Recent advances in fluorescent probes for G-quadruplex nucleic acids.

G-quadruplexes are non-canonical nucleic acid structures formed by guanine-rich DNA or RNA sequences. In recent decades, an increasing number of evidences have suggested that G-quadruplexes are associated with a wide range of biological events. Therefore, to further study the function and distribution of G-quadruplexes, developing new probes is an essential part of G-quadruplexes research. In the review, several examples of chemical fluorescent probes for G-quadruplexes developed in recent years are highlighted. These probes are promising tools for future G-quadruplex studies, which display outstanding selectivity and capability of cell imaging. • Chemical fluorescent probes are crucial tools for the research of G-quadruplexes. • The recently developed fluorescent probes for G-quadruplexes are highlighted. • The fluorescent probes are categorized by their different G-quadruplex targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]