Low ionic strength enhances the fluorescence of Thioflavin T bound to parallel G-quadruplexes

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are highly ordered nucleic acid structures with significant potential in advanced biosensing and analytical applications. Thioflavin T (ThT) is a widely used fluorescent ligand that binds to G4s, producing strong fluorescence signals in biosensing assays. Although the interaction between ThT and G4s has been extensively explored, the influence of monovalent cation concentrations (e.g., Na⁺ and K⁺) on their binding dynamics and ThT's capacity to stabilize G4s remains insufficiently understood - a critical factor for optimizing G4-based biosensors. In this study, we discovered that under low-ionic strength conditions, compared to monovalent ion-rich environments, ThT not only binds to parallel G4s with high affinity but also actively promotes their structural formation and enhances their thermal stability. This phenomenon was consistently supported by fluorescence spectroscopy, molecular dynamics simulations, circular dichroism spectroscopy, and melting temperature analyses. Together, these complementary methods indicate that the ThT-G4 complex is more stable at low ionic strength than at high ionic strength. In particular, the simulations suggest a groove-binding mode, in which strengthened hydrophobic contacts and reduced solvation penalties contribute to structural stabilization. Futhermore, leveraging the sharper fluorescence responses enabled by enhanced ThT-G4 interactions under low-ionic strength conditions, we achieved both sensitive monitoring of G4 concentration changes and effective detection of the anticancer G4-stabilizing ligand Braco-19. This work not only deepens the understanding of G4-ligand interactions but also establishes an effective strategy for developing highly sensitive G4-based fluorescence biosensors and molecular probes for analytical applications.