The double-helix structure is synonymous with DNA, but it isn't the only way long strands of genetic information squeeze themselves into a tight space.
A G-quadruplex is a double-stranded knot that can be created when a double-strand of DNA doubles back on itself.
The double-double-helixes were first discovered in living human cells in the year of 2013, and have since been found in high concentrations in cancer cells.
A group of researchers from Imperial College London have found a link between an accumulation of G-quadruplexes and a rare genetic disorder.
Multiple systems in the body are affected by the condition. It's characterized by premature aging, sun sensitivity, and growth failure.
In lab experiments involving human, insect, andbacterial cells, researchers have shown that the Cockayne Syndrome B (CSB)Protein is attached to the G-quadruplex.
The double-helixes that have just doubled back on themselves seem to bind with less affinity than the proteins.
It suggests that the cell nucleus has a role to play in the mixing and matching of ribosomal DNA.
The codes for the transcription of cellular proteins are held in this type of DNA, so if the Csb protein is not able to bind to G-quadruplexes, the cells might never get made.
There are previous experiments that show that a lack of functional CSB can stall the transcription of G-quadruplex structures. Without a messenger copy of this DNA, genetic information cannot leave the cell and communicate with the rest of the body.
The authors say that the interaction between ribosomal DNA intermolecular G4s is essential to maintain cellular homeostasis.
If the researchers are correct, it could mean that Cockayne Syndrome leads to premature aging because it stops the production of certain G-quadruplexes.
The structures that are formed when a double-helix molecule folds back on itself are the focus of most previous research. This new research is one of the first to investigate the role of G-quadruplexes that are formed from two separate double-helix molecules.
The length of our genomic DNA is more than two meters, but it is only a few microns in diameter. Marco Di Antonio from Imperial College London says it shouldn't be a surprise that long-range looped structures are used to compress DNA in more complex interactions.
We don't know a lot about DNA, but our results show how and where G-quadruplex structures form affects their function, making them more important biologically than previously thought.
The study could help researchers come up with treatments for diseases. This rare degenerative disorder can be mitigated if the G-quadruplexes can be stopped from binding with the dysfunctional CSBs.
The study was published in a journal.
