Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41873758›Full record

ArticleNucleic acids research2026

Development and application of G4-Flame as a visual biosensor for G4-DNA.

Ruyi Liu, Tao Wang, Chunxu Wang, Mingyou Xu, Boyu Chen, Jinyi Zhao, Wanxiang Xiong, Shixiang Pan, Zhao Ruan, Ningyuan Lu and 6 more

Erratum issuedAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nucleic acids research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Ruyi LiuDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China.
Tao WangHigh Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; Key Laboratory of Anhui Province for High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Hefei 230031, China; Anhui Provincial High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei 230031, China; Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China.
Chunxu WangDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China.
Mingyou XuSchool of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China.ORCID 0000-0001-8957-6572
Boyu ChenDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China.
Jinyi ZhaoSchool of Medicine, Anhui University of Science & Technology, Huainan 232001, China.
Wanxiang XiongSchool of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China.
Shixiang PanDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China.
Zhao RuanDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China.
Ningyuan LuDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China.
Yuxin ZhangDepartment of Oncological Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150000, P.R. China.
Guang YangDepartment of Oncological Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150000, P.R. China.
Fanzheng MengDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China.
Yufeng LiuDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China.
Xuedan SunDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China.ORCID 0000-0003-4707-9230
Lianxin LiuDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China.ORCID 0000-0002-3535-6467

Funding

Chinese Academy of Sciences XDB0940201National Natural Science Foundation of China 32541002National Natural Science Foundation of China 32570636,National Natural Science Foundation of China 82203560National Natural Science Foundation of China 82303259National Natural Science Foundation of China 82373232National Natural Science Foundation of China U25C2035Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province 2308085QH278Provincial Key R&D Program of Anhui Province 202204295107020025
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

G-quadruplex DNA (G4-DNA), a noncanonical tetrahelical nucleic acid structure stabilized by stacked G-quartets via Hoogsteen hydrogen bonding, plays critical roles in genomic regulation and disease pathogenesis. Current methodologies for detecting these structures face limitations in specificity, spatiotemporal resolution, and live-cell applicability. To address these challenges, we engineered G4-Flame, a genetically encoded fluorescent biosensor utilizing circularly permuted fluorescent protein technology. By strategically positioning a G4-specific binding domain proximal to the fluorophore of circularly permuted YFP (cpYFP), G4-Flame achieves real-time, high-resolution visualization of G4-DNA dynamics in living systems, with specificity across diverse G4 conformations. Experimental validation revealed distinct spatiotemporal patterns of G4-DNA during the cell cycle: nuclear G4-DNA levels peaked during the S phase, while mitochondrial G4-DNA was found to suppress the expression of mitochondrial-encoded genes. Clinically, serum analysis revealed significantly elevated G4-DNA levels in cancer patients compared to healthy controls. This work establishes G4-Flame as a transformative tool for investigating G4-DNA spatiotemporal regulation and advances its potential as a biomarker for early cancer detection, bridging fundamental research with clinical translation.

Indexed as

Biosensing TechniquesDNAG-QuadruplexesLuminescent ProteinsBacterial ProteinsDNA, MitochondrialHumansBacterial ProteinsDNADNA, MitochondrialLuminescent Proteinsyellow fluorescent protein, Bacteria

Identifiers

PMID41873758
PMCPMC13010135

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.