Simultaneous sensing of nucleic acid and associated cellular components with organic fluorescent chemsensors

Nucleic acid, including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), acts a vital role in the gene expression process and it is the prime source for storing, duplicating and transferring the genetic information in all eukaryotic cells. Some associated cellular components may lead to changes in location, number and morphology of nucleic acid, which are closely related to several diseases. Thus, it is of highly significant to simultaneously sense nucleic acid and associated cellular components with organic fluorescent chemsensors. However, this interesting and frontier topic has not been reviewed so far. Therefore, it is important to summarize the recent advances in organic fluorescent probes for simultaneous sensing of nucleic acid and related cellular components in living systems. Thus, in this review, we focus on the recent progress in the design strategies, sensing mechanisms, and the applications of organic fluorescence probes for simultaneous sensing of nucleic acid and associated cellular components in living organisms. This critical review may promote the development of more robust fluorescent probes for simultaneous imaging nucleic acid and associated cellular components in the future.