Volumetric Properties of Four-Stranded DNA Structures
Four-stranded non-canonical DNA structures including G-quadruplexes and <i>i</i>-motifs have been found in the genome and are thought to be involved in regulation of biological function. These structures have been implicated in telomere biology, genomic instability, and regulation of tra...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/10/8/813 |
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| author | Tigran V. Chalikian Robert B. Macgregor |
| author_facet | Tigran V. Chalikian Robert B. Macgregor |
| author_sort | Tigran V. Chalikian |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Four-stranded non-canonical DNA structures including G-quadruplexes and <i>i</i>-motifs have been found in the genome and are thought to be involved in regulation of biological function. These structures have been implicated in telomere biology, genomic instability, and regulation of transcription and translation events. To gain an understanding of the molecular determinants underlying the biological role of four-stranded DNA structures, their biophysical properties have been extensively studied. The limited libraries on volume, expansibility, and compressibility accumulated to date have begun to provide insights into the molecular origins of helix-to-coil and helix-to-helix conformational transitions involving four-stranded DNA structures. In this article, we review the recent progress in volumetric investigations of G-quadruplexes and <i>i</i>-motifs, emphasizing how such data can be used to characterize intra-and intermolecular interactions, including solvation. We describe how volumetric data can be interpreted at the molecular level to yield a better understanding of the role that solute–solvent interactions play in modulating the stability and recognition events of nucleic acids. Taken together, volumetric studies facilitate unveiling the molecular determinants of biological events involving biopolymers, including G-quadruplexes and <i>i</i>-motifs, by providing one more piece to the thermodynamic puzzle describing the energetics of cellular processes in vitro and, by extension, in vivo. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:00:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-33cceb8a60cf4c3c865dbeb5ffd7941b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:00:09Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-33cceb8a60cf4c3c865dbeb5ffd7941b2023-11-22T06:50:52ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372021-08-0110881310.3390/biology10080813Volumetric Properties of Four-Stranded DNA StructuresTigran V. Chalikian0Robert B. Macgregor1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3M2, CanadaDepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3M2, CanadaFour-stranded non-canonical DNA structures including G-quadruplexes and <i>i</i>-motifs have been found in the genome and are thought to be involved in regulation of biological function. These structures have been implicated in telomere biology, genomic instability, and regulation of transcription and translation events. To gain an understanding of the molecular determinants underlying the biological role of four-stranded DNA structures, their biophysical properties have been extensively studied. The limited libraries on volume, expansibility, and compressibility accumulated to date have begun to provide insights into the molecular origins of helix-to-coil and helix-to-helix conformational transitions involving four-stranded DNA structures. In this article, we review the recent progress in volumetric investigations of G-quadruplexes and <i>i</i>-motifs, emphasizing how such data can be used to characterize intra-and intermolecular interactions, including solvation. We describe how volumetric data can be interpreted at the molecular level to yield a better understanding of the role that solute–solvent interactions play in modulating the stability and recognition events of nucleic acids. Taken together, volumetric studies facilitate unveiling the molecular determinants of biological events involving biopolymers, including G-quadruplexes and <i>i</i>-motifs, by providing one more piece to the thermodynamic puzzle describing the energetics of cellular processes in vitro and, by extension, in vivo.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/10/8/813G-quadruplex<i>i</i>-motifvolumetric propertiespressure-temperature phase diagramthermodynamics |
| spellingShingle | Tigran V. Chalikian Robert B. Macgregor Volumetric Properties of Four-Stranded DNA Structures Biology G-quadruplex <i>i</i>-motif volumetric properties pressure-temperature phase diagram thermodynamics |
| title | Volumetric Properties of Four-Stranded DNA Structures |
| title_full | Volumetric Properties of Four-Stranded DNA Structures |
| title_fullStr | Volumetric Properties of Four-Stranded DNA Structures |
| title_full_unstemmed | Volumetric Properties of Four-Stranded DNA Structures |
| title_short | Volumetric Properties of Four-Stranded DNA Structures |
| title_sort | volumetric properties of four stranded dna structures |
| topic | G-quadruplex <i>i</i>-motif volumetric properties pressure-temperature phase diagram thermodynamics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/10/8/813 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tigranvchalikian volumetricpropertiesoffourstrandeddnastructures AT robertbmacgregor volumetricpropertiesoffourstrandeddnastructures |