title: Formation of novel hairpin structures by telomeric C-strand oligonucleotides.
abstract: Telomeres are specialized structures at the ends of chromosomes that are required for long term chromosome stability and replication of the chromosomal terminus. Telomeric DNA consists of simple repetitive sequences with one strand G-rich relative to the other, C-rich, strand. Evolutionary conservation of this feature of telomeric repeat sequences suggests that they have specific structural characteristics involved in telomere function. Absorbance thermal denaturation, chemical modification and non-denaturing gel electrophoretic analyses showed that telomeric C-strand oligonucleotides form stable non-Watson-Crick hairpin structures containing C.C+ base pairs. Formation of such hairpins may facilitate previously reported G-strand exclusive interactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology and Genetics, Iowa State University, Ames 50011.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Henderson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001482:Base Composition; D001483:Base Sequence; D004586:Electrophoresis; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry*; D016813:Oxytricha / Q000235:genetics; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D016615:Telomere; D013768:Tetrahymena / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides