G-Quadruplex in Gene Encoding Large Subunit of Plant RNA Polymerase II: A Billion-Year-Old Story
G-quadruplexes have long been perceived as rare and physiologically unimportant nucleic acid structures. However, several studies have revealed their importance in molecular processes, suggesting their possible role in replication and gene expression regulation. Pathways involving G-quadruplexes are...
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MDPI AG
2021-07-01
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author | Adriana Volná Martin Bartas Václav Karlický Jakub Nezval Kristýna Kundrátová Petr Pečinka Vladimír Špunda Jiří Červeň |
author_facet | Adriana Volná Martin Bartas Václav Karlický Jakub Nezval Kristýna Kundrátová Petr Pečinka Vladimír Špunda Jiří Červeň |
author_sort | Adriana Volná |
collection | DOAJ |
description | G-quadruplexes have long been perceived as rare and physiologically unimportant nucleic acid structures. However, several studies have revealed their importance in molecular processes, suggesting their possible role in replication and gene expression regulation. Pathways involving G-quadruplexes are intensively studied, especially in the context of human diseases, while their involvement in gene expression regulation in plants remains largely unexplored. Here, we conducted a bioinformatic study and performed a complex circular dichroism measurement to identify a stable G-quadruplex in the gene <i>RPB1</i>, coding for the RNA polymerase II large subunit. We found that this G-quadruplex-forming locus is highly evolutionarily conserved amongst plants sensu lato (Archaeplastida) that share a common ancestor more than one billion years old. Finally, we discussed a new hypothesis regarding G-quadruplexes interacting with UV light in plants to potentially form an additional layer of the regulatory network. |
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format | Article |
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issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:37:49Z |
publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
publisher | MDPI AG |
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series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
spelling | doaj.art-fa74b9d27e95450780a6417fc0ef10f32023-11-22T03:57:39ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672021-07-012214738110.3390/ijms22147381G-Quadruplex in Gene Encoding Large Subunit of Plant RNA Polymerase II: A Billion-Year-Old StoryAdriana Volná0Martin Bartas1Václav Karlický2Jakub Nezval3Kristýna Kundrátová4Petr Pečinka5Vladimír Špunda6Jiří Červeň7Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech RepublicDepartment of Biology and Ecology, Institute of Environmental Technologies, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech RepublicDepartment of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech RepublicDepartment of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech RepublicDepartment of Biology and Ecology, Institute of Environmental Technologies, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech RepublicDepartment of Biology and Ecology, Institute of Environmental Technologies, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech RepublicDepartment of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech RepublicDepartment of Biology and Ecology, Institute of Environmental Technologies, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech RepublicG-quadruplexes have long been perceived as rare and physiologically unimportant nucleic acid structures. However, several studies have revealed their importance in molecular processes, suggesting their possible role in replication and gene expression regulation. Pathways involving G-quadruplexes are intensively studied, especially in the context of human diseases, while their involvement in gene expression regulation in plants remains largely unexplored. Here, we conducted a bioinformatic study and performed a complex circular dichroism measurement to identify a stable G-quadruplex in the gene <i>RPB1</i>, coding for the RNA polymerase II large subunit. We found that this G-quadruplex-forming locus is highly evolutionarily conserved amongst plants sensu lato (Archaeplastida) that share a common ancestor more than one billion years old. Finally, we discussed a new hypothesis regarding G-quadruplexes interacting with UV light in plants to potentially form an additional layer of the regulatory network.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/14/7381evolutionplant sciencenucleic acidscircular dichroismUV light |
spellingShingle | Adriana Volná Martin Bartas Václav Karlický Jakub Nezval Kristýna Kundrátová Petr Pečinka Vladimír Špunda Jiří Červeň G-Quadruplex in Gene Encoding Large Subunit of Plant RNA Polymerase II: A Billion-Year-Old Story International Journal of Molecular Sciences evolution plant science nucleic acids circular dichroism UV light |
title | G-Quadruplex in Gene Encoding Large Subunit of Plant RNA Polymerase II: A Billion-Year-Old Story |
title_full | G-Quadruplex in Gene Encoding Large Subunit of Plant RNA Polymerase II: A Billion-Year-Old Story |
title_fullStr | G-Quadruplex in Gene Encoding Large Subunit of Plant RNA Polymerase II: A Billion-Year-Old Story |
title_full_unstemmed | G-Quadruplex in Gene Encoding Large Subunit of Plant RNA Polymerase II: A Billion-Year-Old Story |
title_short | G-Quadruplex in Gene Encoding Large Subunit of Plant RNA Polymerase II: A Billion-Year-Old Story |
title_sort | g quadruplex in gene encoding large subunit of plant rna polymerase ii a billion year old story |
topic | evolution plant science nucleic acids circular dichroism UV light |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/14/7381 |
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