RNA and DNA G-quadruplexes bind to human dicer and inhibit its activity

Abstract Guanine (G)-rich single-stranded nucleic acids can adopt G-quadruplex structures. Accumulating evidence indicates that G-quadruplexes serve important regulatory roles in fundamental biological processes such as DNA replication, transcription, and translation, while aberrant formation is linked to genome instability cancer. Understanding the functions played by requires detailed knowledge of their protein interactome. Here, we report both RNA are bound human Dicer vitro. Using vitro binding assays, mutation studies, computational modeling demonstrate interact with Platform–PAZ–Connector helix cassette Dicer, region responsible for anchoring microRNA precursors (pre-miRNAs). Consequently, show efficiently stably inhibit cleavage pre-miRNA Dicer. Our data highlight potential allow us propose a G-quadruplex-driven sequestration mechanism regulation.