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DNA structure

Visualizing the quadruplex

Nature Chemistry volume 5, pages 153–155 (2013)Cite this article

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The direct observation and quantification of G-quadruplex structures formed from DNA in human cells during the cell cycle demonstrate the biological importance of these structures and point towards opportunities for targeting them with small-molecule drugs.

In contrast to the linear structure of duplex DNA, G-quadruplexes are globular structures resulting from the sequence-dependent folding of single-stranded DNA. This and their potential biomolecular roles in disease pathology make them an attractive target for drug design. Research activity in the area has hugely expanded over the past decade — database searches suggest that the number of publications in the area have increased almost 10-fold and annual citations over 17-fold. This has spawned an extensive effort by synthetic and medicinal chemists to develop drugs that selectively target these structures over duplex DNA and thus modulate their biological role in cells1. Indeed, Quarfloxin, the first-in-class G-quadruplex-interactive drug, is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of cancer2.

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Figure 1: Picture perfect.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. TetraGene, 2401 Foothill Drive, Salt Lake City, 84109, Utah, USA

    Adam Siddiqui-Jain & Laurence H. Hurley

  2. College of Pharmacy, The University of Arizona, Tucson, 85721, Arizona, USA

    Laurence H. Hurley

Authors
  1. Adam Siddiqui-Jain
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  2. Laurence H. Hurley
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Correspondence to Adam Siddiqui-Jain or Laurence H. Hurley.

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Siddiqui-Jain, A., Hurley, L. Visualizing the quadruplex. Nature Chem 5, 153–155 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.1587

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