Novarina D, Chiara M, Bernini GM, Mozzarelli AM, García-Rubio ML, Gómez-González B, Aguilera A, Carzaniga T, Todisco M, Bellini T, Nava GM, Frigè G, Sertic S, Horner DS, Baryshnikova A, Manzari C, D'Erchia AM, Pesole G, Brown GW, Muzi-Falconi M, Lazzaro F. VID22 counteracts G-quadruplex-induced genome instability. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:12785-12804. [PMID: 34871443 PMCID: PMC8682794 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1156] [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: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome instability is a condition characterized by the accumulation of genetic alterations and is a hallmark of cancer cells. To uncover new genes and cellular pathways affecting endogenous DNA damage and genome integrity, we exploited a Synthetic Genetic Array (SGA)-based screen in yeast. Among the positive genes, we identified VID22, reported to be involved in DNA double-strand break repair. vid22Δ cells exhibit increased levels of endogenous DNA damage, chronic DNA damage response activation and accumulate DNA aberrations in sequences displaying high probabilities of forming G-quadruplexes (G4-DNA). If not resolved, these DNA secondary structures can block the progression of both DNA and RNA polymerases and correlate with chromosome fragile sites. Vid22 binds to and protects DNA at G4-containing regions both in vitro and in vivo. Loss of VID22 causes an increase in gross chromosomal rearrangement (GCR) events dependent on G-quadruplex forming sequences. Moreover, the absence of Vid22 causes defects in the correct maintenance of G4-DNA rich elements, such as telomeres and mtDNA, and hypersensitivity to the G4-stabilizing ligand TMPyP4. We thus propose that Vid22 is directly involved in genome integrity maintenance as a novel regulator of G4 metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Galati
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Maria C Bosio
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Novarina
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Chiara
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy.,Istituto di Biomembrane, Bioenergetica e Biotecnologie Molecolari, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Bari, Italy
| | - Giulia M Bernini
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro M Mozzarelli
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Maria L García-Rubio
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Belén Gómez-González
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Andrés Aguilera
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Thomas Carzaniga
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Todisco
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milan, Italy
| | - Tommaso Bellini
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia M Nava
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Gianmaria Frigè
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Sarah Sertic
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - David S Horner
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy.,Istituto di Biomembrane, Bioenergetica e Biotecnologie Molecolari, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Bari, Italy
| | - Anastasia Baryshnikova
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Caterina Manzari
- Istituto di Biomembrane, Bioenergetica e Biotecnologie Molecolari, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Bari, Italy
| | - Anna M D'Erchia
- Istituto di Biomembrane, Bioenergetica e Biotecnologie Molecolari, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Bari, Italy.,Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Biotecnologie e Biofarmaceutica, Università di Bari 'A. Moro', Bari, Italy
| | - Graziano Pesole
- Istituto di Biomembrane, Bioenergetica e Biotecnologie Molecolari, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Bari, Italy.,Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Biotecnologie e Biofarmaceutica, Università di Bari 'A. Moro', Bari, Italy
| | - Grant W Brown
- Department of Biochemistry and Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Toronto, Canada
| | - Marco Muzi-Falconi
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Federico Lazzaro
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
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11
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Lyu J, Shao R, Kwong Yung PY, Elsässer SJ. Genome-wide mapping of G-quadruplex structures with CUT&Tag. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 50:e13. [PMID: 34792172 PMCID: PMC8860588 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-stranded genomic DNA can fold into G-quadruplex (G4) structures or form DNA:RNA hybrids (R loops). Recent evidence suggests that such non-canonical DNA structures affect gene expression, DNA methylation, replication fork progression and genome stability. When and how G4 structures form and are resolved remains unclear. Here we report the use of Cleavage Under Targets and Tagmentation (CUT&Tag) for mapping native G4 in mammalian cell lines at high resolution and low background. Mild native conditions used for the procedure retain more G4 structures and provide a higher signal-to-noise ratio than ChIP-based methods. We determine the G4 landscape of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC), observing widespread G4 formation at active promoters, active and poised enhancers. We discover that the presence of G4 motifs and G4 structures distinguishes active and primed enhancers in mouse ESCs. Upon differentiation to neural progenitor cells (NPC), enhancer G4s are lost. Further, performing R-loop CUT&Tag, we demonstrate the genome-wide co-occurrence of single-stranded DNA, G4s and R loops at promoters and enhancers. We confirm that G4 structures exist independent of ongoing transcription, suggesting an intricate relationship between transcription and non-canonical DNA structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Lyu
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 23, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden.,Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Stockholm node, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rui Shao
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 23, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden.,Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Stockholm node, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Philip Yuk Kwong Yung
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 23, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden.,Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Stockholm node, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Simon J Elsässer
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 23, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden.,Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Stockholm node, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
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12
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Marilovtseva EV, Studitsky VM. Guanine Quadruplexes in Cell Nucleus Metabolism. Mol Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026893321040075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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13
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Teng FY, Jiang ZZ, Guo M, Tan XZ, Chen F, Xi XG, Xu Y. G-quadruplex DNA: a novel target for drug design. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:6557-6583. [PMID: 34459951 PMCID: PMC11072987 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03921-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
