G4‐Ligand‐Directed PROTACs Unveil DR1 as a Novel Ligand‐Co‐Binding G4‐Protein and Reshape G4‐Dependent Transcription

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are dynamic nucleic acid structures whose biological impact is largely mediated by G4-binding proteins (G4BPs). While numerous G4BPs have been catalogued, the subset that specifically co-bind G4s in the presence of small-molecule ligands remains unexplored, limiting our understanding of ligand pharmacology. Here, we introduce G4-Ligand-Directed PROTACs (G4L-TACs), a chemical biology platform that couples high-affinity G4 ligands with E3 ubiquitin ligase recruiters to selectively degrade ligand-co-binding G4BPs. Using PDS-derived G4L-TACs, we identified the transcription factor DR1 as a previously unrecognized G4BP recruited to ligand-stabilized promoter G4s. G4L-TAC-mediated DR1 degradation relieved transcriptional repression at G4-rich oncogenic promoters, providing mechanistic insights into how G4 ligands influence gene expression beyond simple nucleic acid stabilization. These results establish G4L-TACs as a novel platform to discover ligand-co-binding G4BPs and reveal DR1 as a new regulatory node in G4-dependent transcription, offering a versatile tool for mechanistic dissection and therapeutic exploration.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Science
Published
2026-03-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202523819
Primary Topic
Protein Degradation and Inhibitors
Type
article
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article

G4‐Ligand‐Directed PROTACs Unveil DR1 as a Novel Ligand‐Co‐Binding G4‐Protein and Reshape G4‐Dependent Transcription

Jia‐Heng Tan, Z. Huang, Tao Chen, Mao‐Lin Li et al.
Advanced Science
Protein Degradation and Inhibitors
article

G4‐Ligand‐Directed PROTACs Unveil DR1 as a Novel Ligand‐Co‐Binding G4‐Protein and Reshape G4‐Dependent Transcription

Jia‐Heng Tan, Z. Huang, Tao Chen, Mao‐Lin Li, Ke Wang, Yutao Hu, Xin‐Chen Jiang, Shu‐Min Xu, Le‐Tian Dai
article en

Abstract

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are dynamic nucleic acid structures whose biological impact is largely mediated by G4-binding proteins (G4BPs). While numerous G4BPs have been catalogued, the subset that specifically co-bind G4s in the presence of small-molecule ligands remains unexplored, limiting our understanding of ligand pharmacology. Here, we introduce G4-Ligand-Directed PROTACs (G4L-TACs), a chemical biology platform that couples high-affinity G4 ligands with E3 ubiquitin ligase recruiters to selectively degrade ligand-co-binding G4BPs. Using PDS-derived G4L-TACs, we identified the transcription factor DR1 as a previously unrecognized G4BP recruited to ligand-stabilized promoter G4s. G4L-TAC-mediated DR1 degradation relieved transcriptional repression at G4-rich oncogenic promoters, providing mechanistic insights into how G4 ligands influence gene expression beyond simple nucleic acid stabilization. These results establish G4L-TACs as a novel platform to discover ligand-co-binding G4BPs and reveal DR1 as a new regulatory node in G4-dependent transcription, offering a versatile tool for mechanistic dissection and therapeutic exploration.

Advanced Science
Sun Yat-sen University (CN), China Pharmaceutical University (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 29%
Protein Degradation and Inhibitors
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G4‐Ligand‐Directed PROTACs Unveil DR1 as a Novel Ligand‐Co‐Binding G4‐Protein and Reshape G4‐Dependent Transcription — Jia‐Heng Tan, Z. Huang, et al. · Advanced Science (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS