Targeting DHODH promoter G-quadruplex to induce ferroptosis in melanoma cells

Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) is a key regulator of ferroptosis and represents a promising therapeutic target in cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying its aberrant overexpression in tumors, particularly the cis-regulatory elements and structural features governing DHODH gene expression, remain poorly understood. In this study, we identified a G-quadruplex (G4) structure in DHODH promoter and revealed that this structure acts as a key regulatory element by recruiting the transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) to activate DHODH transcription. Moreover, we employed a CRISPR-guided G4 ligands system to achieve locus-specific stabilization of DHODH promoter G4. This targeted intervention disrupted the binding of YY1 to DHODH promoter G4, potently suppressed DHODH expression, and significantly sensitized melanoma cells to ferroptosis inducers. Our work uncovers a non-canonical, activating function of a promoter G4 structure in driving pro-tumorigenic gene expression and provides a precise therapeutic strategy for sensitizing tumors to ferroptosis by targeting transcriptional regulation.