Human telomeric RNA in G-quadruplex structure

Abstract

Very recently, a breaking finding from two groups demonstrated that telomere DNA is transcribed into telomeric repeat-containing RNA in mammalian cells. Telomeric RNA, a newly appeared player in telomere biology, may be a key component of telomere machinery. However, structure and function of the telomeric RNA in chromosome ends have not yet been elucidated. In the current studies, we found that the human telomeric RNA sequence can form parallel G-quadruplex structure in the presence of K(+) or Na(+) ions. These results provide valuable information to allow understanding of the roles of human telomeric RNA in chromosome ends regulation and protection.