Emerging Role of the Guanine-Quadruplex DNA Secondary Structure in Epigenetics
Aradhita Baral, Dhurjhoti Saha and Shantanu Chowdhury
from: Epigenetics: Current Research and Emerging Trends (Edited by: Brian P. Chadwick). Caister Academic Press, U.K. (2015) Pages: 271-284.
Abstract
Chromosomal DNA packaged as chromatin controls an intriguing variety of biological functions. Notably, a largely similar template of DNA sequence, comprising sequential arrangement of the four nucleic acid moieties, manages these functions. This is striking. In addition, this fraise an interesting question about whether the DNA sequence template plays a 'bystander' role in genome function or do locally attained structural formations also exert control. Recent studies directly implicate the chromatin in many processes including chromosome organization, transcription, replication and genomic stability. To some extent this is attributed to the supramolecular flexible structure of genomic DNA, which allows it to bend, twist and compress. Together these studies have pioneered a school of thought that DNA secondary structure derived from a particular encoded arrangement of DNA bases could participate in function. In this chapter we will focus on a particular type of DNA secondary structure - the G4 motif formed from a specific arrangement of guanine bases and discuss studies that together implicate a larger role of DNA structures in regulating genome-wide function read more ...
