Biotinylation and isolation of an RNA G-quadruplex based on its peroxidase-mimicking activity.

RNA G-quadruplexes (rG4s) are important RNA secondary structures considering their significance in regulating numerous cellular processes. Described herein is an rG4 detecting and isolation method, which exploits the complex of rG4 and hemin to mimic peroxidase. In the presence of biotin tyramide and hydrogen peroxide, rG4s can be selectively self-biotinylated and easily isolated from a complex RNA mixture using streptavidin magnetic beads.