Study of the effect of deuteration on the structure and stability of mononucleotide G-quadruplexes

Annotation: Guanine quadruplexes (G4) are non-canonical secondary structures of nucleic acids that can form under suitable conditions in parts of DNA and RNA rich in guanine. Depending on the number of nucleotide chains forming the quadruplex, their orientation, and sequence, we distinguish a number of conformationally and structurally different types of quadruplexes. At high concentrations, similar structures - so-called mononucleotide guanine quadruplexes (mG4) - can also be formed by self-association of the free guanine mononucleotides themselves. G4s are currently being intensively studied, as recent studies have pointed to their regulatory function (they are found in the promoter sequences of some genes) and also their possible antitumor function. The subject of the bachelor's thesis will be the experimental study of mG4 using optical spectroscopy methods in a heavy water environment, where hydrogen-deuterium exchange can occur on the studied molecules themselves. The aim of the work will be to characterize the changes that this exchange causes in the structure and stability of mG4 complexes and to determine the relevant conformational markers.