G-quadruplex (G4) DNA is a type of quadruple helix structure formed by a continuous guanine-rich DNA sequence. Emerging evidence in recent years authenticated that G4 DNA structures exist both in cell-free and cellular systems, and function in different diseases, especially in various cancers, aging, neurological diseases, and have been considered novel promising targets for drug design. In this review, we summarize the detection method and the structure of G4, highlighting some non-canonical G4 DNA structures, such as G4 with a bulge, a vacancy, or a hairpin. Subsequently, the functions of G4 DNA in physiological processes are discussed, especially their regulation of DNA replication, transcription of disease-related genes (c-MYC, BCL-2, KRAS, c-KIT et al.), telomere maintenance, and epigenetic regulation. Typical G4 ligands that target promoters and telomeres for drug design are also reviewed, including ellipticine derivatives, quinoxaline analogs, telomestatin analogs, berberine derivatives, and CX-5461, which is currently in advanced phase I/II clinical trials for patients with hematologic cancer and BRCA1/2-deficient tumors. Furthermore, since the long-term stable existence of G4 DNA structures could result in genomic instability, we summarized the G4 unfolding mechanisms emerged recently by multiple G4-specific DNA helicases, such as Pif1, RecQ family helicases, FANCJ, and DHX36. This review aims to present a general overview of the field of G-quadruplex DNA that has progressed in recent years and provides potential strategies for drug design and disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Yuan Teng
- Experimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Luzhou, and Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Nephropathy, and Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zong-Zhe Jiang
- Experimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Luzhou, and Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Nephropathy, and Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Man Guo
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Luzhou, and Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Nephropathy, and Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiao-Zhen Tan
- Experimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Luzhou, and Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Nephropathy, and Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Feng Chen
- Experimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Xu-Guang Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
- LBPA, Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, 61, Avenue du Président Wilson, 94235, Cachan, France.
| | - Yong Xu
- Experimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Luzhou, and Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Nephropathy, and Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.
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14
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Banerjee N, Panda S, Chatterjee S. Frontiers in G-Quadruplex Therapeutics in Cancer: Selection of Small Molecules, Peptides and Aptamers. Chem Biol Drug Des 2021; 99:1-31. [PMID: 34148284 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
G-quadruplex, a unique secondary structure in nucleic acids found throughout human genome, elicited widespread interest in the field of therapeutic research. Being present in key regulatory regions of oncogenes, RNAs and telomere, G-quadruplex structure regulates transcription, translation, splicing etc. Changes in its structure and stability leads to differential expression of oncogenes causing cancer. Thus, targeting G-Quadruplex structures with small molecules/other biologics has shown elevated research interest. Covering previous reports, in this review we try to enlighten the facts on the structural diversity in G-quadruplex ligands aiming to provide newer insights to design first-in-class drugs for the next generation cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilanjan Banerjee
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Road, Scheme VIIM, Kankurgachi, Kolkata, 700054, India
| | - Suman Panda
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Road, Scheme VIIM, Kankurgachi, Kolkata, 700054, India
| | - Subhrangsu Chatterjee
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Road, Scheme VIIM, Kankurgachi, Kolkata, 700054, India
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15
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Xu J, Jiang R, He H, Ma C, Tang Z. Recent advances on G-quadruplex for biosensing, bioimaging and cancer therapy. Trends Analyt Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2021.116257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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16
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Røyrvik EC, Johnston IG. MtDNA sequence features associated with 'selfish genomes' predict tissue-specific segregation and reversion. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:8290-8301. [PMID: 32716035 PMCID: PMC7470939 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encodes cellular machinery vital for cell and organism survival. Mutations, genetic manipulation, and gene therapies may produce cells where different types of mtDNA coexist in admixed populations. In these admixtures, one mtDNA type is often observed to proliferate over another, with different types dominating in different tissues. This ‘segregation bias’ is a long-standing biological mystery that may pose challenges to modern mtDNA disease therapies, leading to substantial recent attention in biological and medical circles. Here, we show how an mtDNA sequence’s balance between replication and transcription, corresponding to molecular ‘selfishness’, in conjunction with cellular selection, can potentially modulate segregation bias. We combine a new replication-transcription-selection (RTS) model with a meta-analysis of existing data to show that this simple theory predicts complex tissue-specific patterns of segregation in mouse experiments, and reversion in human stem cells. We propose the stability of G-quadruplexes in the mtDNA control region, influencing the balance between transcription and replication primer formation, as a potential molecular mechanism governing this balance. Linking mtDNA sequence features, through this molecular mechanism, to cellular population dynamics, we use sequence data to obtain and verify the sequence-specific predictions from this hypothesis on segregation behaviour in mouse and human mtDNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen C Røyrvik
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway.,K.G. Jebsen Center for Autoimmune Diseases, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Iain G Johnston
- Department of Mathematics, University of Bergen, Norway.,Alan Turing Institute, London, UK
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17
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Abstract
