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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Single-molecule Manipulation of G-quadruplexes by Magnetic Tweezers
Published on: September 19, 2017
G-quadruplex RNA structure as a signal for neurite mRNA targeting
Murugan Subramanian1, Florence Rage, Ricardos Tabet
1IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), CNRS, UMR7104, Inserm, U596, Collège de France, Strasbourg University, Illkirch-Graffenstaden 67404, France.
Abstract:
Targeting of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in neuron processes relies on cis-acting regulatory elements, the nature of which is poorly understood. Here, we report that approximately 30% of the best-known dendritic mRNAs contain a guanine (G)-quadruplex consensus in their 3'-untranslated region. Among these mRNAs, we show by using RNA structure probing that a G-quadruplex is present in the mRNAs of two key postsynaptic proteins: PSD-95 and CaMKIIa. The G-quadruplex structure is necessary and sufficient for the potent and fast localization of mRNAs in cortical neurites and this occurs in a metabotropic glutamate receptor-responsive manner. Thus, G-quadruplex seems to be a common neurite localization signal.
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