Guanine-rich sequences of DNA can form quadruply-stranded structures. It has been shown that folding single-stranded telomeric DNA into a quadruplex structure inhibits telomerase (an enzyme overexpressed in 85-90% of cancer cells). On the other hand, it has been hypothesised that the formation of quadruplex DNA structures in the promoter region of some oncogenes plays an important role in regulating the transcription of the corresponding gene. Consequently, there is great current interest in developing small molecules that can bind selectively to quadruplex DNA and in doing so could act as anticancer drugs. This review aims to discuss the different types of ligands that have been recently developed as quadruplex DNA stabilisers. The review is organised by the type of compound and mainly covers the literature between 2004 and 2007.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156802608786141106 | DOI Listing |
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl
January 2025
NIT Rourkela: National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Department of Chemistry, NIT Rourkela, 769008, Rourkela, INDIA.
Certain proteins and synthetic covalent polymers experience aqueous phase transitions, driving functional self-assembly. Herein, we unveil the ability of supramolecular polymers (SPs) formed by G4.Cu+ to undergo heating-induced unexpected aqueous phase transitions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnalyst
January 2025
Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China.
DNA structures with the potential to concurrently recruit multiple ligands are promising in pharmaceutical and sensing applications when concentrated in a local environment. Herein, we found that human telomeric G-quadruplex (htG4) structures with a junction can selectively aggregate a natural ligand of tetrahydropalmatine (THP) into AIEgens. The htG4 monomer favors formation of a THP dimer emitting at ∼525 nm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe human genome contains numerous repetitive nucleotide sequences that display a propensity to fold into non-canonical DNA structures including G-quadruplexes (G4s). G4s have both positive and negative impacts on various aspects of nucleic acid metabolism including DNA replication, DNA repair and RNA transcription. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP1), an important anticancer drug target, has been recently shown to bind a subset of G4s, and to undergo auto-PARylation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neurochem
January 2025
Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, Italian National Council for Research (IBB-CNR), Naples, Italy.
The natural compound orotic acid and its anionic form, orotate, play a pivotal role in various biological processes, serving as essential intermediates in pyrimidine de novo synthesis, with demonstrated connections to dietary, supplement, and neurodrug applications. A novel perspective on biomolecular aggregation at the nanoscale, particularly pertinent to neurodegeneration, challenges the established paradigm positing that peptide (amyloid beta) and protein (tau) aggregation mainly govern the molecular events underlying prevalent neuropathologies. Emerging biological evidence indicates a notable role for G-quadruplex (G4) DNA aggregation in neurodegenerative processes affecting neuronal cells, particularly in the presence of extended (GC) repeats in nuclear DNA sequences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMikrochim Acta
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, People's Republic of China.
A biosensor based on solid-state nanochannels of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane for both electrochemical and naked-eye detection of microRNA-31 (MiR-31) is proposed. For this purpose, MoS nanosheets, which possess different adsorption capabilities to single-stranded and double-stranded nucleic acids, are deposited onto the top surface of the AAO membrane. Moreover, multi-functional DNA nanostructure have been designed by linking a G-rich sequence for folding to a G-quadruplex at three vertices and a complementary sequence of MiR-31 at the other one vertex of a DNA tetrahedron.
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