Research

Figura1Investigation from the Spanish national Research Council (CSIC) has revealed new binding mechanisms of carbohydrates with quadruplex DNA. These results raise the possibility of developing carbohydrates as anticancer drugs.
DNA quadruplex structures are usually located at the telomeres (the end of chromosomes), thought they have been recently observed in oncogene promoters. In contrast with the well-known double helix, in these regions DNA adopts structures of quadruplex helix consisting of a square arrangement of guanines called tetrads.
  
Reference: Irene Gómez-Pinto, Empar Vengut-Climent, Ricardo Lucas, Anna Aviñó, Ramón Eritja, Carlos González, Juan Carlos Morales. Carbohydrate–DNA Interactions at G-Quadruplexes: Folding and Stability Changes by Attaching Sugars at the 5’-End. Chem. Eur. DOI: 10.1002/chem.201203902
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/chem.201203902/full

 

This research, published in Chemistry a European Journal, shows stacking favorable interactions between different sugars and the guanine tetrads. These structures are stabilized by carbohydrates-DNA aromatic ring staking interaction and hydrogen bonds. These interactions are observed for the first time in this report.