Specific loop modifications of the thrombin-binding aptamer trigger the formation of parallel structures

Guanine-rich sequences show large structural variability, with folds ranging from duplex to triplex and quadruplex helices. Quadruplexes are polymorphic, and can show multiple stoichiometries, parallel and antiparallel strand alignments, and different topological arrangements. We analyze here the eq...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Aviñó, Anna, Portella, Guillem, Ferreira, Rubén, Gargallo, Raimundo, Mazzini, Stefania, Gabelica, Valérie, Orozco, Modesto, Eritja Casadellà, Ramón
Tipo de documento: artigo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Data de publicação:2014
País:España
Recursos:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositório:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/126488
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/126488
Access Level:Acceso aberto
Palavra-chave:DNA polymorphism
G-quadruplex
nucleic acid structure
thermal stability
thrombin-binding aptamer
Descrição
Resumo:Guanine-rich sequences show large structural variability, with folds ranging from duplex to triplex and quadruplex helices. Quadruplexes are polymorphic, and can show multiple stoichiometries, parallel and antiparallel strand alignments, and different topological arrangements. We analyze here the equilibrium between intramolecular antiparallel and intermolecular parallel G-quadruplexes in the thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA) sequence. Our theoretical and experimental studies demonstrate that an apparently simple modification at the loops of TBA induces a large change in the monomeric antiparallel structure of TBA to yield a parallel G-quadruplex showing a novel T-tetrad. The present results illustrate the extreme polymorphism of G-quadruplexes and the ease with which their conformation in solution can be manipulated by nucleotide modification.