Several decades elapsed between the first descriptions of G-quadruplex nucleic acid structures (G4s) assembled in vitro and the emergence of experimental findings indicating that such structures can form and function in living systems. A large body of evidence now supports roles for G4s in many aspects of nucleic acid biology, spanning processes from transcription and chromatin structure, mRNA processing, protein translation, DNA replication and genome stability, and telomere and mitochondrial function. Nonetheless, it must be acknowledged that some of this evidence is tentative, which is not surprising given the technical challenges associated with demonstrating G4s in biology. Here I provide an overview of evidence for G4 biology, focusing particularly on the many potential pitfalls that can be encountered in its investigation, and briefly discuss some of broader biological processes that may be impacted by G4s including cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Brad Johnson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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18
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Williams JD, Houserova D, Johnson BR, Dyniewski B, Berroyer A, French H, Barchie AA, Bilbrey DD, Demeis JD, Ghee KR, Hughes AG, Kreitz NW, McInnis CH, Pudner SC, Reeves MN, Stahly AN, Turcu A, Watters BC, Daly GT, Langley RJ, Gillespie MN, Prakash A, Larson ED, Kasukurthi MV, Huang J, Jinks-Robertson S, Borchert GM. Characterization of long G4-rich enhancer-associated genomic regions engaging in a novel loop:loop 'G4 Kissing' interaction. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:5907-5925. [PMID: 32383760 PMCID: PMC7293029 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [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: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian antibody switch regions (∼1500 bp) are composed of a series of closely neighboring G4-capable sequences. Whereas numerous structural and genome-wide analyses of roles for minimal G4s in transcriptional regulation have been reported, Long G4-capable regions (LG4s)-like those at antibody switch regions-remain virtually unexplored. Using a novel computational approach we have identified 301 LG4s in the human genome and find LG4s prone to mutation and significantly associated with chromosomal rearrangements in malignancy. Strikingly, 217 LG4s overlap annotated enhancers, and we find the promoters regulated by these enhancers markedly enriched in G4-capable sequences suggesting G4s facilitate promoter-enhancer interactions. Finally, and much to our surprise, we also find single-stranded loops of minimal G4s within individual LG4 loci are frequently highly complementary to one another with 178 LG4 loci averaging >35 internal loop:loop complements of >8 bp. As such, we hypothesized (then experimentally confirmed) that G4 loops within individual LG4 loci directly basepair with one another (similar to characterized stem-loop kissing interactions) forming a hitherto undescribed, higher-order, G4-based secondary structure we term a 'G4 Kiss or G4K'. In conclusion, LG4s adopt novel, higher-order, composite G4 structures directly contributing to the inherent instability, regulatory capacity, and maintenance of these conspicuous genomic regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Williams
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA
| | - Dominika Houserova
- Department of Pharmacology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Bradley R Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA
| | - Brad Dyniewski
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA
| | - Alexandra Berroyer
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA
| | - Hannah French
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA
| | - Addison A Barchie
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Dakota D Bilbrey
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Demeis
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Kanesha R Ghee
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Alexandra G Hughes
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Naden W Kreitz
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Cameron H McInnis
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Susanna C Pudner
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Monica N Reeves
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Ashlyn N Stahly
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Ana Turcu
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Brianna C Watters
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Grant T Daly
- Department of Pharmacology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Raymond J Langley
- Department of Pharmacology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Mark N Gillespie
- Department of Pharmacology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Aishwarya Prakash
- Department of Pharmacology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of South Alabama, Mitchell Cancer Institute, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Erik D Larson
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, USA
| | | | - Jingshan Huang
- School of Computing, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Sue Jinks-Robertson
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Glen M Borchert
- Department of Pharmacology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
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19
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Puig Lombardi E, Londoño-Vallejo A. A guide to computational methods for G-quadruplex prediction. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:1-15. [PMID: 31754698 PMCID: PMC6943126 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz1097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Guanine-rich nucleic acids can fold into the non-B DNA or RNA structures called G-quadruplexes (G4). Recent methodological developments have allowed the characterization of specific G-quadruplex structures in vitro as well as in vivo, and at a much higher throughput, in silico, which has greatly expanded our understanding of G4-associated functions. Typically, the consensus motif G3+N1-7G3+N1-7G3+N1-7G3+ has been used to identify potential G-quadruplexes from primary sequence. Since, various algorithms have been developed to predict the potential formation of quadruplexes directly from DNA or RNA sequences and the number of studies reporting genome-wide G4 exploration across species has rapidly increased. More recently, new methodologies have also appeared, proposing other estimates which consider non-canonical sequences and/or structure propensity and stability. The present review aims at providing an updated overview of the current open-source G-quadruplex prediction algorithms and straightforward examples of their implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia Puig Lombardi
- Telomeres and Cancer Laboratory, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Universités, CNRS UMR3244, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Arturo Londoño-Vallejo
- Telomeres and Cancer Laboratory, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Universités, CNRS UMR3244, 75005 Paris, France
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20
