Folding dynamics and conformational heterogeneity of human telomeric G-quadruplex structures in Na+ solutions by single molecule FRET microscopy.

ABSTRACT: G-quadruplex structures can occur throughout the genome, including at telomeres. They are involved in cellular regulation and are potential drug targets. Human telomeric G-quadruplex structures can fold into a number of different conformations and show large conformational diversity. To elucidate the different G-quadruplex conformations and their dynamics, we investigated telomeric G-quadruplex folding using single molecule FRET microscopy in conditions where it was previously believed to yield low structural heterogeneity. We observed four FRET states in Na(+) buffers: an unfolded state and three G-quadruplex related states that can interconvert between each other. Several of these states were almost equally populated at low to medium salt concentrations. These observations appear surpris

SUBMITTER: Noer SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4705662 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature