Selective recognition of human telomeric G-quadruplex with designed peptide via hydrogen bonding followed by base stacking interactions

Abstract

We described a novel synthetic peptide in which a glutamine residue binds through hydrogen bonding to a guanine-base and a trytophan residue intercalates with K⁺ resulting in stabilization of a human telomeric G-quadruplex with high selectivity over its complementary c-rich strand and a double-stranded DNA and its complementary C-rich strand. This peptide offers great potential for cancer treatment by inhibiting the telomere extension by telomerase.