Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 31, 2026
Single-Molecule Fluorescence Visualization of DNA Polymerase Dynamics at G-Quadruplexes
Published on: April 4, 2025
Directly lighting up RNA G-quadruplexes from test tubes to living human cells
Shujuan Xu1, Qian Li2, Junfeng Xiang3
1National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Center for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China.
Abstract:
RNA G-quadruplexes (G4s) are one of the key components of the transcriptome that act as efficient post-transcriptional regulatory elements in living cells. To conduct further studies of the unique biological functions of RNA G4s, techniques need to be developed that can efficiently recognize RNA G4 structures under various conditions, in fixed cells and living cells, as well as in vitro. This paper presents the development of such a method, a new technique using a cyanine dye called CyT, which can detect both canonical and non-canonical RNA G4 structures from test tubes to living human cells. The ability of CyT to distinguish between G4 and nonG4 RNA offers a promising tool for future RNA G4-based biomarker discovery and potential diagnostic applications.
