Deciphering the Interplay Between G-Quadruplexes and Natural/Synthetic Polyamines

Abstract

The interplay between polyamines and G-quadruplexes has been largely overlooked in the literature, even though polyamines are ubiquitous metabolites in living cells and G-quadruplexes are transient regulatory elements, being both of them key regulators of biological processes. Herein, we compile the investigations connecting G-quadruplexes and biogenic polyamines to understand the biological interplay between them. Moreover, we overview the main works focused on synthetic ligands containing polyamines designed to target G-quadruplexes, aiming to unravel the structural motifs for designing potent and selective G4 ligands.