Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Taking control of G-quadruplexes

Telomeres are crucial for maintaining the integrity of the genome. Several alternative structures have been proposed for these caps, and understanding their biological significance is a matter of great interest. Probing of native telomeres now reveals that telomere end-binding proteins may control the formation of G-quadruplex DNA in vivo.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Structures formed by G-rich DNA.
Figure 2: Schematic showing a model mechanism wherein TEBPα-β tethers telomeres to the nuclear matrix and stabilizes G-quadruplex DNA.

References

  1. Cech, T.R. Cell 116, 273–279 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Smogorzewska, A. & de Lange, T. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 73, 177–208 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Gottschling, D.E. & Zakian, V.A. Cell 47, 195–205 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Price, C.M. & Cech, T.R. Genes Dev. 1, 783–793 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Paeschke, K., Simonsson, T., Postberg, J., Rhodes, D. & Lipps, H.J. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 12, 847–854 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Horvath, M.P., Schweiker, V.L., Bevilacqua, J.M., Ruggles, J.A. & Schultz, S.C. Cell 95, 963–974 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Froelich-Ammon, S.J., Dickinson, B.A., Bevilacqua, J.M., Schultz, S.C. & Cech, T.R. Genes Dev. 12, 1504–1514 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Jonsson, F., Postberg, J., Schaffitzel, C. & Lipps, H.J. Chromosome Res. 10, 445–453 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Garvik, B., Carson, M. & Hartwell, L. Mol. Cell. Biol. 15, 6128–6138 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Baumann, P. & Cech, T.R. Science 292, 1171–1175 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Hockemeyer, D., Sfeir, A.J., Shay, J.W., Wright, W.E. & de Lange, T. EMBO J. 24, 2667–2678 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Veldman, T., Etheridge, K.T. & Counter, C.M. Curr. Biol. 14, 2264–2270 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Yang, Q., Zheng, Y.L. & Harris, C.C. Mol. Cell. Biol. 25, 1070–1080 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Schaffitzel, C. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98, 8572–8577 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Fang, G. & Cech, T.R. Cell 74, 875–885 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Fang, G., Gray, J.T. & Cech, T.R. Genes Dev. 7, 870–882 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Postberg, J. et al. J. Cell Sci. 114, 1861–1866 (2001).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Hicke, B. et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 23, 1887–1893 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Mohaghegh, P., Karow, J.K., Brosh, R.M. Jr., Bohr, V.A. & Hickson, I.D. Nucleic Acids Res. 29, 2843–2849 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Huber, M.D., Lee, D.C. & Maizels, N. Nucleic Acids Res. 30, 3954–3961 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Zaug, A.J., Podell, E.R. & Cech, T.R. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102, 10864–10869 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Gellert, M., Lipsett, M.N. & Davies, D.R. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 48, 2013–2018 (1962).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Sundquist, W.I. & Klug, A. Nature 342, 825–829 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Williamson, J.R., Raghuraman, M.K. & Cech, T.R. Cell 59, 871–880 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Baumann, P. Taking control of G-quadruplexes. Nat Struct Mol Biol 12, 832–833 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb1005-832

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb1005-832

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing