软件预测和MAST技术筛选mRNA反义核酸靶点的比较

基因mRNA的结构靶点筛选是反义核酸药物研发的一个难题 .兔 (Oryctolaguscuniculus) β珠蛋白基因mRNA的结构靶位点通过运用MAST技术筛选获得 ,和计算机软件RNAstructure3 71模拟分析的位点进行了比较 ,也和寡核苷酸微阵列杂交技术筛选获得的靶点结果 (M .Natalie ,1 997)进行了比较 ,显示 :据MAST技术获得的兔 β珠蛋白基因 2个反义核酸结合靶位点 ,和用RNAstructure3 71软件给出的模拟分析的 2个靶位点相同 ,且它们与寡核苷酸微阵列杂交技术的结果完全一致 .运用MAST技术筛选获得绿色荧光蛋白 (GFP)mRNA有 4个结构靶位点 ,体外分析表明这 4个靶位点均有效 ,其中有 3个与RNAstructure3 71软件分析的靶点相同 ,但计算机模拟推荐的结构靶位点较多 ,而且随着基因长度增加确认靶位点的难度增大 ,获得的靶位点还需要实验验证 ,计算机软件模拟分析对实验筛选靶点、设计反义核酸有辅助价值 .MAST方法能筛选各种长度基因mRNA的全部可及位点和准确给定核苷酸的起止位置以供设计反义核酸 ,具有简单快捷的优点 ,将能为反义核酸设计起重要作用 .     

逆转录法筛选mRNA靶点设计核酶对GPA的表达干预实验研究

采用自行设计5’固定3’随机的文库对基因mRNA进行杂交用于逆转录反应以筛选mRNA的寡核苷酸结合靶点。对人I型跨膜糖蛋白-血型糖蛋白A （glycophorin A,GPA）的mRNA筛选了4个反义寡核苷酸可结合靶点,分别设计反义核酸（Antisense）,分别加入mRNA中用RNase H验证各靶点的核酸结合和切割效率,最终确定2个高效结合和切割靶点。再设计Ribozyme,构建表达核酶（Ribozyme）质粒,利用慢病毒（Lentivirus）包装技术,感染人源红系白血病细胞株K562细胞,在细胞水平验证其下调GPA基因表达的效果,对转染细胞mRNA进行反转录和Real Time PCR分析mRNA表达水平,并在蛋白水平进行了Western Blot分析。结果表明文库结合逆转录方法筛选靶点设计的Ribozyme具有高效率下调膜受体表达的作用,GPA为I型跨膜糖蛋白,该实验为筛选mRNA靶点提供参考方法,并对膜受体表达干预有参考价值。     

基因药物研究现状和对策

生物技术药物以人类体细胞的基因组、转录本组和蛋白质组三个层次生物大分子为目标 ,基因药物的研究主要针对致病基因的DNA和基因转录本mRNA两类生物大分子 .mRNA从结构上考虑是研发核酸药物的最理想靶标和策略之一 .反义寡核苷酸、特异水解基因mRNA的核酸酶(ribozyme和DNAzyme)以及具有干扰作用的双链RNA(siRNA)是药物设计的策略之二 .mRNA结构靶点研究是研发反mRNA基因药物的基础 ,mRNA分子具有高度折叠的二级及三级结构 ,阐明其可及性位点 ,筛选其结构靶位点序列是关键 .近年研究报道的靶点筛选有约 7种mRNA的实测新技术 ,以及计算机辅助软件预测分析 .但发展分子生物学实验新技术以分析、确认靶点是药物研发策略之三 .     

计算机辅助设计联合斑点杂交筛选铜绿假单胞菌PAO1 motA基因反义寡核苷酸序列

为了筛选出能与铜绿假单胞菌PAO1 motA基因的mRNA结合紧密的反义寡核苷酸序列,采用全基因寻靶技术（full length gene targeting,FLGT）,运用计算机软件（Mfold和RNA Structure4.6）模拟铜绿假单胞菌PAO1 motA基因mRNA的二级结构,根据最小自由能原理设计出8条寡核苷酸探针序列;PCR扩增出全长motA基因,克隆motA基因并进行体外转录,同时用地高辛标记mRNA,以斑点杂交方法筛选出与motA基因mRNA结合紧密、杂交信号较强的寡核苷酸序列。斑点杂交结果显示8条寡核苷酸中的4条有较强的杂交信号,从而成功筛选到了能与motA mRNA牢固结合的反义序列,为进一步研究以motA基因为靶的反义技术抑制生物膜形成打下基础。     

