Mutagenesis Reveals an Unusual Combination of Guanines in RNA G-Quadruplex Formation

May 22, 2018

Title

Mutagenesis Reveals an Unusual Combination of Guanines in RNA G-Quadruplex Formation

Author

Prachi Agarwala, Gargi Pal, Satyaprakash Pandey, Souvik Maiti

Year

2017

Journal

ACS Omega

Abstract

The classic G-quadruplex motif consists of a continuous array of 3–4 guanine residues with an intermittent loop size of 1–7 nucleotides (G3–4N1–7G3–4N1–7G3–4N1–7G3–4). An RNA G-quadruplex is able to attain only one parallel G-quadruplex topology owing to steric constraints. Investigating the possibilities of the formation of RNA G-quadruplexes with a stretch of sequences deviating from this classic motif will add to the overall conformations of RNA G-quadruplexes, bestowing diversity to this structure. Here, we report unusual combinations of guanine residues involved in RNA G-quadruplex formation in the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of the von Willebrand factor (VWF) mRNA using the mutagenesis approach. Different permutations and combinations of guanine residues form G-quadruplexes. Upon investigation, G-quadruplexes in 5′ UTR of VWF mRNA are shown to exhibit an inhibitory function.

Instrument

J-810

Keywords

Circular dichroism, RNA structure, Biochemistry