Principles and Molecular Mechanisms of DNA and RNA G-Quadruplexes in Gene Regulation

Dear Colleagues,

Guanine quadruplexes (G4s) are non-canonical four-stranded structures that can be formed in guanine (G)-rich nucleic acid sequences. Numerous G-rich sequences capable of forming G4 structures have been described, mostly based on in vitro studies, and evidence supporting their existence in vivo continues to grow. The distribution of putative G4s across the various regulatory regions of the genome and transcriptome immediately hints at the potential impact of G4s on cellular metabolism and, specifically, the regulation of gene expression. Consequently, the number of proposed roles played by G4s in different aspects of gene regulation is constantly increasing. The interest in structural and functional studies of G4s is further increasing due to their potential role in the pathogenesis of human diseases and as novel therapeutic targets.

This Special Issue intends to bring together specialists to cover different aspects of the biology of DNA and RNA G4s. We welcome both original papers and up-to-date reviews that cover topics including but not limited to:

• Principles of assembly and disassembly of G4s, G4 interactions with ligands;
• Structural aspects of G4s, structural roles of individual G4-binding proteins and their structural domains;
• Molecular mechanisms underlying the participation of G4s in gene regulation from DNA replication and recombination to RNA translation, decay, and localization;
• Interconnection between G4-mediated processes, principles of their regulation;
• Global-scale analysis of G4s, molecular mechanisms, and functional consequences of their assembly into supramolecular complexes;
• Connection of G4s to human diseases.