Engineering of interlocked DNA G-quadruplexes as a robust scaffold

• Main Authors: Phan, Anh Tuân, Do, Ngoc Quang
• Other Authors: School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science::Medicine::Biomedical engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/97175; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/9982
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Interlock is a structural element in DNA G-quadruplexes that can be compared with the commonly used complementary binding of ‘sticky ends’ in DNA duplexes. G-quadruplex interlocking can be a basis for the assembly of higher-order structures. In this study, we formulated a rule to engineer (3+1) interlocked dimeric G-quadruplexes and established the folding topology of the designed DNA sequences by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These interlocked G-quadruplexes are very stable and can serve as compact robust scaffolds for various applications. Different structural elements can be engineered in these robust scaffolds. We demonstrated the anti-HIV inhibition activity of the newly designed DNA sequences.