小分子干扰RNA和反义寡核苷酸技术的比较及其应用意义

研究小分子干扰RNA和反义寡核苷酸技术在不同方面的比较和实际应用意义。尽管小分子干扰RNA,和反义寡核苷酸技术在有些方面的价值不是特别相同,然而从另外一个方面说,还是存在一些关联的地带,包括mRNA的作用靶点等。通过一些医学实验可以很清楚的发现,按照对反义寡核苷酸的研究来分析,小分子干扰RNA的研究也获得了一定程度的成效。本文详细的分析小分子干扰RNA,以及反义寡核苷酸技术相互之间的差异,从长远来看,这对于小分子干扰RNA的研究和医学临床实践的应用,具有很高的价值和意义。从临床实践上来分析,总结反义寡核苷酸技术的相关的经验和结果,从一个层面来说,对于小分子干扰RNA的研讨,价值深远,按照有关医学专家的预测和分析,小分子干扰RNA,在未来一定会在治疗肿瘤上发挥重要的作用。     

吗啉反义寡核苷酸在基因功能研究中的应用

吗啉反义寡核苷酸属于第三代反义寡核苷酸,主要通过阻断mRNA的剪接过程来抑制目的基因的功能。吗啉反义寡核苷酸技术现已广泛应用于发育过程中基因功能的研究;鉴于吗啉反义寡核苷酸能与病毒特异mRNA结合,形成的双链物可有效阻断病毒RNA的转录,从而抑制病毒的复制,所以该技术已应用于医学研究,如治疗病毒感染、癌症、肌营养不良症和早老综合症等疾病。主要阐述了吗啉反义寡核苷酸的结构特点、作用机制、与其它反义技术的比较,以及该技术的应用与展望。     

运用 mRNA 体外展示技术筛选胸苷酸合成酶 RNA 亲和肽

以体外选择方法筛选不同功能的核酸、肽和蛋白质是近年的研究热点, mRNA 体外展示是一种新兴的高效多肽选择技术,其基本原理是通过含嘌呤霉素寡核苷酸的 Linker 使 mRNA 与它编码的肽或蛋白质共价结合,形成 mRNA- 蛋白质融合体,这一方法已用于多种功能肽的鉴定 . 以 mRNA 体外展示技术进行了由大容量多肽库中 (>1013) 筛选胸苷酸合成酶 (thymidylate synthase , TS) RNA 亲和肽的研究,通过精密的实验设计,建立了一套完整有效的筛选方法,并对实验条件进行了优化 . 已进行了 8 轮筛选,结果表明,以 mRNA 体外展示技术获得的多肽分子,可以与 TS mRNA 亲和 . 将测序结果与初始肽库进行比较,发现亲和肽中碱性氨基酸及芳香族氨基酸含量明显增加,说明其在与 RNA 结合中具有重要作用 . mRNA 展示技术作为一种大容量文库的体外筛选方法,将广泛应用于与固定化靶物质具高度亲和性及特异性的多肽和蛋白质的筛选 .     

绿色荧光蛋白基因mRNA反义寡核苷酸的筛选和应用

基因mRNA的靶点筛选是设计反义寡核苷酸的关键.建立了PARASS(polyAanchoredRNAaccessiblesitesscreening)方法,即通过在mRNA末端引入polyA,与生物素标记的polyT退火结合,将其同链亲和素磁珠混合,使mRNA通过3’末端得到固定,保持mRNA的自然伸展和折叠,与寡核苷酸文库杂交筛选mRNA的结合靶点.PARASS筛选获得了绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)mRNA的3个反义寡核苷酸结合靶点,据其设计了多条反义寡核苷酸,与对照组相比,体外RNaseH分析显示3个靶点均为有效,在HeLa细胞内针对靶点的反义寡核苷酸能抑制GFP的表达,得到了Northern印迹结果支持.PARASS对反义寡核苷酸药物设计具有应用价值.     

