Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 5, 2026
11:25
A G-quadruplex DNA-affinity Approach for Purification of Enzymatically Active G4 Resolvase1
Published on: March 18, 2017
10.0K
G-Quadruplexes: More Than Just a Kink in Microbial Genomes
Nandhini Saranathan1, Perumal Vivekanandan1
1Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India.
Trends in Microbiology
|September 19, 2018
Summary
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are crucial structures in microbial genomes, regulating viral replication and immune evasion. These findings highlight G4s as potential targets for new antimicrobial therapies.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
- Microbiology
Background:
- G-quadruplexes (G4s) are noncanonical nucleic acid structures formed by guanine-rich sequences.
- G4s are found in regulatory regions across diverse microbial genomes, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the biological roles of G-quadruplexes in microbial genomes.
- To highlight recent discoveries and therapeutic potential of G4s in microbes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on G4s in microbial genomes.
- Analysis of conserved G4 structures in regulatory and transcript regions.
- Examination of G4 roles in viral replication, gene regulation, and host-pathogen interactions.
Main Results:
- G4s are enriched and conserved in microbial regulatory regions.
- G4s in Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) modulate replication genes.
- G4s in Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) transcripts regulate translation and immune evasion.
- G4s are linked to microbial radioresistance, antigenic variation, recombination, and latency.
Conclusions:
- G-quadruplexes play significant biological roles in microbial life cycles.
- G4s in microbial genomes represent promising novel therapeutic targets for antimicrobial strategies.
Related Concept Videos
02:02Genomics
40.7K
Genomics is the science of genomes: it is the study of all the genetic material of an organism. In humans, the genome consists of information carried in 23 pairs of chromosomes in the nucleus, as well as mitochondrial DNA. In genomics, both coding and non-coding DNA is sequenced and analyzed. Genomics allows a better understanding of all living things, their evolution, and their diversity. It has a myriad of uses: for example, to build phylogenetic trees, to improve productivity and...
40.7K
02:30Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
37.2K
Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
37.2K
03:21Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes
9.1K
While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.
9.1K
01:29Microbial Morphologies
3.1K
Bacterial and archaeal cells exhibit remarkable diversity in shape and structure, critical in their adaptability and functionality. Among bacteria, the most commonly observed shapes include cocci and bacilli. Cocci are spherical and may exist singly or in groupings such as pairs (diplococci), chains (streptococci), clusters (staphylococci), or tetrads. Bacilli, in contrast, are rod-shaped and can also occur as single cells, in pairs, or chains, depending on their environmental and genetic...
3.1K
01:23Microbial Fermentation
1.5K
Fermentation is a crucial anaerobic metabolic process that enables microbes to derive energy from sugar without relying on oxygen or an electron transport chain. This process is fundamental to various biological and industrial applications and is classified based on the metabolic products generated.Role of Pyruvate in FermentationPyruvate and its derivatives serve as key electron acceptors in fermentative pathways. The oxidation of NADH to regenerate NAD+ is essential for the continuation of...
1.5K
01:28Microbial Nutrition
1.3K
Organisms exhibit remarkable metabolic diversity, categorized based on how they acquire energy and carbon. These strategies enable survival in various ecological niches and are essential for maintaining energy flow and nutrient cycling within ecosystems.Energy and Carbon SourcesOrganisms are classified as phototrophs or chemotrophs based on energy acquisition. Phototrophs use light as their energy source, while chemotrophs rely on oxidizing chemical compounds. Further differentiation arises...
1.3K