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Assessment of human telomeric G-quadruplex structures using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

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Abstract

G-Quadruplex (G4) structures of a human telomeric 24-mer (5′-TTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGG-3′) sequence (Tel24) stabilized by sodium and potassium ions have been assessed using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. The distinctive SERS spectra of Tel24 in the presence of 100 mM Na+ and 100 mM K+ were obtained and the SERS bands characteristic of the antiparallel basket-type and the mixed hybrid (3+1) structures, respectively, were identified and assigned. The influence of the SERS - active substrate on the scattering enhancement was studied using citrate- and chloride-covered silver nanoparticles, in the absence and presence of the aggregating agent (0.1 M Na2SO4 and 0.1 M K2SO4). The highly reproducible SERS spectra of Tel24 obtained in various SERS active media indicated the same adsorption mechanism of the cation - stabilized G-quadruplexes onto the metal surface, regardless of the silver colloid. The remarkable resemblance between the circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the Tel24 structures with and without the colloid confirmed that interaction with the enhancing silver surface did not affect the stability of the formed G4 structures. The presented study pointed to a great potential of the SERS spectroscopy for the sensitive structural analysis of various G4 topologies.

SERS spectroscopy allowed identification of Na+ stabilized antiparallel basket-type and K+ stabilized hybrid (3+1) structures of the same 24-mer human telomeric sequence

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Science Foundation (grant number 1477).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Horvatovac 102a, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Snežana Miljanić

  2. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Research and Development, PLIVA Croatia, Prilaz baruna Filipovića 29, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Marina Ratkaj

  3. Division of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10002, Zagreb, Croatia

    Marija Matković & Ivo Piantanida

  4. Department NEUROFARBA—Pharmaceutical and nutraceutical section, Laboratory of Molecular Modeling Cheminformatics & QSAR, University of Firenze, Via Ugo Schiff 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy

    Paola Gratteri

  5. Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy

    Carla Bazzicalupi

Authors
  1. Snežana Miljanić
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  2. Marina Ratkaj
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  3. Marija Matković
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Correspondence to Snežana Miljanić.

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Miljanić, S., Ratkaj, M., Matković, M. et al. Assessment of human telomeric G-quadruplex structures using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Anal Bioanal Chem 409, 2285–2295 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-016-0172-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-016-0172-y

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