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Goodman LD, Bonini NM. New Roles for Canonical Transcription Factors in Repeat Expansion Diseases. Trends Genet 2019; 36:81-92. [PMID: 31837826 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2019.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The presence of microsatellite repeat expansions within genes is associated with >30 neurological diseases. Of interest, (GGGGCC)>30-repeats within C9orf72 are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD). These expansions can be 100s to 1000s of units long. Thus, it is perplexing how RNA-polymerase II (RNAPII) can successfully transcribe them. Recent investigations focusing on GGGGCC-transcription have identified specific, canonical complexes that may promote RNAPII-transcription at these GC-rich microsatellites: the DSIF complex and PAF1C. These complexes may be important for resolving the unique secondary structures formed by GGGGCC-DNA during transcription. Importantly, this process can produce potentially toxic repeat-containing RNA that can encode potentially toxic peptides, impacting neuron function and health. Understanding how transcription of these repeats occurs has implications for therapeutics in multiple diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey D Goodman
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Neurological Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nancy M Bonini
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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21
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Kharel P, Balaratnam S, Beals N, Basu S. The role of RNA G-quadruplexes in human diseases and therapeutic strategies. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2019; 11:e1568. [PMID: 31514263 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (GQs) are four-stranded secondary structures formed by G-rich nucleic acid sequence(s). DNA GQs are present abundantly in the genome and affect a wide range of processes associated with DNA. Recent studies show that RNA GQs are present in different transcripts, including coding and noncoding areas of mRNA, telomeric RNA as well as in other premature and mature noncoding RNAs. When present at specific locations within the RNAs, GQs play important roles in key biological functions, including the regulation of gene expression and telomere homeostasis. RNA GQs regulate pre-mRNA processing, such as splicing and polyadenylation. Evidently, among other processes, RNA GQs also control mRNA translation, miRNA and piRNA biogenesis, and RNA localization. The regulatory mechanisms controlled by RNA GQs mainly involve binding to RNA binding protein that modulate GQ conformation or serve as an entity in recruiting additional protein regulators to act as a block element to the processing machinery. Here we provide an overview of the ever-increasing number of discoveries revealing the role of RNA GQs in biology and their relevance in human diseases and therapeutics. This article is categorized under: RNA Structure and Dynamics > Influence of RNA Structure in Biological Systems RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakash Kharel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio.,Division of Rheumatology, Immunology, and Allergy, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sumirtha Balaratnam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio.,Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Nathan Beals
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Soumitra Basu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
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22
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Pandith A, Siddappa RG, Seo YJ. Recent developments in novel blue/green/red/NIR small fluorescent probes for in cellulo tracking of RNA/DNA G-quadruplexes. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY C-PHOTOCHEMISTRY REVIEWS 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2019.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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23
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Paul A, Musetti C, Nanjunda R, Wilson WD. Biosensor-Surface Plasmon Resonance: Label-Free Method for Investigation of Small Molecule-Quadruplex Nucleic Acid Interactions. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 2035:63-85. [PMID: 31444744 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9666-7_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2023]
Abstract
Biosensor-surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology is now well established as a quantitative approach for the study of nucleic acid interactions in real time, without the need for labeling any components of the interaction. The method provides real-time equilibrium and kinetic characterization for quadruplex DNA interactions and requires small amounts of materials and no external probe. A detailed protocol for quadruplex-DNA interaction analyses with a variety of binding molecules using biosensor-SPR methods is presented. Explanations of the SPR method with basic fundamentals for use and analysis of results are described with recommendations on the preparation of the SPR instrument, sensor chips, and samples. Details of experimental design, quantitative and qualitative data analyses, and presentation are described. Some specific examples of small molecule-DNA quadruplex interactions are presented with results evaluated by both kinetic and steady-state SPR methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananya Paul
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Caterina Musetti
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Screening, Profiling and Mechanistic Biology, Platform Technology and Science, Glaxo Smith Kline, Collegeville, PA, USA
| | - Rupesh Nanjunda
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Janssen Research and Development, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - W David Wilson
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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24
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Gyawali P, Gc K, Ma Y, Abeysirigunawardena S, Nagasawa K, Balci H. Impact of Small Molecules on Intermolecular G-Quadruplex Formation. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24081570. [PMID: 31010019 PMCID: PMC6514588 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24081570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We performed single molecule studies to investigate the impact of several prominent small molecules (the oxazole telomestatin derivative L2H2-6OTD, pyridostatin, and Phen-DC3) on intermolecular G-quadruplex (i-GQ) formation between two guanine-rich DNA strands that had 3-GGG repeats in one strand and 1-GGG repeat in the other (3+1 GGG), or 2-GGG repeats in each strand (2+2 GGG). Such structures are not only physiologically significant but have recently found use in various biotechnology applications, ranging from DNA-based wires to chemical sensors. Understanding the extent of stability imparted by small molecules on i-GQ structures, has implications for these applications. The small molecules resulted in different levels of enhancement in i-GQ formation, depending on the small molecule and arrangement of GGG repeats. The largest enhancement we observed was in the 3+1 GGG arrangement, where i-GQ formation increased by an order of magnitude, in the presence of L2H2-6OTD. On the other hand, the enhancement was limited to three-fold with Pyridostatin (PDS) or less for the other small molecules in the 2+2 GGG repeat case. By demonstrating detection of i-GQ formation at the single molecule level, our studies illustrate the feasibility to develop more sensitive sensors that could operate with limited quantities of materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabesh Gyawali
- Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
| | - Keshav Gc
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
| | - Yue Ma
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan.
| | | | - Kazuo Nagasawa
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan.
