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Do we know whether potential G-quadruplexes actually form in long functional RNA molecules?

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journal contribution
posted on 2016-12-13, 15:22 authored by C. Weldon, Ian C. Eperon, Cyril Dominguez
The roles of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) G-quadruplex structures in gene expression and telomere maintenance have been well characterized. Recent results suggest that such structures could also play pivotal roles in ribonucleic acid (RNA) biology, such as splicing or translation regulation. However, it has been difficult to show that RNA G-quadruplexes (G4s) exist in specific long RNA sequences, such as precursor messenger RNA, in a functional or cellular context. Most current methods for identifying G4s involve the use of short, purified RNA sequences in vitro, in the absence of competition with secondary structures or protein binding. Therefore, novel methods need to be developed to allow the characterization of G4s in long functional RNAs and in a cellular context. This need has in part been met by our recent development of a method based on a comparison of RNA and 7-deaza-RNA that provides a test for identifying RNA G4s in such conditions.

Funding

This work was supported by a Medical Research Council Career Development Award to C.D. [G1000526] and a Sir Dudley Spurling Post Graduate Scholarship from the Bank of Butterfield Foundation in Bermuda to C.W.

History

Citation

Biochemical Society Transactions, 2016, 44 (6), pp. 1761-1768

Author affiliation

/Organisation/COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND PSYCHOLOGY/MBSP Non-Medical Departments/Molecular & Cell Biology

Version

  • VoR (Version of Record)

Published in

Biochemical Society Transactions

Publisher

Portland Press for Biochemical Society

issn

0300-5127

eissn

1470-8752

Acceptance date

2016-07-04

Copyright date

2016

Available date

2016-12-13

Publisher version

http://www.biochemsoctrans.org/content/44/6/1761

Language

en

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