Polymorphism of human telomeric quadruplex structures

Human telomeric DNA consists of tandem repeats of the sequence d(TTAGGG). Compounds that can stabilize the intramolecular DNA G-quadruplexes formed in the human telomeric sequence have been shown to inhibit the activity of telomerase and telomere maintenance, thus the telomeric DNA G-quadruplex has been considered as an attractive target for cancer therapeutic intervention. Knowledge of intramolecular human telomeric G-quadruplex structure(s) formed under physiological conditions is important for structure-based rational drug design and thus has been the subject of intense investigation. This review will give an overview of recent progress on the intramolecular human telomeric G-quadruplex structures formed in K+ solution. It will also give insight into the structure polymorphism of human telomeric sequences and its implications for drug targeting.