Structure of a left-handed DNA G-quadruplex

Wan Jun Chung (1) , Heddi Brahim (1) , Emmanuelle Schmitt (2) , Kah Wai Lim (1) , Yves Mechulam (2) , Anh Tuân Phan (1)

1 School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
2 BIOC - Laboratoire de Biochimie de l'Ecole polytechnique

Aside from the well-known double helix, DNA can also adopt an alternative four-stranded structure known as G-quadruplex. Implications of such a structure in cellular processes, as well as its therapeutic and diagnostic applications, have been reported. The G-quadruplex structure is highly polymorphic, but so far, only right-handed helical forms have been observed. Here we present the NMR solution and X-ray crystal structures of a left-handed DNA G-quadruplex. The structure displays unprecedented features that can be exploited as unique recognition elements.

Domains: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology

Wan Jun Chung, Heddi Brahim, Emmanuelle Schmitt, Kah Wai Lim, Yves Mechulam, et al.. Structure of a left-handed DNA G-quadruplex. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2015, 112 (9), pp.2729-2733. ⟨10.1073/pnas.1418718112⟩. ⟨hal-01140567⟩