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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Aging
Sec. Genetics, Genomics and Epigenomics of Aging
Volume 5 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fragi.2024.1491389
This article is part of the Research Topic Epigenetic Regulation and Non-Histone Post-Translational Modification in Aging View all articles

G-quadruplex DNA and RNA in cellular senescence

Provisionally accepted
Rocio Diaz Escarcega Rocio Diaz Escarcega 1Paul Marshall Paul Marshall 2*Andrey S. Tsvetkov Andrey S. Tsvetkov 1*
  • 1 University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, United States
  • 2 Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Normal cells divide, are damaged, and are repaired across their lifetime. As cells age, they enter cellular senescence, characterized by a permanent state of cell-cycle arrest triggered by various stressors. The molecular mechanisms that regulate senescent phenotypes have been actively investigated over the last several decades; however, one area that has been neglected is how G-quadruplex (G4) DNA and RNA (G4-DNA and G4-RNA) mediate senescence. These non-canonical four-stranded DNA and RNA structures regulate most normative DNA and RNA-dependent processes, such as transcription, replication, and translation, as well as pathogenic mechanisms, including genomic instability and abnormal stress granule function. This review also highlights the contribution of G4s to sex differences in age-associated diseases and emphasizes potential translational approaches to target senescence and anti-aging mechanisms through G4 manipulation.

    Keywords: G-quadruplex, senescence, Aging, Age-associated disease, DNA and RNA

    Received: 04 Sep 2024; Accepted: 25 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Diaz Escarcega, Marshall and Tsvetkov. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Paul Marshall, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
    Andrey S. Tsvetkov, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, United States

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