In Vitro Chemical Mapping of G-Quadruplex DNA Structures by Bis-3-Chloropiperidines

G-quadruplexes are nucleic acid secondary structures that are typically formed within guanine-rich DNA sequences. The chemical mapping of G4 by B-CePs aims at the in vitro characterization of G4 and allows the identification of the specific guanines forming the G-tetrads. The identification and the experimental validation of G4 within potential G-quadruplex-forming sequences is a biologically relevant issue, which is currently addressed primarily through computational tools.

To support such predictions and detect unpredicted G4, chemical mapping by B-CePs represents an accessible method to identify G4 in DNA sequences. The chemical mapping by B-CePs is a convenient alternative to the widely used dimethyl sulfate footprinting protocol for the characterization of G-quadruplexes. The key advantage by B-CePs is that it reduced the number of steps in the protocol and it reduced the initial amount of the DNA substrate.