Putative G-quadruplex Formation in the Upstream Region of mTOR Gene

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and its signaling pathways are highly critical for maintaining cell homeostasis. The mTOR signaling pathway is often hyperactivated in many types of cancers making it an attractive therapeutic target for cancer. The efficacy of current mTOR protein inhibitors in therapy has seen limited success. The search for alternative means of therapy may lie in the regulation of mTOR gene expression using DNA structures. In the current study, we explore and report the presence of a novel G4 structure in the upstream region of mTOR gene. We have demonstrated the G-quadruplex formation in the mTOR G4 region using biophysical experiments. This study paves the way for the design of novel selective DNA G4 binders for mTOR G4 for anticancer therapeutics.