G-quadruplexes have long been perceived as rare and physiologically unimportant nucleic acid structures. However, several studies have revealed their importance in molecular processes, suggesting their possible role in replication and gene expression regulation. Pathways involving G-quadruplexes are intensively studied, especially in the context of human diseases, while their involvement in gene expression regulation in plants remains largely unexplored. Researchers conducted a bioinformatic study and performed a complex circular dichroism measurement to identify a stable G-quadruplex in the gene RPB1, coding for the RNA polymerase II large subunit. They found that this G-quadruplex-forming locus is highly evolutionarily conserved amongst plants sensu lato (Archaeplastida) that share a common ancestor more than one billion years old.