Quadruple-Helix DNA Found in Human Cells

[AnTiFreeze3]

Here is the full article, just published today: http://phys.org/news/2013-01-quadruple-helix-dna-human-cells.html

The article makes it apparent that this discovery could be used to inhibit the reproduction of cancer cells. Does anyone know of any other uses that this discovery could lead to?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Quad helix DNA structure found in cells

In a paper published online today in Nature Chemistry1, researchers led by Shankar Balasubramanian at the University of Cambridge, UK, provide strong evidence that G-quadruplexes do occur in cells — and that these unusual structures may have important biological functions.

http://www.nature.com/news/four-strand-dna-structure-found-in-cells-1.12253


Raw Paper
http://www.nature.com/nchem/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nchem.1548.html

 

[Rono]

Thanks for the pdf paper, I wanted to watch it by myself.

 

[Murdstone]

With all of the research - looking at DNA - how is it that the existence of g quadruplex structures in actual cells is just coming out now?

 

[Ygggdrasil]

With all of the research - looking at DNA - how is it that the existence of g quadruplex structures in actual cells is just coming out now?

G-quadruplex formation in cells has been studied in the past and this latest paper is not the first to show the existence of these structures in cells. As early as the 1960s researchers noticed that G-rich sequences form structures considerably different from other nucleic acids[/quote], although it wasn't until the late 1980s that researchers were able to define the G-quadrupex structures exactly. Of course, evidence for these structures only existed in biochemical experiments done outside of the cell. In the 2000s, however, researchers used the same strategy reported here (generating fluorescent antibodies against g-quadruplex structures) to directly image the presence of g-quadruplexes in cells (Schaffitzel et al. (2001) In vitro generated antibodies specific for telomeric guanine-quadruplex DNA react with Stylonychia lemnae macronuclei. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 98: 8572. doi:10.1073/pnas.141229498). A number of other studies have provided indirect evidence for the existence of these structures as well.

The newest study in Nature Chemistry improves on the earlier methods, and the authors generate a better antibody capable of directly imaging the g-quadruplex structures in mamalian cells (which had not been accomplished before). This study helps to confirm the previous findings (which are still somewhat controversial), and provides a useful tool for studying how these g-quadruplex structures function inside the cell.