Insights into the structural dynamics and helicase-catalyzed unfolding of plant RNA G-quadruplexes.

RNA G-quadruplexes (rG4s) are noncanonical RNA secondary structures formed by guanine (G)-rich sequences. These complexes play important regulatory roles in both animals and plants through their structural dynamics and are closely related to human diseases and plant growth, development, and adaption. Thus, studying the structural dynamics of rG4s is fundamentally important; however, their folding pathways and their unfolding by specialized helicases are not well understood. In addition, no plant rG4-specialized helicases have been identified. Here, using single-molecule FRET, we experimentally elucidated for the first time the folding pathway and intermediates, including a G-hairpin and G-triplex. In addition, using proteomics screening and microscale thermophoresis, we identified and validated five rG4-specialized helicases in Arabidopsis thaliana. Furthermore, DExH1, the ortholog of the famous human rG4 helicase RHAU/DHX36, stood out for its robust rG4 unwinding ability. Taken together, these results shed light on the structural dynamics of plant rG4s.

Single-Molecule Imaging in Living Plant Cells: A Methodological Review.

Single-molecule imaging is emerging as a revolutionary approach to studying fundamental questions in plants. However, compared with its use in animals, the application of single-molecule imaging in plants is still underexplored. Here, we review the applications, advantages, and challenges of single-molecule fluorescence imaging in plant systems from the perspective of methodology. Firstly, we provide a general overview of single-molecule imaging methods and their principles. Next, we summarize the unprecedented quantitative details that can be obtained using single-molecule techniques compared to bulk assays. Finally, we discuss the main problems encountered at this stage and provide possible solutions.

Studying the Potassium-Induced G-Quadruplex DNA Folding Process Using Microscale Thermophoresis.

Guanine (G) quadruplexes (G4s) can be formed by G-rich sequences when stabilized by the binding of cations (typically K+ or Na+) and play an essential role in replication, recombination, transcription, and telomere maintenance. Understanding of the G4 folding process is crucial for determining their cellular functions. However, G4-K+ interactions and folding pathways are still not well understood. By using human telomeric G4 (hTG4) as an example, two binding states corresponding to two K+ cations binding to hTG4 were distinguished clearly and fitted precisely. The basic binding parameters during G4-K+ interactions were measured and calculated by taking advantage of microscale thermophoresis (MST), which monitors the changes in charge and size at the same time. The G-hairpin and G-triplex have been suggested as intermediates during G4 folding and unfolding. We further analyzed the equilibrium dissociation constants of 10 possible folding intermediates using MST; thus, the energetically favorable folding/unfolding pathways were proposed. The results might not only shed new light on G4-K+ interactions and G4 folding pathways but also provide an example for experimentally studying DNA-ion interactions.