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Updated: May 20, 2026

Analyzing Telomeric Protein-DNA Interactions Using Single-Molecule Magnetic Tweezers
Published on: August 30, 2024
An intramolecular G-quadruplex structure is required for binding of telomeric repeat-containing RNA to the telomeric
Giulia Biffi1, David Tannahill, Shankar Balasubramanian
1Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK.
Abstract:
Telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA) is important for telomere regulation, but the structural basis for how TERRA localizes to chromosome ends is unknown. Here we report on studies exploring whether the TERRA G-quadruplex structure is critical for binding to telomeres. We demonstrate that the telomeric protein TRF2 binds TERRA via interactions that necessitate the formation of a G-quadruplex structure rather than the TERRA sequence per se. We also show that TRF2 simultaneously binds TERRA and telomeric duplex or G-quadruplex DNA. These observations suggest that the TERRA G-quadruplex is a key feature of telomere organization.
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