Four-stranded nucleic acids: structure, function and targeting of G-quadruplexes.
There are many structures that can be adopted by nucleic acids other than the famous Watson-Crick duplex form. This tutorial review describes the guanine rich G-quadruplex structure, highlighting the chemical interactions governing its formation, and the topological variants that exist. The methods that are used to study G-quadruplex structures are described, with examples of the information that may be derived from these different methods. Next, the proposed biological functions of G-quadruplexes are discussed, highlighting especially their presence in telomeric regions and gene promoters. G-quadruplex structures are the subject of considerable interest for the development of small-molecule ligands, and are also the targets of a wide variety of natural proteins.
Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Ave, Cambridge, UKCB3 0HE. jlh29@cam.ac.uk
Julian Leon
JL
Huppert
D000166:Acridines; D020029:Base Pairing; D001665:Binding Sites; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods*; D054856:G-Quadruplexes; D018390:Gene Targeting / Q000379:methods*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010080:Oxazoles; D011166:Porphyrins; D019098:Telomerase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D000166:Acridines; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D010080:Oxazoles; D011166:Porphyrins; C431888:telomestatin; C021096:tetra(4-N-methylpyridyl)porphine; D019098:Telomerase; C454064:BRACO-19