Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

DNA replication

Driving past four-stranded snags

Unusual DNA structures, such as G-quadruplexes, can stall DNA replication with drastic consequences for the cell. The Pif1 helicase family of enzymes has evolved to disentangle these structures efficiently. See Article p.458

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: The problem at G-quadruplexes.

Notes

  1. *This article and the paper under discussion1 were published online on 8 May 2013.

References

  1. Paeschke, K. et al. Nature 497, 458–462 (2013).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Mirkin, E. V. & Mirkin, S. M. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 71, 13–35 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Lopes, J. et al. EMBO J. 30, 4033–4046 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Biffi, G., Tannahill, D., McCafferty, J. & Balasubramanian, S. Nature Chem. 5, 182–186 (2013).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Wold, M. S. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 66, 61–92 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Woodford, K. J., Howell, R. M. & Usdin, K. J. Biol. Chem. 269, 27029–27035 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Anand, R. P. et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 40, 1091–1105 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Bochman, M. L., Sabouri, N. & Zakian, V. A. DNA Repair 9, 237–249 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ribeyre, C. et al. PLoS Genet. 5, e1000475 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Ivessa, A. S. et al. Mol. Cell 12, 1525–1536 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Perrod, S. & Gasser, S. M. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 60, 2303–2318 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Maizels, N. & Gray, L. T. PLoS Genet. 9, e1003468 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sergei M. Mirkin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mirkin, S. Driving past four-stranded snags. Nature 497, 449–450 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12244

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12244

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing