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Updated: Feb 7, 2026
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Single-Molecule Fluorescence Visualization of DNA Polymerase Dynamics at G-Quadruplexes
Published on: April 4, 2025
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Control of the polyamine biosynthesis pathway by G2-quadruplexes.
Helen Louise Lightfoot1, Timo Hagen1, Antoine Cléry2,3
1Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Elife
|August 1, 2018
Summary
Novel RNA G-quadruplexes regulate polyamine biosynthesis. These structures, found in gene UTRs, sense and control polyamine levels, forming feedback loops to maintain metabolite homeostasis.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Biophysics
- Genetics
Background:
- G-quadruplexes are stable nucleic acid structures.
- Irregular G-quadruplexes increasingly implicated in gene regulation.
- G-quadruplexes (G4s) are key regulatory elements in gene expression.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate G-quadruplexes in polyamine biosynthesis genes.
- Characterize novel metastable RNA G-quadruplexes.
- Elucidate the role of G-quadruplexes in polyamine homeostasis.
Main Methods:
- Biophysical characterization of RNA G-quadruplexes.
- Cellular assays with ligand treatments.
- High-resolution 1H-NMR spectroscopy.
Main Results:
- Identified novel metastable RNA G-quadruplexes in polyamine biosynthesis gene UTRs.
- Demonstrated G-quadruplexes regulate and sense polyamine levels.
- Showed AZIN1 mRNA G-quadruplex exists in equilibrium with a hairpin structure.
Conclusions:
- RNA G-quadruplexes are critical regulators of polyamine biosynthesis.
- These structures form feedback loops controlling metabolite homeostasis.
- Expanded understanding of G-quadruplex diversity and function in gene regulation.
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