G-quadruplex nucleic acid structures

Valérie Gabelica (Mass Spectrometry Laboratory)

Date and place: Thursday November 19th, 12:30 pm at amphi Roksam (CHU, B35)

DNA, the repository of genetic information, is found in chromosomes mostly in the form of a Watson-Crick double helix. However, several other types of nucleic acid structures also exist, depending on the sequence and on the environment. G-quadruplexes (G4s) are particular nucleic acid structures which can form when four series of guanines self-assemble into a quadruple helix. Firstly, from a biological point of view, there is accumulating evidence that G4 structures can form in vivo at specific locations in the genome and in RNA, and play a role in gene expression, mutagenesis and disease. Because of their peculiar structures, G4's constitute privileged targets for the development of novel therapeutic molecules. Furthermore, from a chemical point of view, the G4 motif allows the construction of novel supramolecular nano-assemblies. We will show how native mass spectrometry (the analysis of intact non-covalent complexes by mass spectrometry) provides unique insight into the G4 structures, their formation mechanisms, and their interactions with binding partners.