Highly Improved Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Detection of G-Quadruplex-Folded Oligonucleotides and Their Complexes with Small Molecules

Anal Chem. 2017 Sep 5;89(17):8632-8637. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b01282. Epub 2017 Aug 24.

Abstract

G-quadruplexes are nucleic acids structures stabilized by physiological concentration of potassium ions. Because low stability G-quadruplexes are hardly detectable by mass spectrometry, we optimized solvent conditions: isopropanol in a triethylamine/hexafluoroisopropanol mixture highly increased G-quadruplex sensitivity with no modification of the physiological G-quadruplex conformation. G-quadruplexes/G-quadruplex-ligand complexes were also correctly detected at concentration as low as 40 nM. Detection of the physiological conformation of G4s and their complexes opens up the possibility to perform high-throughput screening of G-quadruplex ligands for the development of drug molecules effective against critical human diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 2-Propanol / chemistry
  • Ethylamines / chemistry
  • G-Quadruplexes*
  • Ligands
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / analysis*
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / genetics
  • Potassium / chemistry
  • Propanols / chemistry
  • Solvents / chemistry
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / methods*

Substances

  • Ethylamines
  • Ligands
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides
  • Propanols
  • Solvents
  • hexafluoroisopropanol
  • 2-Propanol
  • Potassium
  • triethylamine