DNA quadruplexIMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDONMost DNA exists in the classic Watson-Crick double helix. But throughout the genome, researchers have found knot-like structures made of hydrogen-bonded guanine tetrads known as quadruplexes. Why these knots form and how they work is still largely mysterious, but these structures are known to affect gene expression and genomic stability. Recent research has also suggested that quadruplexes are particularly prevalent near oncogenes, suggesting they may play a role in the development of cancer.
In a study published this week (September 9) in Nature Communications, researchers in the U.K. presented a novel fluorescent molecule that can tag the structures in living cells by glowing for longer when bound to quadruplexes than when bound to double helical DNA. The researchers reported an ability to visualize when the fluorescent tag was displaced from a quadruplex by another molecule, allowing them to screen for new compounds that also bound the DNA knots.
“Until now, to image quadruplexes in cells researchers have had to hold the cells in place using chemical fixation,” Arun Shivalingam, who participated in the research during his PhD work at Imperial College London, said in a press release. “However, this kills them and brings into question whether the molecule ...