| | - Hamza Balci
- Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
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25
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Biernacka A, Zhu Y, Skrzypczak M, Forey R, Pardo B, Grzelak M, Nde J, Mitra A, Kudlicki A, Crosetto N, Pasero P, Rowicka M, Ginalski K. i-BLESS is an ultra-sensitive method for detection of DNA double-strand breaks. Commun Biol 2018; 1:181. [PMID: 30393778 PMCID: PMC6208412 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0165-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Maintenance of genome stability is a key issue for cell fate that could be compromised by chromosome deletions and translocations caused by DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Thus development of precise and sensitive tools for DSBs labeling is of great importance for understanding mechanisms of DSB formation, their sensing and repair. Until now there has been no high resolution and specific DSB detection technique that would be applicable to any cells regardless of their size. Here, we present i-BLESS, a universal method for direct genome-wide DNA double-strand break labeling in cells immobilized in agarose beads. i-BLESS has three key advantages: it is the only unbiased method applicable to yeast, achieves a sensitivity of one break at a given position in 100,000 cells, and eliminates background noise while still allowing for fixation of samples. The method allows detection of ultra-rare breaks such as those forming spontaneously at G-quadruplexes. Anna Biernacka, Yingjie Zhu et al. present i-BLESS, a universal method for detecting genome-wide DNA double strand breaks, optimized here for yeast. By immobilizing cells on agarose beads, the authors are able to achieve efficient diffusion of reagents and labeling of double strand breaks, including ultra-rare breaks such as those at G-quadruplexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Biernacka
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Yingjie Zhu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Magdalena Skrzypczak
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Romain Forey
- Institut de Génétique Humaine, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, 34396, Montpellier, France
| | - Benjamin Pardo
- Institut de Génétique Humaine, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, 34396, Montpellier, France
| | - Marta Grzelak
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jules Nde
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Abhishek Mitra
- Institute for Translational Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Andrzej Kudlicki
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.,Institute for Translational Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.,Sealy Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.,Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Nicola Crosetto
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE-17165, Sweden
| | - Philippe Pasero
- Institut de Génétique Humaine, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, 34396, Montpellier, France
| | - Maga Rowicka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.,Institute for Translational Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.,Sealy Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.,Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Krzysztof Ginalski
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland.
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26
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Hon J, Martínek T, Zendulka J, Lexa M. pqsfinder: an exhaustive and imperfection-tolerant search tool for potential quadruplex-forming sequences in R. Bioinformatics 2018; 33:3373-3379. [PMID: 29077807 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btx413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivation G-quadruplexes (G4s) are one of the non-B DNA structures easily observed in vitro and assumed to form in vivo. The latest experiments with G4-specific antibodies and G4-unwinding helicase mutants confirm this conjecture. These four-stranded structures have also been shown to influence a range of molecular processes in cells. As G4s are intensively studied, it is often desirable to screen DNA sequences and pinpoint the precise locations where they might form. Results We describe and have tested a newly developed Bioconductor package for identifying potential quadruplex-forming sequences (PQS). The package is easy-to-use, flexible and customizable. It allows for sequence searches that accommodate possible divergences from the optimal G4 base composition. A novel aspect of our research was the creation and training (parametrization) of an advanced scoring model which resulted in increased precision compared to similar tools. We demonstrate that the algorithm behind the searches has a 96% accuracy on 392 currently known and experimentally observed G4 structures. We also carried out searches against the recent G4-seq data to verify how well we can identify the structures detected by that technology. The correlation with pqsfinder predictions was 0.622, higher than the correlation 0.491 obtained with the second best G4Hunter. Availability and implementation http://bioconductor.org/packages/pqsfinder/ This paper is based on pqsfinder-1.4.1. Contact lexa@fi.muni.cz. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jirí Hon
- IT4Innovations Centre of Excellence, Faculty of Information Technology, Brno University of Technology, 61266 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Martínek
- IT4Innovations Centre of Excellence, Faculty of Information Technology, Brno University of Technology, 61266 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Zendulka
- IT4Innovations Centre of Excellence, Faculty of Information Technology, Brno University of Technology, 61266 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Matej Lexa
- Department of Information Technology, Faculty of Informatics, Masaryk University, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic
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27
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Kaiser VB, Semple CA. Chromatin loop anchors are associated with genome instability in cancer and recombination hotspots in the germline. Genome Biol 2018; 19:101. [PMID: 30060743 PMCID: PMC6066925 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-018-1483-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Chromatin loops form a basic unit of interphase nuclear organization, with chromatin loop anchor points providing contacts between regulatory regions and promoters. However, the mutational landscape at these anchor points remains under-studied. Here, we describe the unusual patterns of somatic mutations and germline variation associated with loop anchor points and explore the underlying features influencing these patterns. Results Analyses of whole genome sequencing datasets reveal that anchor points are strongly depleted for single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in tumours. Despite low SNV rates in their genomic neighbourhood, anchor points emerge as sites of evolutionary innovation, showing enrichment for structural variant (SV) breakpoints and a peak of SNVs at focal CTCF sites within the anchor points. Both CTCF-bound and non-CTCF anchor points harbour an excess of SV breakpoints in multiple tumour types and are prone to double-strand breaks in cell lines. Common fragile sites, which are hotspots for genome instability, also show elevated numbers of intersecting loop anchor points. Recurrently disrupted anchor points are enriched for genes with functions in cell cycle transitions and regions associated with predisposition to cancer. We also discover a novel class of CTCF-bound anchor points which overlap meiotic recombination hotspots and are enriched for the core PRDM9 binding motif, suggesting that the anchor points have been foci for diversity generated during recent human evolution. Conclusions We suggest that the unusual chromatin environment at loop anchor points underlies the elevated rates of variation observed, marking them as sites of regulatory importance but also genomic fragility. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13059-018-1483-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera B Kaiser
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK.
