Poster (After Call)

FZJ-2018-04063

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Hydration-dependent dynamics of human telomeric oligonucleotides investigated by inelastic neutron scattering

Longo, M. (Corresponding author)FZJ* ; Sebastiani, F. ; Paciaroni, A. ; Orecchini, A. ; Sacchetti, F. ; Petrillo, C. ; Muthmann, M. ; Texeira, S. C. ; de Francesco, A. ; Comez, L.

2017

Please use a persistent id in citations: http://hdl.handle.net/2128/21336

Abstract: The functionality of biomolecules, such as DNA, is related not only to the structural but also to the dynamical properties. The activation of fast structural fluctuations on the pico- and nanosecond time windows enables slower conformational rearrangements and provides a minimum degree of flexibility required to carry out the biological activity. Recently, the number of studies on guanine-rich sequences at the end of telomeres is strongly increasing because of their potential therapeutic target for cancer. This kind of oligonucleotides can fold into a four-stranded structure called G-quadruplex and then inhibit the activity of telomerase, which is an enzyme responsible for the immortalization of the cancer cells. In this context, an inelastic neutron scattering study has been performed to investigate how the hydration degree and the temperature affect the thermal fluctuations of the intra-molecular sequence d[AG3(AG3T2)3], which has been extensively used as a model for human telomeres. A hydration-dependent dynamical activation in weakly hydrated samples of oligonucleotides was found showing a contribution from intra- and inter-nucleotide dynamics.The trends of both amplitudes and the characteristic timescales of the thermal fluctuations point to a higher conformational flexibility of the human telomeric sequence as compared to that of a long sequence of DNA.

Keyword(s): Health and Life (1st) ; Biology (2nd)

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. JCNS-FRM-II (JCNS-FRM-II)
2. Neutronenstreuung (Neutronenstreuung ; JCNS-1)

Research Program(s):

1. 6G15 - FRM II / MLZ (POF3-6G15) (POF3-6G15)
2. 6G4 - Jülich Centre for Neutron Research (JCNS) (POF3-623) (POF3-623)
3. SINE2020 - World class Science and Innovation with Neutrons in Europe 2020 – SINE2020 (654000) (654000)

Experiment(s):

1. SPHERES: Backscattering spectrometer (NL6S)

Appears in the scientific report 2018

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Database coverage:

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