Senior Assistant Professor Wataru Yoshida et al. from the School of Bioscience and Biotechnology have published a paper entitled “Stabilization of G-quadruplex structure on vascular endothelial growth factor gene promoter depends on CpG methylation site and cation type” in BBA - General Subjects. They revealed that a G-quadruplex structure that has an important regulatory role on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene expression is stabilized by CpG methylation. The results demonstrate that the topology of VEGF G4 is cation-dependent and that structural stability relies on position-dependent single CpG methylation, suggesting that VEGF expression may be regulated by a combination of cation type and methylation status. The results could help develop an anti-cancer drug against the VEGF gene.

Figure1. Secondary structure of the methylated VEGF G-quadruplex structure

■BBA - General Subjects:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304416518301764