| | - Colin A Semple
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
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28
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Chaudhary S, Kaushik M, Kukreti R, Kukreti S. Structural switch from a multistranded G-quadruplex to single strands as a consequence of point mutation in the promoter of the human GRIN1 gene. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2018; 13:1805-1816. [PMID: 28702665 DOI: 10.1039/c7mb00360a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
A huge number of G-rich sequences forming quadruplexes are found in the human genome, especially in telomeric regions, UTRs, and the promoter regions of a number of genes. One such gene is GRIN1 encoding the NR1 subunit of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDA). Several lines of reports have implicated that attenuated function of NMDA results in schizophrenia, a genetic disorder characterized by hallucinations, delusions, and psychosis. Involvement of the GRIN1 gene in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia has been extensively analysed. Recent reports have demonstrated that polymorphism in the promoter region of GRIN1 at position -855 (G/C) has a possible association with schizophrenia. The binding site for the NF-κB transcription factor gets altered due to this mutation, resulting in reduced gene expression as well as NMDA activity. By combining gel electrophoresis (PAGE), circular dichroism (CD) and CD melting techniques, the G → C single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at the G-rich sequence (d-CTTAGCCCGAGGAG[combining low line]GGGGGTCCCAAGT; GRIN1) was investigated. We report that the GRIN1 sequence can form an octameric/multistranded quadruplex structure with parallel conformation in the presence of K+ as well as Na+. CD and gel studies are in good correlation in order to detect molecularity and strand conformation. The parallel G-quadruplex species was hypothesized to be octameric in K+/Na+ salts. The mutated sequence (d-CTTAGCCCGAGGAC[combining low line]GGGGGTCCCAAGT; GRIN1M) remained single stranded under physiological conditions. CD melting studies support the formation of an interstranded G-quadruplex structure by the GRIN1 sequence. Two structural models are propounded for a multistranded parallel G-quadruplex conformation which might be responsible for regulating the gene expression normally underlying memory and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Chaudhary
- Nucleic Acids Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.
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29
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Ruggiero E, Richter SN. G-quadruplexes and G-quadruplex ligands: targets and tools in antiviral therapy. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 46:3270-3283. [PMID: 29554280 PMCID: PMC5909458 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 270] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are non-canonical nucleic acids secondary structures that form within guanine-rich strands of regulatory genomic regions. G4s have been extensively described in the human genome, especially in telomeres and oncogene promoters; in recent years the presence of G4s in viruses has attracted increasing interest. Indeed, G4s have been reported in several viruses, including those involved in recent epidemics, such as the Zika and Ebola viruses. Viral G4s are usually located in regulatory regions of the genome and implicated in the control of key viral processes; in some cases, they have been involved also in viral latency. In this context, G4 ligands have been developed and tested both as tools to study the complexity of G4-mediated mechanisms in the viral life cycle, and as therapeutic agents. In general, G4 ligands showed promising antiviral activity, with G4-mediated mechanisms of action both at the genome and transcript level. This review aims to provide an updated close-up of the literature on G4s in viruses. The current state of the art of G4 ligands in antiviral research is also reported, with particular focus on the structural and physicochemical requirements for optimal biological activity. The achievements and the to-dos in the field are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Ruggiero
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Padua 35121, Italy
| | - Sara N Richter
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Padua 35121, Italy
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30
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Griffin BD, Bass HW. Review: Plant G-quadruplex (G4) motifs in DNA and RNA; abundant, intriguing sequences of unknown function. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 269:143-147. [PMID: 29606212 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2018.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
DNA sequences capable of forming G-quadruplex (G4) structures can be predicted and mapped in plant genomes using computerized pattern search programs. Non-telomeric G4 motifs have recently been found to number in the thousands across many plant species and enriched around gene promoters, prompting speculation that they may represent a newly uncovered and ubiquitous family of cis-acting elements. Comparative analysis shows that monocots exhibit five to ten times higher G4 motif density than eudicots, but the significance of this difference has not been determined. The vast scale and complexity of G4 functions, actual or theoretical, are reviewed in relation to the multiple modes of action and myriad genetic functions for which G4s have been implicated in DNA and RNA. Future experimental strategies and opportunities include identifying plant G4-interactomes, resolving the structures of G4s with and without their binding partners, and defining molecular mechanisms through reporter gene, genetic, or genome editing approaches. Given the global importance of plants for food, clothing, medicine, and energy, together with the potential role of G4 motifs as a widely conserved set of DNA sequences that could coordinate gene regulation, future plant G4 research holds great potential for use in plant improvement strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna D Griffin
- Department of Biological Science, 319 Stadium Drive, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4295, USA.
| | - Hank W Bass
- Department of Biological Science, 319 Stadium Drive, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4295, USA.
