Spectroscopic insights into quadruplexes of five-repeat telomere DNA sequences upon G-block damage

Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj. 2017 Nov;1861(11 Pt A):2750-2757. doi: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2017.07.019. Epub 2017 Jul 26.

Abstract

Background: The DNA lesions, resulting from oxidative damage, were shown to destabilize human telomere four-repeat quadruplex and to alter its structure. Long telomere DNA, as a repetitive sequence, offers, however, other mechanisms of dealing with the lesion: extrusion of the damaged repeat into loop or shifting the quadruplex position by one repeat.

Methods: Using circular dichroism and UV absorption spectroscopy and polyacrylamide electrophoresis, we studied consequences of lesions at different positions of the model five-repeat human telomere DNA sequences on the structure and stability of their quadruplexes in sodium and in potassium.

Results: The repeats affected by lesion are preferentially positioned as terminal overhangs of the core quadruplex structurally similar to the four-repeat one. Forced affecting of the inner repeats leads to presence of variety of more parallel folds in potassium. In sodium the designed models form mixture of two dominant antiparallel quadruplexes whose population varies with the position of the affected repeat. The shapes of quadruplex CD spectra, namely the height of dominant peaks, significantly correlate with melting temperatures.

Conclusion: Lesion in one guanine tract of a more than four repeats long human telomere DNA sequence may cause re-positioning of its quadruplex arrangement associated with a shift of the structure to less common quadruplex conformations. The type of the quadruplex depends on the loop position and external conditions.

General significance: The telomere DNA quadruplexes are quite resistant to the effect of point mutations due to the telomere DNA repetitive nature, although their structure and, consequently, function might be altered.

Keywords: Abasic lesion; Circular dichroism; DNA mutation; Guanine quadruplex; Human telomere.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Circular Dichroism
  • G-Quadruplexes / drug effects*
  • Guanine / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation / drug effects
  • Oxidative Stress / genetics*
  • Point Mutation
  • Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / genetics
  • Sodium / toxicity
  • Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared
  • Telomere / chemistry*
  • Telomere / drug effects
  • Telomere / genetics

Substances

  • Guanine
  • Sodium