2. Academic Validation
  3. I-motif formation in the promoter region of the B-MYB proto-oncogene

I-motif formation in the promoter region of the B-MYB proto-oncogene

  • Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Mar:296:139582. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.139582.
André Alves 1,  André Miranda 2,  Irene Zanin 3,  Sara N Richter 4,  Jean-Louis Mergny 5,  Carla Cruz 6
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 CICS-UBI - Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal.
  • 2 CICS-UBI - Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal; RISE-Health, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade da Beira Interior, Rua Marquês d'Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal.
  • 3 Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy.
  • 4 Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy; Microbiology and Virology Unit, Padua University Hospital, 35121 Padua, Italy.
  • 5 Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France.
  • 6 CICS-UBI - Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal; RISE-Health, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade da Beira Interior, Rua Marquês d'Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal; Departamento de Química, Universidade da Beira Interior, Rua Marquês de Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal. Electronic address: carlacruz@fcsaude.ubi.pt.
PMID: 39798757 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.139582
Abstract

Understanding the mechanisms of carcinogenesis is essential to combat Cancer. The search for alternative targets for Anticancer therapy has gained interest, particularly when focused on upstream pathways. This strategy is particularly relevant when the encoded target proteins are known - or believed - to be "undruggable", as has been reported for the B-MYB oncogene. This gene, which regulates survival and cell cycle regulation, is overexpressed in Cancer and correlates with an unfavorable prognosis. In this study, we focused on the identification of the i-motif (iM) structures in the promoter region of B-MYB as a possible Anticancer target, with a complete biophysical characterization and in cell formation assessment using iM-CUT&Tag. Additionally, the interaction of the iM structures with a library of small molecules was investigated.

Keywords

B-MYB; Cancer; I-DNA; I-motif; Ligands.

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