Monomer-dimer equilibrium for the 5'-5' stacking of propeller-type parallel-stranded G-quadruplexes: NMR structural

Ngoc Quang Do1, Anh Tuân Phan

  • 1School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Summary

DNA sequences with guanine-rich motifs can form stable G-quadruplex structures. This study reveals how monomer-dimer equilibrium in these G-quadruplexes is influenced by various factors, providing a structural reference.

Related Concept Videos

¹H NMR: Complex Splitting01:13

¹H NMR: Complex Splitting

A proton M that is coupled to a proton X results in doublet signals for M. However, NMR-active nuclei can be simultaneously coupled to more than one nonequivalent nucleus. When M is coupled to a second proton A, such as in styrene oxide, each peak in the doublet is split into another doublet.
Splitting diagrams or splitting tree diagrams are routinely used to depict such complex couplings. While drawing splitting diagrams, the splitting with the larger coupling constant is usually applied first.
¹H NMR of Conformationally Flexible Molecules: Temporal Resolution00:52

¹H NMR of Conformationally Flexible Molecules: Temporal Resolution

At room temperature, the chair conformer of cyclohexane undergoes rapid ring flipping between two equivalent chair conformers at a rate of approximately 105 times per second. These two chair conformers are in equilibrium. The rapid ring flipping results in the interconversion of the axial proton to an equatorial proton and an equatorial to the axial proton. Such interconversions are too rapid and cannot be detected on the NMR timescale. Hence, the NMR spectrometer cannot distinguish between the...
Interpreting ¹H NMR Signal Splitting: The (n + 1) Rule01:10

Interpreting ¹H NMR Signal Splitting: The (n + 1) Rule

In the AX proton spin system, proton A can sense the two spin states of a coupled proton X, resulting in a doublet NMR signal with two peaks of equal (1:1) intensity. When proton A is coupled to two equivalent protons (AX2 spin system), the spin states of each X can be aligned with or against the external field, creating three possible scenarios. This results in a 1:2:1  triplet signal, where the central peak corresponds to the chemical shift of A and is twice as large or intense as the others.
Nucleic Acid Structure01:25

Nucleic Acid Structure

The pentose sugar in DNA is deoxyribose, while in RNA the pentose sugar is ribose. The difference between the sugars is the presence of the hydroxyl group on the ribose's second carbon and a hydrogen on the deoxyribose's second carbon. The phosphate residue attaches to the hydroxyl group of the 5′ carbon of one sugar and the hydroxyl group of the 3′ carbon of the sugar of the next nucleotide, which forms  a 5′ to 3′ phosphodiester linkage.
DNA Structure
DNA has a double-helix structure. The...