Survivin反义核酸结合位点的体外筛选及鉴定

合成 2 0mer随机寡核苷酸文库 ,与体外转录出的全长survivincRNA杂交 ,RNaseH酶切割后 ,经引物延伸、放射自显影 ,共筛选出 13个针对survivin基因的反义结合位点 (antisenseaccessiblesites ,AAS) .运用RNADraw软件分析、选定具有显著茎环结构的 4个位点 ,合成互补性反义寡核苷酸AS ODN1、AS ODN2 、AS ODN3 、AS ODN4并转染高表达survivin基因的胃癌细胞株MKN 4 5 .逆转录聚合酶链反应和Western印迹检测发现MKN 4 5细胞的survivinmRNA和蛋白水平均有显著的下降 ;MTT比色法证实 6 0 0nmol LAS ODN1～AS ODN4转染 2 4h后细胞生长受到明显抑制 ,透射电镜、annexinⅤ FITC和PI双染色流式细胞术均检测到细胞凋亡 .说明运用随机寡核苷酸文库 RNaseH酶切割与计算机分析相结合的方法 ,在体外有效筛选出survivin的反义核酸结合位点 ,其相应的反义寡核苷酸能阻断survivin基因的生物学功能 .     

Fas基因mRNA反义靶点筛选和体外验证

应用PARASS(poly-A anchored RNA accessible sites screening) 技术筛选Fas基因mRNA 获得3个潜在反义作用靶点,靶点1、2、3分别位于Fas基因297nt-317nt、619nt-639nt和662nt-682nt。设计了对应靶点的反义寡核苷酸A1、A2、A3,和10-23型DNAzyme D1、D2和D3。将反义寡核苷酸和Fas基因RNA结合再加入RNase H进行反应,10-23型DNAzyme则直接与Fas基因RNA作用,结果表明：3个靶点的反义寡核苷酸组及DNAzyme均能降解Fas基因RNA,为有效靶点,其靶点反应优势次序为靶点3>靶点1>靶点2;而非靶点对照组和有效靶点突变了2个碱基的对照组均没有反应。靶点2和靶点3与ISIS公司经过多次实验筛选到的Fas反义作用靶点位置基本相同,表明PARASS技术的有效性和可靠性。获得的有效反义寡核苷酸和DNAzyme为后续研究打下基础。     

大肠杆菌16S rRNA的核酶设计和初步应用

针对细菌rRNA研发抑制细菌增殖的新型抗菌素是抗生素研究领域的新课题。细菌rRNA与基因mRNA一样自然形成折叠卷曲高级结构,其结构上可以结合反义核酸的位点即靶点,靶点的阐明是设计有效反义核酸、核酶（Ribozyme）和脱氧核酶（DNAzyme）的关键。MAST方法固定16S rRNA,将其与寡核苷酸文库杂交筛选出靶点,获得了大肠杆菌16S rRNA的6个反义核酸结合靶点,并鉴定5个靶点有效,其中1个为高效。5个靶点的反义核酸能在通透性大肠杆菌菌株培养中不同程度地抑制其生长,针对高效靶点的核酶在转化大肠杆菌中表达而抑制其生长。     

Identification of the most accessible sites to ribozymes on the hepatitis C virus internal ribosome entry site

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major causative agent of chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The development of alternative antiviral therapies is warranted because current treatments for the HCV infection affect only a limited number of patients and lead to significant toxicities. The HCV genome is exclusively present in the RNA form; therefore, ribozyme strategies to target certain HCV sequences have been proposed as anti-HCV treatments. In this study, we determined which regions of the internal ribosome entry site (IRES) of HCV are accessible to ribozymes by employing an RNA mapping strategy that is based on a trans-splicing ribozyme library. We then discovered that the loop regions of the domain IIIb of HCV IRES appeared to be particularly accessible. Moreover, to verify if the target sites that were predicted to be accessible are truly the most accessible, we assessed the ribozyme activities by comparing not only the trans-splicing activities in vitro but also the trans-cleavage activities in cells of several ribozymes that targeted different sites. The ribozyme that could target the most accessible site identified by mapping studies was then the most active with high fidelity in cells as well as in vitro. These results demonstrate that the RNA mapping strategy represents an effective method to determine the accessible regions of target RNAs and have important implications for the development of various antiviral therapies which are based on RNA such as ribozyme, antisense, or siRNA.     

Determination of optimal sites of antisense oligonucleotide cleavage within TNFalpha mRNA

Antisense oligonucleotides provide a powerful tool in order to determine the consequences of the reduced expression of a selected target gene and may include target validation and therapeutic applications. Methods of predicting optimum antisense sites are not always effective. We have compared the efficacy of antisense oligonucleotides, which were selected in vitro using random combinatorial oligonucleotide libraries of differing length and complexity, upon putative target sites within TNFα mRNA. The relationship of specific target site accessibility and oligonucleotide efficacy with respect to these parameters proved to be complex. Modification of the length of the recognition sequence of the oligonucleotide library illustrated that independent target sites demonstrated a preference for antisense oligonucleotides of a defined and independent optimal length. The efficacy of antisense oligonucleotide sequences selected in vitro paralleled that observed in phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-activated U937 cells. The application of methylphosphonate:phosphodiester chimaeric oligonucleotides to U937 cells reduced mRNA levels to up to 19.8% that of the untreated cell population. This approach provides a predictive means to profile any mRNA of known sequence with respect to the identification and optimisation of sites accessible to antisense oligonucleotide activity.     

Effective small interfering RNAs and phosphorothioate antisense DNAs have different preferences for target sites in the luciferase mRNAs

Antisense DNA target sites can be selected by the accessibility of the mRNA target. It remains unknown whether a mRNA site that is accessible to an antisense DNA is also a good candidate target site for a siRNA. Here, we reported a parallel analysis of 12 pairs of antisense DNAs and siRNA duplexes for their potency to inhibit reporter luciferase activity in mammalian cells, both of the antisense DNA and siRNA agents in a pair being directed to same site in the mRNA. Five siRNAs and two antisense DNAs turned out to be effective, but the sites targeted by those effective siRNAs and antisense DNAs did not overlap. Our results indicated that effective antisense DNAs and siRNAs have different preferences for target sites in the mRNA.     

Rational design and rapid screening of antisense oligonucleotides for prokaryotic gene modulation

Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (oligos) are widely used for functional studies of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic genes. However, the identification of effective target sites is a major issue in antisense applications. Here, we study a number of thermodynamic and structural parameters that may affect the potency of antisense inhibition. We develop a cell-free assay for rapid oligo screening. This assay is used for measuring the expression of Escherichia coli lacZ, the antisense target for experimental testing and validation. Based on a training set of 18 oligos, we found that structural accessibility predicted by local folding of the target mRNA is the most important predictor for antisense activity. This finding was further confirmed by a direct validation study. In this study, a set of 10 oligos was designed to target accessible sites, and another set of 10 oligos was selected to target inaccessible sites. Seven of the 10 oligos for accessible sites were found to be effective (>50% inhibition), but none of the oligos for inaccessible sites was effective. The difference in the antisense activity between the two sets of oligos was statistically significant. We also found that the predictability of antisense activity by target accessibility was greatly improved for oligos targeted to the regions upstream of the end of the active domain for beta-galactosidase, the protein encoded by lacZ. The combination of the structure-based antisense design and extension of the lacZ assay to include gene fusions will be applicable to high-throughput gene functional screening, and to the identification of new drug targets in pathogenic microbes. Design tools are available through the Sfold Web server at http://sfold.wadsworth.org.     

In vitro optimization of antisense oligodeoxynucleotide design: an example using the connexin gene family.

The completion of the human and mouse genomes has identified at least 20 connexin isomers in this family of intercellular channel proteins. However, there are no specific gap junction blockers or channel-blocking mimetic peptides available for the study of specific connexins. We designed antisense oligodeoxynucleotides that functionally reduce targeted connexin protein expression and can be used to reveal the biological function of individual connexins in vivo. Connexin mRNA was firstly exposed in vitro to deoxyribozymes complementing the sense coding sequence. Those that cleaved the target connexin mRNA in defined regions were used as the basis to design oligodeoxynucleotides to the accessible sites, thus taking into account tertiary mRNA configurations rather than relying on computed predictions. Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides designed to bind to accessible mRNA sites selectively reduced connexin26 and -43 mRNA expression in a corneal epithelium ex vivo model. Connexin43 protein levels were reduced correlating with the knockdown in mRNA and the protein's rapid turnover; protein levels of connexin26 did not alter, supporting lower turnover rates reported for that protein. We show, for the first time, an inexpensive and empirical approach to the preparation of specific and functional antisense oligodeoxynucleotides against known gene targets in the post-genomic era.