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DNA G-Quadruplexes and I-Motifs in Therapeutics and Diagnostics

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Chemical Biology of Nucleic Acids

Part of the book series: RNA Technologies ((RNATECHN))

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Abstract

G-quadruplex- and i-motif-based DNA oligomers are being investigated for their integration into therapeutic and diagnostic micro-assemblies. Examples include quadruplex-forming aptamers as potential anti-HIV agents, and serum-stable quadruplexes as carriers for delivering porphyrins into cancer cells for photodynamic therapy. The i-motifs from C-rich DNA find application in pH-triggered hydrogels that can carry agents like drugs, proteins, and polymers to their targets. The pH-dependent conformational dynamics of i-motifs also make them useful as biosensors for detecting pH changes in cellular microenvironments. Due to these and many other applications, and in an effort to present a compendia of recent uses of quadruplexes and i-motifs, this chapter will concern itself with formation of G-quadruplexes and i-motifs; their physical and chemical properties; the effects of molecular crowding and hydration on their structure and stability; and their application in therapeutics as drug targets, drug-delivery vehicles, and diagnostic tools.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA

    Yogini P. Bhavsar-Jog, Samantha M. Reilly & Randy M. Wadkins

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  1. Yogini P. Bhavsar-Jog
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  2. Samantha M. Reilly
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  3. Randy M. Wadkins
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Correspondence to Randy M. Wadkins .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Chemistry/Biochemistry, Free University Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Volker A. Erdmann

  2. Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland

    Wojciech T. Markiewicz

  3. Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland

    Jan Barciszewski

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Bhavsar-Jog, Y.P., Reilly, S.M., Wadkins, R.M. (2014). DNA G-Quadruplexes and I-Motifs in Therapeutics and Diagnostics. In: Erdmann, V., Markiewicz, W., Barciszewski, J. (eds) Chemical Biology of Nucleic Acids. RNA Technologies. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54452-1_24

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