DNA structure-dependent recruitment of telomeric proteins to single-stranded/double-stranded DNA junctions

Telomeres protect chromosome ends by assembling unique protein-DNA complexes. TRF2 is a telomere binding protein that is involved in protecting the G-strand overhang, a 3′, guanine-rich, overhang at the telomere terminus. TRF2 may protect the G-strand overhang by recognizing some organizational aspect of the telomeric single-stranded/double-stranded (ss/ds) DNA junction. This work demonstrates that TRF2, purified or in crude extracts, recognizes telomeric ss/ds DNA junctions containing wild type telomeric sequence in the ds region and a G-strand overhang with at least one telomeric repeat. Telomeric complexes containing TRF2 and pot1 assemble less efficiently when the G-strand overhang is in the form of an intramolecular G-quadruplex. However, recruitment of the DNA repair proteins, WRN, Mre11, and Ku86, is not inhibited by a G-quadruplex. This suggests that an intramolecular G-quadruplex has the potential to disrupt certain telomeric assemblies, but efficient recruitment of appropriate DNA repair proteins provides the means to overcome this obstacle.