Unraveling the Thermodynamics of the Folding and Interconversion of Human Telomere G-Quadruplexes.

ABSTRACT: Why human telomere DNA fragments fold into different G-quadruplex structures with parallel, hybrid, and antiparallel strand orientations depending on the temperature and concentration of co-solutes remains poorly understood. Similarly, the formation of intermediate structures along the folding or interconversion pathways is not well understood. Herein, we address these questions by introducing a conceptual framework, based on the global thermodynamic analysis of DSC and CD spectroscopy data, which led to a detailed description of the topological phase space (phase diagram) of the stability of the human telomere fragment 5'-AGGG(TTAGGG)3 -3' (Tel22). This framework clarifies the driving forces of quadruplex folding and interconversion processes over a wide range of temperatures and ion (K(+

SUBMITTER: Boncina M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5705027 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature