From loops to caps: discriminating peptide binding to distinct G-quadruplex tetrads using 5-furyl-2′-deoxyuridine fluorescent probes

Abstract

We report the use of 5-furyl-2′-deoxyuridine (5FU) as a fluorescent probe to distinguish ligand binding to distinct G-quadruplex tetrads. Site-specific incorporation of 5FU into T95-2T at the capping regions enabled discrimination of peptide-binding events via fluorescence turn-on, providing insights into tetrad preference and binding affinities using the 5FU-G4/RHAU peptide system.