Scopus İndeksli Yayınlar Koleksiyonu / Scopus Indexed Publications Collection
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11147/7148
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Article Linking RNA Methylation to Structure: A Biophysical Perspective(Wiley, 2026) Akgul, Bunyamin; Guler, Gunnur; Saglam, Buket; Akkus, Onur; Akcaoz-Alasar, AzimeRecent epitranscriptomic studies show that ribonucleic acids (RNAs) are coated with an array of chemical modifications that dictate their cellular fate. Genetic, biochemical, and genomic approaches have been employed to elucidate the molecular details of RNA methylation, one of the most prevalent types of RNA modifications with significant implications for health and disease. Various biochemical approaches have been developed to identify RNA methylations both at the global and nucleotide resolution levels. However, simpler detection methods are needed to assess the global methylation status of synthetic or cellular RNAs. Although significant progress has been made in elucidating the factors involved in writing, erasing, or reading methylated epitopes or structures, the impact of these methyl moieties on the secondary structure of RNAs or macromolecular interactions remains to be fully understood. Typically, biophysical approaches, such as Fourier transformed-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), and Raman spectroscopy, have been used to study the structures and interactions of macromolecules, including DNA and proteins. Although RNAs harbor similar chemical modifications or structure-mediated functions, the number of RNA studies that employ biophysical approaches is scarce. In this viewpoint article, we present a biophysical perspective that links RNA methylation to structure and propose that FT-IR analyses can be employed to examine global changes in the abundance of cellular RNA m(6)A marks. Additionally, we discuss the potential applications of biophysical approaches that may be employed to gain insight into methylation-mediated changes in RNA structures.Article Investigation of Few-Layer Graphene-Ubiquitin Interactions with Optical Spectroscopy Techniques(MDPI, 2025) Gencay, Burcu; Guler, GunnurUnderstanding the molecular mechanisms of protein-nanoparticle interactions is crucial for enabling the development of new applications in biomedicine and nanotechnology. Ubiquitin, an important and structurally small functional protein, plays a central role in numerous cellular processes. Therefore, in the current study, we focused on the few-layer graphene (FLG)-Ubiquitin complexes formed by exfoliating FLG structures using only water. Optical spectroscopic techniques (Raman, FT-IR, UV-Vis and circular dichroism) were employed to investigate these complexes on the molecular level. Overall, both CD and FT-IR data reveal that the formation of the FLG-Ubiquitin complexes occurred without inducing disordered structures in the protein. Based on the existence of a blue shift (hypsochromic shift) in the UV-Vis data, the presence of a single tyrosine and two phenylalanine residues in ubiquitin enables the detection of FLG-induced micro-environmental changes, particularly influencing the protein's beta-sheet and alpha-helix structures. The CD spectral results and CDPro quantitative estimations are in line with ATR FT-IR results, confirming the absence of disordered structure formation while altering the protein's chirality. UV-Vis and CD spectroscopy results revealed concentration-dependent trends consistent with FLG-protein interactions that preserve the overall protein structure. This study has potential applications in both academic research and practical usage, particularly in biomedicine and nanotechnology specifically for FLG.Article Citation - WoS: 2Citation - Scopus: 2Modulating Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics in CD133+ Melanoma Cells through Hif1α, KLF4, and SHH Silencing(Amer Chemical Soc, 2025) Ozdil, Berrin; Güler, Günnur; Avci, Cigir Biray; Calik-Kocaturk, Duygu; Gorgulu, Volkan; Uysal, Aysegul; Guler, Gunnur; Aktug, HuseyinMalignant melanoma is a highly aggressive form of skin cancer, partly driven by a subset of cancer stem cells (CSCs) with remarkable capacities for self-renewal, differentiation, and resistance to therapy. In this study, we examined how silencing three key genes-Hif1 alpha, KLF4, and SHH-affects CSC characteristics. Using small interfering RNA (siRNA)-based approaches, we observed significant changes at both the gene and protein levels, shedding light on how these pathways influence melanoma progression. Our results demonstrated that silencing these genes reduces the stem-like features of CSCs. Notably, Hif1 alpha silencing triggered a marked decrease in hypoxia-related gene expression, while targeting SHH led to a reduction in Gli1, a downstream effector of SHH signaling, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target. We also observed changes in epigenetic markers such as HDAC9 and EP300, which play crucial roles in maintaining stemness and regulating gene expression. Interestingly, these interventions appeared to reprogram CSCs, pushing them toward a phenotype distinct from both traditional CSCs and non-stem cancer cells (NCSCs). Our findings emphasize the importance of targeting key signaling pathways in melanoma CSCs and underscore the value of mimicking the tumor microenvironment in experimental models. By revealing the dynamic plasticity of melanoma CSCs, this study offers fresh insights into potential therapeutic strategies, particularly using siRNA to modulate pathways associated with tumor progression and stem cell behavior.Article Citation - WoS: 4Citation - Scopus: 3An Investigation of Rna Methylations With Biophysical Approaches in a Cervical Cancer Cell Model(Mdpi, 2024) Saglam, Buket; Akkus, Onur; Akcaoz-Alasar, Azime; Ceylan, Cagatay; Guler, Gunnur; Akgul, BunyaminRNA methylation adds a second layer of genetic information that dictates the post-transcriptional fate of RNAs. Although various methods exist that enable the analysis of RNA methylation in a site-specific or transcriptome-wide manner, whether biophysical approaches can be employed to such analyses is unexplored. In this study, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy are employed to examine the methylation status of both synthetic and cellular RNAs. The results show that FT-IR spectroscopy is perfectly capable of quantitatively distinguishing synthetic m(6)A-methylated RNAs from un-methylated ones. Subsequently, FT-IR spectroscopy is successfully employed to assess the changes in the extent of total RNA methylation upon the knockdown of the m(6)A writer, METTL3, in HeLa cells. In addition, the same approach is shown to accurately detect reduction in total RNA methylation upon the treatment of HeLa cells with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). It is also demonstrated that m(1)A and m(6)A methylation induce quite a distinct secondary structure on RNAs, as evident from CD spectra. These results strongly suggest that both FT-IR and CD spectroscopy methods can be exploited to uncover biophysical properties impinged on RNAs by methyl moieties, providing a fast, convenient and cheap alternative to the existing methods.