Repetitive elements in the human genome, once considered 'junk DNA', are now known to
adopt more than a dozen alternative (that is, non-B) DNA structures, such as self-annealed …

It has been> 20 years since the formation of G-quadruplex (G4) secondary structures in
gene promoters was first linked to the regulation of gene expression. Since then, the …

Abstract i-Motifs (iMs) are four-stranded DNA structures that form at cytosine (C)-rich
sequences in acidic conditions in vitro. Their formation in cells is still under debate. We …

R-loops are three-stranded nucleic acid structures that are abundant and widespread across
the genome and that have important physiological roles in many nuclear processes. Their …

In addition to the canonical right-handed double helix, other DNA structures, termed 'non-B
DNA', can form in the genomes across the tree of life. Non-B DNA regulates multiple cellular …

Short tandem repeats (STRs) are highly polymorphic sequences throughout the human
genome that are composed of repeated copies of a 1–6-bp motif. Over 1 million variable …

Single-stranded genomic DNA can fold into G-quadruplex (G4) structures or form DNA: RNA
hybrids (R loops). Recent evidence suggests that such non-canonical DNA structures affect …

The establishment of cell identity during embryonic development involves the activation of
specific gene expression programmes and is underpinned by epigenetic factors including …

Progress in the design of G-quadruplex (G4) binding ligands relies on the availability of
approaches that assess the binding mode and nature of the interactions between G4 …

In human cells, nucleic acids adopt several non-canonical structures that regulate key
cellular processes. Among them, G-quadruplexes (G4s) are stable structures that form in …