G-四链体 (G4) 是在富含鸟嘌呤 (G) 的 DNA/RNA 序列中形成的稳定的非规范结构。据报道，G4 结构在各种细胞过程中发挥调节作用，最近，大量研究将新的生物学功能归因于这些结构，特别是在 RNA 中。非编码 RNA (ncRNA) 不会翻译成功能性蛋白质，但广泛表达，并已被证明在塑造细胞活动中发挥着关键作用。越来越多的证据表明 G4 在多个 ncRNA 类别中形成，并且它已被确定为神经退行性疾病和癌症中多种生物功能和生理病理背景的关键部分。这篇综述讨论了 ncRNA 中的 RNA G4s (rG4s)，重点关注其功能背后的分子机制。本综述还旨在强调识别和靶向 ncRNA 中 rG4 的潜在和新兴机会，以了解其功能并最终治疗多种疾病。版权所有 © 2023 Elsevier Ltd。保留所有权利。

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are stable, noncanonical structures formed in guanine (G)-rich sequences of DNA/RNA. G4 structures are reported to play a regulatory role in various cellular processes and, recently, a considerable number of studies have attributed new biological functions to these structures, especially in RNA. Noncoding RNA (ncRNA), which does not translate into a functional protein, is widely expressed and has been shown to play a key role in shaping cellular activity. There has been growing evidence of G4 formation in several ncRNA classes, and it has been identified as a key part for diverse biological functions and physio-pathological contexts in neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. This review discusses RNA G4s (rG4s) in ncRNA, focusing on the molecular mechanism underlying its function. This review also aims to highlight potential and emerging opportunities to identify and target the rG4s in ncRNA to understand its function and, ultimately, treat many diseases.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.