Opposite Charges, Different Stability: Telomeric G-Quadruplexes in Nanoconfinement

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Nanotechnology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Telomere G-quadruplex (G4) structures are crucial for genomic stability.
• Understanding G4 folding and stability in confined environments is vital for cellular processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how the chemical nature of confinement influences telomere G-quadruplex (G4) folding and thermal stability.
• To compare the effects of anionic and cationic nanosized water pools on G4 formation and stability.

Main Methods:

• Studied telomeric DNA sequences with varying thymine loop arrangements.
• Analyzed G4 folding patterns and thermal stability in anionic and cationic nanosized water pools.

Main Results:

• Both anionic and cationic water pools induced G4 formation with the same topology.
• G4 structures exhibited significantly lower thermal stability in cationic water pools compared to anionic ones.
• G4 topology was insensitive to confinement type, but thermal stability was highly dependent on it.

Conclusions:

• The chemical nature of confinement significantly impacts the thermal stability of folded telomeric G4.
• Differences in interfacial water orientation and hydrogen bonding within cationic vs. anionic pools likely explain stability variations.
• Findings offer insights into telomere G4 behavior within confined cellular systems.