Miyoshi Daisuke, Fujimoto Takeshi, Sugimoto Naoki
FIRST (Faculty of Frontiers of Innovative Research in Science and Technology), Konan University, 7-1-20 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan,
Top Curr Chem. 2013;330:87-110. doi: 10.1007/128_2012_335.
Intracellular space is highly crowded with soluble and insoluble biomolecules that range from large polymers, such as proteins and nucleic acids, to small molecules, including metabolites and metal ions. It is therefore of interest to understand the effects of molecular crowding on the structure, stability, and function of biomolecules. Moreover, molecular crowding is observed not only intracellularly but also in the extracellular matrix and under the conditions used in in vitro biotechnological and nanotechnological processes. However, most biochemical studies of biomolecules are performed under dilute conditions. Recent studies have demonstrated critical effects of molecular crowding on nucleic acids. In the present study we discuss how molecular crowding affects the properties of G-quadruplexes as well as other non-canonical nucleic acid structures.
细胞内空间高度拥挤，充斥着可溶和不可溶的生物分子，从大的聚合物，如蛋白质和核酸，到小分子，包括代谢物和金属离子。因此，了解分子拥挤对生物分子的结构、稳定性和功能的影响很有意义。此外，不仅在细胞内，而且在细胞外基质以及体外生物技术和纳米技术过程所使用的条件下都观察到了分子拥挤现象。然而，大多数生物分子的生化研究都是在稀释条件下进行的。最近的研究表明分子拥挤对核酸有重要影响。在本研究中，我们讨论了分子拥挤如何影响G-四链体以及其他非经典核酸结构的性质。
