G-quadruplex structures in 16S rRNA regions correlate with thermal adaptation in prokaryotes.

ABSTRACT: G-quadruplex (G4) structure is a nucleic acid secondary structure formed by guanine-rich sequences, playing essential roles in various biological processes such as gene regulation and environmental stress adaptation. Although prokaryotes growing at high temperatures have higher GC contents, the pattern of G4 structure associated with GC content variation in thermal adaptation remains elusive. This study analyzed 681 bacterial genomes to explore the role of G4 structures in thermal adaptation. Our findings revealed a strong positive correlation between G4 patterns in the region encoding 16S rRNA genes and optimal growth temperatures (Topt), whereas genomic GC content and G4 patterns did not show significant correlations with Topt. Evolutionary analysis showed distinctive differences in G4 s

SUBMITTER: Lyu B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11780868 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature