An antiviral self-replicating molecular heterotroph

We report the synthesis of a molecular machine, fabricated from nucleic acids, which is capable of digesting viral RNA and utilizing it to assemble additional copies of itself inside living cells. The machine’s body plan combines several parts that build upon the target RNA, assembling an immobile, DNA:RNA 4-way junction, which contains a single gene encoding a hammerhead ribozyme (HHR). Full assembly of the machine’s body from its parts enables the subsequent elongation of the gene and transcription of HHR molecules, followed by HHR-mediated digestion of the target molecule. This digestion converts the target to a building block suitable for participation in the assembly of more copies of the machine, mimicking biological heterotrophy. In this work we describe the general design of a prototypical machine, characterize its activity cycle and kinetics, and show that it can be efficiently and safely delivered into live cells. As a proof of principle, we constructed a machine that targets the Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) GP64 gene, and show that it effectively suppresses viral propagation in a cell population, exhibiting predator/prey-like dynamics with the infecting virus. In addition, the machine significantly reduced viral infection, stress signaling, and innate immune activation inside virus-infected animals. This preliminary design could control the behavior of antisense therapies for a range of applications, particularly against dynamic targets such as viruses and cancer.