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31
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G-Quadruplex DNA Motifs in the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum and Their Potential as Novel Antimalarial Drug Targets. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62:AAC.01828-17. [PMID: 29311059 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01828-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes are DNA or RNA secondary structures that can be formed from guanine-rich nucleic acids. These four-stranded structures, composed of stacked quartets of guanine bases, can be highly stable and have been demonstrated to occur in vivo in the DNA of human cells and other systems, where they play important biological roles, influencing processes such as telomere maintenance, DNA replication and transcription, or, in the case of RNA G-quadruplexes, RNA translation and processing. We report for the first time that DNA G-quadruplexes can be detected in the nuclei of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which has one of the most A/T-biased genomes sequenced and therefore possesses few guanine-rich sequences with the potential to form G-quadruplexes. We show that despite this paucity of putative G-quadruplex-forming sequences, P. falciparum parasites are sensitive to several G-quadruplex-stabilizing drugs, including quarfloxin, which previously reached phase 2 clinical trials as an anticancer drug. Quarfloxin has a rapid initial rate of kill and is active against ring stages as well as replicative stages of intraerythrocytic development. We show that several G-quadruplex-stabilizing drugs, including quarfloxin, can suppress the transcription of a G-quadruplex-containing reporter gene in P. falciparum but that quarfloxin does not appear to disrupt the transcription of rRNAs, which was proposed as its mode of action in both human cells and trypanosomes. These data suggest that quarfloxin has potential for repositioning as an antimalarial with a novel mode of action. Furthermore, G-quadruplex biology in P. falciparum may present a target for development of other new antimalarial drugs.
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32
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Yoshida W, Saikyo H, Nakabayashi K, Yoshioka H, Bay DH, Iida K, Kawai T, Hata K, Ikebukuro K, Nagasawa K, Karube I. Identification of G-quadruplex clusters by high-throughput sequencing of whole-genome amplified products with a G-quadruplex ligand. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3116. [PMID: 29449667 PMCID: PMC5814564 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-21514-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplex (G4) is a DNA secondary structure that has been found to play regulatory roles in the genome. The identification of G4-forming sequences is important to study the specific structure-function relationships of such regions. In the present study, we developed a method for identification of G4 clusters on genomic DNA by high-throughput sequencing of genomic DNA amplified via whole-genome amplification (WGA) in the presence of a G4 ligand. The G4 ligand specifically bound to G4 structures on genomic DNA; thus, DNA polymerase was arrested on the G4 structures stabilised by G4 ligand. We utilised the telomestatin derivative L1H1-7OTD as a G4 ligand and demonstrated that the efficiency of amplification of the G4 cluster regions was lower than that of the non-G4-forming regions. By high-throughput sequencing of the WGA products, 9,651 G4 clusters were identified on human genomic DNA. Among these clusters, 3,766 G4 clusters contained at least one transcriptional start site, suggesting that genes are regulated by G4 clusters rather than by one G4 structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Yoshida
- School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Technology, 1404-1 Katakura-machi, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0982, Japan.
| | - Hiroki Saikyo
- School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Technology, 1404-1 Katakura-machi, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0982, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Nakabayashi
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Biology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Ookura, Setagaya, Tokyo, 157-0074, Japan
| | - Hitomi Yoshioka
- School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Technology, 1404-1 Katakura-machi, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0982, Japan
| | - Daniyah Habiballah Bay
- School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Technology, 1404-1 Katakura-machi, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0982, Japan.,Biology Department, Umm Al-Qura University, P.O. Box 715, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Keisuke Iida
- Molecular Chirality Research Center, Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi, Inage, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan
| | - Tomoko Kawai
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Biology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Ookura, Setagaya, Tokyo, 157-0074, Japan
| | - Kenichiro Hata
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Biology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Ookura, Setagaya, Tokyo, 157-0074, Japan
| | - Kazunori Ikebukuro
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan
| | - Kazuo Nagasawa
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan
| | - Isao Karube
- School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Technology, 1404-1 Katakura-machi, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0982, Japan
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33
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Kshirsagar R, Khan K, Joshi MV, Hosur RV, Muniyappa K. Probing the Potential Role of Non-B DNA Structures at Yeast Meiosis-Specific DNA Double-Strand Breaks. Biophys J 2017; 112:2056-2074. [PMID: 28538144 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A plethora of evidence suggests that different types of DNA quadruplexes are widely present in the genome of all organisms. The existence of a growing number of proteins that selectively bind and/or process these structures underscores their biological relevance. Moreover, G-quadruplex DNA has been implicated in the alignment of four sister chromatids by forming parallel guanine quadruplexes during meiosis; however, the underlying mechanism is not well defined. Here we show that a G/C-rich motif associated with a meiosis-specific DNA double-strand break (DSB) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae folds into G-quadruplex, and the C-rich sequence complementary to the G-rich sequence forms an i-motif. The presence of G-quadruplex or i-motif structures upstream of the green fluorescent protein-coding sequence markedly reduces the levels of gfp mRNA expression in S. cerevisiae cells, with a concomitant decrease in green fluorescent protein abundance, and blocks primer extension by DNA polymerase, thereby demonstrating the functional significance of these structures. Surprisingly, although S. cerevisiae Hop1, a component of synaptonemal complex axial/lateral elements, exhibits strong affinity to G-quadruplex DNA, it displays a much weaker affinity for the i-motif structure. However, the Hop1 C-terminal but not the N-terminal domain possesses strong i-motif binding activity, implying that the C-terminal domain has a distinct substrate specificity. Additionally, we found that Hop1 promotes intermolecular pairing between G/C-rich DNA segments associated with a meiosis-specific DSB site. Our results support the idea that the G/C-rich motifs associated with meiosis-specific DSBs fold into intramolecular G-quadruplex and i-motif structures, both in vitro and in vivo, thus revealing an important link between non-B form DNA structures and Hop1 in meiotic chromosome synapsis and recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rucha Kshirsagar
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Krishnendu Khan
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Mamata V Joshi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India
| | - Ramakrishna V Hosur
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India
| | - K Muniyappa
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
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Kwok CK, Merrick CJ. G-Quadruplexes: Prediction, Characterization, and Biological Application. Trends Biotechnol 2017; 35:997-1013. [PMID: 28755976 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2017.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 240] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Revised: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Guanine (G)-rich sequences in nucleic acids can assemble into G-quadruplex structures that involve G-quartets linked by loop nucleotides. The structural and topological diversity of G-quadruplexes have attracted great attention for decades. Recent methodological advances have advanced the identification and characterization of G-quadruplexes in vivo as well as in vitro, and at a much higher resolution and throughput, which has greatly expanded our current understanding of G-quadruplex structure and function. Accumulating knowledge about the structural properties of G-quadruplexes has helped to design and develop a repertoire of molecular and chemical tools for biological applications. This review highlights how these exciting methods and findings have opened new doors to investigate the potential functions and applications of G-quadruplexes in basic and applied biosciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Kit Kwok
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Catherine J Merrick
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, UK.
