Intercalated Cytosine Motif and Novel Adenine Clusters in the Crystal Structure of the Tetrahymena Telomere

The cytosine-rich strand of the Tetrahymena telomere consists of multiple repeats of sequence d(AACCCC). We have solved the crystal structure of the crystalline repeat sequence at 2.5 A resolution. The adenines form two different and previously unknown clusters (A clusters) in orthogonal directions with their counterparts from other strands, each containing a total of eight adenines. The clusters appear to be stable aggregates held together by base stacking and three different base-pairing modes. Two different types of cytosine tetraplexes are found in the crystal. Each four-stranded complex is composed of two intercalated parallel-stranded duplexes pointing in opposite directions, with hemiprotonated cytosine-cytosine (C.C+) base pairs. The outermost C.C+base pairs are from the 5'-end of each strand in one cytosine tetraplex and from the 3'-end of each strand in the other. The A clusters and the cytosine tetraplexes form two alternating stacking patterns, creating continuous base stacking in two perpendicular directions along the x - and z -axes. The adenine clusters could be organizational motifs for macromolecular RNA.