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Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Single-Molecule Fluorescence Visualization of DNA Polymerase Dynamics at G-Quadruplexes
Published on: April 4, 2025
Tracking the Dynamic Folding and Unfolding of RNA G-Quadruplexes in Live Cells
Xiu-Cai Chen1, Shuo-Bin Chen1, Jing Dai1
1School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
Abstract:
Because of the absence of methods for tracking RNA G-quadruplex dynamics, especially the folding and unfolding of this attractive structure in live cells, understanding of the biological roles of RNA G-quadruplexes is so far limited. Herein, we report a new red-emitting fluorescent probe, QUMA-1, for the selective, continuous, and real-time visualization of RNA G-quadruplexes in live cells. The applications of QUMA-1 in several previously intractable applications, including live-cell imaging of the dynamic folding, unfolding, and movement of RNA G-quadruplexes and the visualization of the unwinding of RNA G-quadruplexes by RNA helicase have been demonstrated. Notably, our real-time results revealed the complexity of the dynamics of RNA G-quadruplexes in live cells. We anticipate that the further application of QUMA-1 in combination with appropriate biological and imaging methods to explore the dynamics of RNA G-quadruplexes will uncover more information about the biological roles of RNA G-quadruplexes.
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