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35
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Gadaleta MC, Noguchi E. Regulation of DNA Replication through Natural Impediments in the Eukaryotic Genome. Genes (Basel) 2017; 8:genes8030098. [PMID: 28272375 PMCID: PMC5368702 DOI: 10.3390/genes8030098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
All living organisms need to duplicate their genetic information while protecting it from unwanted mutations, which can lead to genetic disorders and cancer development. Inaccuracies during DNA replication are the major cause of genomic instability, as replication forks are prone to stalling and collapse, resulting in DNA damage. The presence of exogenous DNA damaging agents as well as endogenous difficult-to-replicate DNA regions containing DNA–protein complexes, repetitive DNA, secondary DNA structures, or transcribing RNA polymerases, increases the risk of genomic instability and thus threatens cell survival. Therefore, understanding the cellular mechanisms required to preserve the genetic information during S phase is of paramount importance. In this review, we will discuss our current understanding of how cells cope with these natural impediments in order to prevent DNA damage and genomic instability during DNA replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana C Gadaleta
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA.
| | - Eishi Noguchi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA.
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36
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Chariker JH, Miller DM, Rouchka EC. Computational Analysis of G-Quadruplex Forming Sequences across Chromosomes Reveals High Density Patterns Near the Terminal Ends. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165101. [PMID: 27776185 PMCID: PMC5077116 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplex structures (G4) are found throughout the human genome and are known to play a regulatory role in a variety of molecular processes. Structurally, they have many configurations and can form from one or more DNA strands. At the gene level, they regulate gene expression and protein synthesis. In this paper, chromosomal-level patterns of distribution are analyzed on the human genome to identify high-level distribution patterns potentially related to global functional processes. Here we show unique high density banding patterns on individual chromosomes that are highly correlated, appearing in a mirror pattern, across forward and reverse DNA strands. The highest density of G4 sequences occurs within four megabases of one end of most chromosomes and contains G4 motifs that bind with zinc finger proteins. These findings suggest that G4 may play a role in global chromosomal processes such as those found in meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia H. Chariker
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States of America
- Kentucky Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network Bioinformatics Core, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States of America
| | - Donald M. Miller
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States of America
| | - Eric C. Rouchka
- Kentucky Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network Bioinformatics Core, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States of America
- Department of Computer Engineering and Computer Science, University of Louisville, Louisville KY, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Fongang B, Kudlicki A. Comparison between Timelines of Transcriptional Regulation in Mammals, Birds, and Teleost Fish Somitogenesis. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155802. [PMID: 27192554 PMCID: PMC4871587 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Metameric segmentation of the vertebrate body is established during somitogenesis, when a cyclic spatial pattern of gene expression is created within the mesoderm of the developing embryo. The process involves transcriptional regulation of genes associated with the Wnt, Notch, and Fgf signaling pathways, each gene is expressed at a specific time during the somite cycle. Comparative genomics, including analysis of expression timelines may reveal the underlying regulatory modules and their causal relations, explaining the nature and origin of the segmentation mechanism. Using a deconvolution approach, we computationally reconstruct and compare the precise timelines of expression during somitogenesis in chicken and zebrafish. The result constitutes a resource that may be used for inferring possible causal relations between genes and subsequent pathways. While the sets of regulated genes and expression profiles vary between different species, notable similarities exist between the temporal organization of the pathways involved in the somite clock in chick and mouse, with certain aspects (as the phase of expression of Notch genes) conserved also in the zebrafish. The regulated genes have sequence motifs that are conserved in mouse and chicken but not zebrafish. Promoter sequence analysis suggests involvement of several transcription factors that may bind these regulatory elements, including E2F, EGR and PLAG, as well as a possible role of G-quadruplex DNA structure in regulation of the cyclic genes. Our research lays the groundwork for further studies that will probe the evolution of the regulatory mechanism of segmentation across all vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Fongang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Molecular Medicine, Institute for Translational Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Andrzej Kudlicki
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Molecular Medicine, Institute for Translational Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, Texas, USA
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