Intermolecular Triplex Dna

Intermolecular Triplex Dna

 Three-stranded, or triplex DNA, can form within tracts of polypurine.polypyrimidine sequence, such as (GAA)n·(TTC)n. Purines, with their two-ring structures, have the potential to form hydrogen bonds with a second base, even while base paired in the canonical A·T and G·C configurations. This second type of base pair is called a Hoogsteen base pair, and it can form in the major groove (the top of the base pair representations in Figure 2). Pyrimidines can only pair with a single other base, and thus a long Pu·Py tract must be present for triplex DNA formation. The important factor for triplex DNA formation is the presence of an extended purine tract in a single DNA strand. The third-strand base-pairing code is as follows: A can pair with A or T; G can pair with a protonated C (C+) or G.