Potential G-quadruplexes within the Promoter Nuclease Hypersensitive Sites of the Heat-Responsive Genes in Rice

Tianjun Chang; Guangping Li; Zhan Ding; Weiguo Li; Panpan Zhu; Wei Lei; Dihua Shangguan

doi:10.1002/cbic.202200405

Potential G-quadruplexes within the Promoter Nuclease Hypersensitive Sites of the Heat-Responsive Genes in Rice

Chembiochem. 2022 Oct 19;23(20):e202200405. doi: 10.1002/cbic.202200405. Epub 2022 Sep 20.

Authors

Tianjun Chang^{1

2}, Guangping Li^{1

2}, Zhan Ding^{1

2}, Weiguo Li^{1

2}, Panpan Zhu^{1

2}, Wei Lei^{1

2}, Dihua Shangguan^{3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454000, P. R. China.
² Institute of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454003, P. R. China.
³ Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China.
⁴ University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China.

PMID: 36006168
DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200405

Abstract

G-quadruplexes (G4s) have been shown to be involved in the regulation of multiple cellular processes. Exploring putative G4-forming sequences (PQSs) in heat-responsive genes of rice and their folding structures under different conditions will help to understand the mechanism in response to heat stress. In this work, we discovered a prevalence of PQSs in nuclease hypersensitive sites within the promoters of heat-responsive genes. Moreover, 50 % of the searched G₃ PQSs ((G₃₊ L_1-7 )₃₊ G₃₊ ) locate in heat shock transcription factors. Circular dichroism spectroscopy, thermal difference spectroscopy, and UV melting analysis demonstrated the representative PQSs could adopt stable G4s at physiological temperature and potassium concentration. These PQSs were able to stall Klenow fragment (KF) DNA polymerase by the formation of G4s. However, the G4s with T_m values around 50-60 °C could be increasingly unwound by KF with the increase of temperatures from 25 to 50 °C, implying that these G4s could sense the changes in temperature by structural switch. This work offers fresh clues to understanding the potential of G4-involved functions of PQSs and the molecular events in plants in response to heat stress.

Keywords: G-quadruplexes; nuclease hypersensitive sites; plants; promoters; thermosensors.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

DNA Polymerase I
G-Quadruplexes*
Heat Shock Transcription Factors
Oryza* / genetics
Potassium

Substances

DNA Polymerase I
Heat Shock Transcription Factors
Potassium