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Small-molecule G-quadruplex stabilizers reveal a novel pathway of autophagy regulation in neurons.

Jose F Moruno-Manchon | Pauline Lejault | Yaoxuan Wang | Brenna McCauley | Pedram Honarpisheh | Diego A Morales Scheihing | Shivani Singh | Weiwei Dang | Nayun Kim | Akihiko Urayama | Liang Zhu | David Monchaud | Louise D McCullough | Andrey S Tsvetkov
eLife | 2020

Guanine-rich DNA sequences can fold into four-stranded G-quadruplex (G4-DNA) structures. G4-DNA regulates replication and transcription, at least in cancer cells. Here, we demonstrate that, in neurons, pharmacologically stabilizing G4-DNA with G4 ligands strongly downregulates the Atg7 gene. Atg7 is a critical gene for the initiation of autophagy that exhibits decreased transcription with aging. Using an in vitro assay, we show that a putative G-quadruplex-forming sequence (PQFS) in the first intron of the Atg7 gene folds into a G4. An antibody specific to G4-DNA and the G4-DNA-binding protein PC4 bind to the Atg7 PQFS. Mice treated with a G4 stabilizer develop memory deficits. Brain samples from aged mice contain G4-DNA structures that are absent in brain samples from young mice. Overexpressing the G4-DNA helicase Pif1 in neurons exposed to the G4 stabilizer improves phenotypes associated with G4-DNA stabilization. Our findings indicate that G4-DNA is a novel pathway for regulating autophagy in neurons.

Pubmed ID: 32043463

Research resources used in this publication

None found

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Associated grants

  • Agency: NINDS NIH HHS, United States
    Id: R01 NS094543
  • Agency: NCATS NIH HHS, United States
    Id: TL1 TR003169
  • Agency: NIA NIH HHS, United States
    Id: R01 AG052507
  • Agency: NCATS NIH HHS, United States
    Id: UL1 TR003167

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