Guidelines for G-quadruplexes: I. In vitro characterization
Abstract
Besides the well-known DNA double-helix, non-canonical nucleic acid structures regulate crucial bio- logical activities. Among these oddities, guanine-rich DNA sequences can form unusual four-stranded secondary structures called G-quadruplexes (G4s). G4-prone sequences have been found in the ge- nomes of most species, and G4s play important roles in essential processes such as transcription, replication, genome integrity and epigenetic regulation. Here, we present a short overview of G-quad- ruplexes followed by a detailed description of the biophysical and biochemical methods used to char- acterize G4s in vitro. The principles, experimental details and possible shortcomings of each method are discussed to provide a comprehensive view of the techniques used to study these structures. We aim to provide a set of guidelines for standardizing research on G-quadruplexes; these guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, but should rather provide useful information on the methods currently used to study these fascinating motifs.