Genomic distribution and polymorphism of G-quadruplex motifs occupying ovine promoters and enhancers

G-quadruplexes are non-canonical DNA structures that are formed in regions with short runs of guanines. During the last decade they have gained considerable attention due to their involvement in basic cellular processes, linking them to several physiological processes and pathological conditions. Regulation of gene transcription is among the crucial roles that G-quadruplexes play in the cells. Several ways in which these structures affect transcription have been described, both negatively and positively. Recently, G-quadruplexes have been shown to be implicated in the three-dimensional rearrangement of the chromosomes that enables the interaction of enhancers and gene promoters during regulation of transcription. Sheep is a species for which almost no G-quadruplex-related studies have been conducted and thus research on this species is kept out from the progress that has been made in the G-quadruplex field. In this context, we investigated the DNA sequences with potential to form G-quadruplexes (G4-motifs) in the ovine enhancers and promoters. We describe the distribution of G4-motifs within the regulatory regions which is shown to be enriched in G4-motifs in a way similar to other mammals. Furthermore, our data suggest that G4-motifs promote promoter-enhancer interactions in sheep. The single nucleotide polymorphisms colocalizing with promoter- and enhancer-associated ovine G4-motifs constitute a considerable pool of polymorphism and given the crucial role of these specific G4-motifs on regulation of transcription, we suggest this polymorphism as an interesting target for ovine genetic studies. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00335-023-09988-x.