Kinetics, conformation, stability, and targeting of G-quadruplexes from a physiological perspective.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun
; 531(1): 84-87, 2020 10 08.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32331835
ABSTRACT
The particular enrichment of G-quadruplex-forming sequences near transcription start sites signifies the involvement of G-quadruplexes in the regulation of transcription. The characterization of G-quadruplex formation, which holds the key to understand the function it plays in physiological and pathological processes, is mostly performed under simplified in vitro experimental conditions. Formation of G-quadruplexes in cells, however, occurs in an environment far different from the ones in which the in vitro studies on G-quadruplexes are normally carried out. Therefore, the characteristics of G-quadruplex structures obtained under the in vitro conditions may not faithfully reveal how the G-quadruplexes would behave in a physiologically relevant situation. In this mini-review, we attempt to briefly summarize the differences in a few important characteristics, including kinetics, conformation, and stability of G-quadruplex formation observed under the two conditions to illustrate how the intracellular environment might affect the behavior of G-quadruplexes largely based on the previous work carried out in the authors' laboratory. We also propose that unstable G-quadruplex variants may be better drug target candidates to improve selectivity and potency.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
DNA
/
Quadruplex G
Limite:
Animals
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article