Integrative and Functional Biology Unit, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road, New Delhi-110025, India.
Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Rafi Marg, New Delhi-110001, India.
Molecules. 2019 Feb 6;24(3):582. doi: 10.3390/molecules24030582.
Evidences from more than three decades of work support the function of non-duplex DNA structures called G-quadruplex (G4) in important processes like transcription and replication. In addition, G4 structures have been studied in connection with DNA base modifications and chromatin/nucleosome arrangements. Recent work, interestingly, shows promise of G4 structures, through interaction with G4 structure-interacting proteins, in epigenetics-in both DNA and histone modification. Epigenetic changes are found to be intricately associated with initiation as well as progression of cancer. Multiple oncogenes have been reported to harbor the G4 structure at regulatory regions. In this context, G4 structure-binding ligands attain significance as molecules with potential to modify the epigenetic state of chromatin. Here, using examples from recent studies we discuss the emerging role of G4 structures in epigenetic modifications and, therefore, the promise of G4 structure-binding ligands in epigenetic therapy.
三十多年的研究证据表明，非双链 DNA 结构（称为 G-四链体，G4）在转录和复制等重要过程中具有功能。此外，G4 结构还与 DNA 碱基修饰和染色质/核小体排列有关。最近的研究工作表明，G4 结构与 G4 结构相互作用蛋白的相互作用，在 DNA 和组蛋白修饰的表观遗传学中具有很大的潜力。表观遗传变化与癌症的发生和发展密切相关。已经有报道称，多个癌基因在调控区域存在 G4 结构。在这种情况下，G4 结构结合配体作为具有潜在能力改变染色质表观遗传状态的分子而变得重要。在这里，我们将使用最近研究的例子来讨论 G4 结构在表观遗传修饰中的新作用，以及 G4 结构结合配体在表观遗传治疗中的应用前景。
