Fluorescent RNA Aptamers

Author(s):  
D.S. Goodsell
Keyword(s):  
Author(s):  
D. A. Belinskaya ◽  
Yu. V. Chelusnova ◽  
V. V. Abzianidze ◽  
N. V. Goncharov

Poisoning with organophosphorus compounds occupy one of the leading places in exotoxicosis. At the first stage, the detoxification of organophosphates can be provided with the help of DNA or RNA aptamers that bind the poison in the bloodstream. Currently, the main method of searching for aptamers is the experimental method of systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). In the process of aptamer selection, the target molecule must be immobilized via the streptavidin-biotin complex. Since the poison molecule is small in size, to increase its availability for binding to aptamer, it is necessary to use a spacer between organophosphorus compounds and biotin. The aim of this work was to optimize the selection of aptamers for organophosphorus compounds by increasing the availability of a poison molecule immobilized via the streptavidin-biotin complex on the example of paraoxon. For this purpose, three spacers between organophosphorus compounds and biotin were tested using molecular modeling methods: three links of polyethylene glycol (3-PEG), four links of polyethylene glycol (4-PEG) and aminohexyl. The conformation of the biotinylated paraoxon complex with streptavidin and the interaction of paraoxon with the binding fragment of the aptamer were modeled using molecular docking and molecular dynamics methods. The ability of biotinylated paraoxon to bind to the aptamer has been evaluated by analyzing the surface area of the paraoxon available to the solvent, as well as by calculating the free binding energies. It has been shown that only in the case of aminohexyl immobilized paraoxon can contact the aptamer. At the final stage, the synthesis of paraoxon bound to biotin via aminohexyl was carried out.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 1422
Author(s):  
Ousama Al Shanaa ◽  
Andrey Rumyantsev ◽  
Elena Sambuk ◽  
Marina Padkina

RNA aptamers are becoming increasingly attractive due to their superior properties. This review discusses the early stages of aptamer research, the main developments in this area, and the latest technologies being developed. The review also highlights the advantages of RNA aptamers in comparison to antibodies, considering the great potential of RNA aptamers and their applications in the near future. In addition, it is shown how RNA aptamers can form endless 3-D structures, giving rise to various structural and functional possibilities. Special attention is paid to the Mango, Spinach and Broccoli fluorescent RNA aptamers, and the advantages of split RNA aptamers are discussed. The review focuses on the importance of creating a platform for the synthesis of RNA nanoparticles in vivo and examines yeast, namely Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as a potential model organism for the production of RNA nanoparticles on a large scale.


Author(s):  
Alejandro Escamilla-Gutiérrez ◽  
Rosa María Ribas-Aparicio ◽  
María Guadalupe Córdova-Espinoza ◽  
Juan Arturo Castelán-Vega

Author(s):  
Trinity Jackson ◽  
Rachel Fitzgerald ◽  
Daniel K. Miller ◽  
Emil F. Khisamutdinov
Keyword(s):  

Molecules ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 3178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morgan Chandler ◽  
Tatiana Lyalina ◽  
Justin Halman ◽  
Lauren Rackley ◽  
Lauren Lee ◽  
...  

RNA aptamers selected to bind fluorophores and activate their fluorescence offer a simple and modular way to visualize native RNAs in cells. Split aptamers which are inactive until the halves are brought within close proximity can become useful for visualizing the dynamic actions of RNA assemblies and their interactions in real time with low background noise and eliminated necessity for covalently attached dyes. Here, we design and test several sets of F30 Broccoli aptamer splits, that we call fluorets, to compare their relative fluorescence and physicochemical stabilities. We show that the splits can be simply assembled either through one-pot thermal annealing or co-transcriptionally, thus allowing for direct tracking of transcription reactions via the fluorescent response. We suggest a set of rules that enable for the construction of responsive biomaterials that readily change their fluorescent behavior when various stimuli such as the presence of divalent ions, exposure to various nucleases, or changes in temperature are applied. We also show that the strand displacement approach can be used to program the controllable fluorescent responses in isothermal conditions. Overall, this work lays a foundation for the future development of dynamic systems for molecular computing which can be used to monitor real-time processes in cells and construct biocompatible logic gates.


2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihaela Lorger ◽  
Markus Engstler ◽  
Matthias Homann ◽  
H. Ulrich Göringer

ABSTRACT African trypanosomes cause sleeping sickness in humans and Nagana in cattle. The parasites multiply in the blood and escape the immune response of the infected host by antigenic variation. Antigenic variation is characterized by a periodic change of the parasite protein surface, which consists of a variant glycoprotein known as variant surface glycoprotein (VSG). Using a SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) approach, we report the selection of small, serum-stable RNAs, so-called aptamers, that bind to VSGs with subnanomolar affinity. The RNAs are able to recognize different VSG variants and bind to the surface of live trypanosomes. Aptamers tethered to an antigenic side group are capable of directing antibodies to the surface of the parasite in vitro. In this manner, the RNAs might provide a new strategy for a therapeutic intervention to fight sleeping sickness.


2000 ◽  
Vol 298 (4) ◽  
pp. 623-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garrett A Soukup ◽  
Gail A.M Emilsson ◽  
Ronald R Breaker

2009 ◽  
Vol 390 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingmiao Liu ◽  
Chien-Tsun Kuan ◽  
Jing Mi ◽  
Xiuwu Zhang ◽  
Bryan M. Clary ◽  
...  

Abstract Epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII) is a glycoprotein uniquely expressed in glioblastoma, but not in normal brain tissues. To develop targeted therapies for brain tumors, we selected RNA aptamers against the histidine-tagged EGFRvIII ectodomain, using an Escherichia coli system for protein expression and purification. Representative aptamer E21 has a dissociation constant (Kd) of 33×10-9 m, and exhibits high affinity and specificity for EGFRvIII in ELISA and surface plasmon resonance assays. However, selected aptamers cannot bind the same protein expressed from eukaryotic cells because glycosylation, a post-translational modification present only in eukaryotic systems, significantly alters the structure of the target protein. By transfecting EGFRvIII aptamers into cells, we find that membrane-bound, glycosylated EGFRvIII is reduced and the percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis is increased. We postulate that transfected aptamers can interact with newly synthesized EGFRvIII, disrupt proper glycosylation, and reduce the amount of mature EGFRvIII reaching the cell surface. Our work establishes the feasibility of disrupting protein post-translational modifications in situ with aptamers. This finding is useful for elucidating the function of proteins of interest with various modifications, as well as dissecting signal transduction pathways.


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