G-quadruplex preferentially forms at the very 3' end of vertebrate telomeric DNA.

ABSTRACT: Human chromosome ends are protected with kilobases repeats of TTAGGG. Telomere DNA shortens at replication. This shortening in most tumor cells is compensated by telomerase that adds telomere repeats to the 3' end of the G-rich telomere strand. Four TTAGGG repeats can fold into G-quadruplex that is a poor substrate for telomerase. This property has been suggested to regulate telomerase activity in vivo and telomerase inhibition via G-quadruplex stabilization is considered a therapeutic strategy against cancer. Theoretically G-quadruplex can form anywhere along the long G-rich strand. Where G-quadruplex forms determines whether the 3' telomere end is accessible to telomerase and may have implications in other functions telomere plays. We investigated G-quadruplex formation at different posi

SUBMITTER: Tang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2275102 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature