Heavyweight: The formation of the quadration almost helix structure of DNA was tracked for the first time in living human cells.

As early as 1953, Watson and Crick first solved the mystery of the structure of DNA.
since then, the double helix structure of DNA has been in the depths of the public.
in recent years, a "quadwlix" of DNA structures, commonly known as G-tetrachains (G4s), has sprung up from the scientific community.
previous research has found that G4s are widely detected in cancer cells and may be associated with cancer-related genes, and speculates that G4s may be used as new molecular targets for early cancer diagnosis and treatment.
recently, Nature Chemistry published an article entitled "Single-molecule visualisation of DNA 1 G-formationex in live cells", which reported that a fluorescent probe (SiR-PyPDS) can track a single structural molecule of G4s in the nucleus of a living cell in real time, truly enabling the detection of dynamic processes in human living cells without interfering with the dynamic folding of G4s.
doi: 10.1038/s41557-020-0506-4 Because of the steady state of G4s in cells may be regulated by proteins (e.g. devocate) and G4s cannot be tracked by rapid exosome technology.
in addition, some probes commonly used to detect DNA and RNA in living cells have relatively high concentrations, which can interfere with the dynamic folding process of G4s and cause cell stress/toxicity.
for this, the team prepared a G4s-specific fluorescent probe that allows real-time tracking of G4s in combination with a small portion of G4s (approximately 4%) at low concentrations.
single-molecule fluorescence imaging of G4 in living cells using the fluorescent probe SiR-PyPDS, the team attempted to estimate the proportion of G4s labeled by SiR-PyPDS in living cells and conducted a series of in vitro binding experiments that formed a sequence with other G4s.
found that SiR-PyPDS in combination with G4s observed a similar resident time, both in vivo and in vitro, indicating that SiR-PyPDS can be used to detect endogenous G4s.
in addition, in order to gain insight into the G4 folding process in living cells, the team used the DNA methylation reagent dimethyl sulfate (DMS) to irreversibly capture the unfolded G4 state.
found that, over time, the binding of SIR-PyPDS to G4s decreased in cells within a few minutes of DMS processing.
the dynamic folding and expansion of G4s in living cells, the team believes that now that a single G4 has been imaged, it can track its role in specific genes and how they are expressed in cancer.
As Professor Shankar Balasubramanian of Cambridge College of Chemistry and Cancer Research, Cambridge, says, "Some cancer cells are more sensitive to small molecules targeting G4s than non-cancer cells, possibly due to the fact that there is more G4s structure in the early stages of cancer or in cancer cells."
"from the discovery of the new thing "G4s" to the dynamic folding process that can track it in living cells, every step is a big step, G4s is closely related to cancer-related genes has become a fact, but can it be used with its unique DNA structure as a target to treat cancer? The G4s may be not far from the dawn, the editor thought.
References: 1. Single-sivisualsofs of DNA 1 G-quadrupl formationex in live cells s2 high-sphofa dating of DNA G-quadruplex structures in the human genome s.3. DNA G-quadruplexes in the human shuman sie: