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Shafiei N, Mahmoodzadeh Hosseini H, Amani J, Mirhosseini SA, Jafary H. Screening and identification of DNA nucleic acid aptamers against F1 protein of Yersinia pestis using SELEX method. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:722. [PMID: 38829419 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09561-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Yersinia pestis is a bacterium that causes the disease plague. It has caused the deaths of many people throughout history. The bacterium possesses several virulence factors (pPla, pFra, and PYV). PFra plasmid encodes fraction 1 (F1) capsular antigen. F1 protein protects the bacterium against host immune cells through phagocytosis process. This protein is specific for Y. pestis. Many diagnostic techniques are based on molecular and serological detection and quantification of F1 protein in different food and clinical samples. Aptamers are small nucleic acid sequences that can act as specific ligands for many targets.This study, aimed to isolate the high-affinity ssDNA aptamers against F1 protein. METHODS AND RESULTS In this study, SELEX was used as the main strategy in screening aptamers. Moreover, enzyme-linked aptamer sorbent assay (ELASA) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) were used to determine the affinity and specificity of obtained aptamers to F1 protein. The analysis showed that among the obtained aptamers, the three aptamers of Yer 21, Yer 24, and Yer 25 were selected with a KD value of 1.344E - 7, 2.004E - 8, and 1.68E - 8 M, respectively. The limit of detection (LoD) was found to be 0.05, 0.076, and 0.033 μg/ml for Yer 21, Yer 24, and Yer 25, respectively. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that the synthesized aptamers could serve as effective tools for detecting and analyzing the F1 protein, indicating their potential value in future diagnostic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nafiseh Shafiei
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamideh Mahmoodzadeh Hosseini
- Applied Microbiology Research Center, Biomedicine Technologies Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Jafar Amani
- Applied Microbiology Research Center, Biomedicine Technologies Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Ali Mirhosseini
- Applied Microbiology Research Center, Biomedicine Technologies Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hanieh Jafary
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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2
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Simonsen JB. Lipid nanoparticle-based strategies for extrahepatic delivery of nucleic acid therapies - challenges and opportunities. J Control Release 2024; 370:763-772. [PMID: 38621638 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
The advent of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) containing ionizable cationic lipids has enabled the encapsulation, stabilization, and intracellular delivery of nucleic acid payloads, leading to FDA-approved siRNA-based therapy and mRNA-based vaccines. Other nucleic acid-based therapeutic modalities, including protein replacement and CRISPR-mediated gene knockout and editing, are being tested in clinical trials, in many cases, for the treatment of liver-related diseases. However, to fully exploit these therapies beyond the liver, improvements in their delivery to extrahepatic targets are needed. Towards this end, both active targeting strategies based on targeting ligands grafted onto LNPs and passive targeting relying on physicochemical LNP parameters such as surface composition, charge, and size are being evaluated. Often, the latter strategy depends on the interaction of LNPs with blood components, forming what is known as the biomolecular corona. Here, I discuss potential challenges related to current LNP-based targeting strategies and the studies of the biomolecular corona on LNPs. I propose potential solutions to overcome some of these obstacles and present approaches currently being tested in preclinical and clinical studies, which face fewer biological barriers than traditional organ-targeting approaches.
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3
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Dong X, Zhang Z, Zhao T, Chen Z, Wang J, Xu L, Zhang A. A responsive disulfide bond switch aptamer prodrug exhibiting enhanced stability and anticancer efficacy. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2024; 104:129729. [PMID: 38583786 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2024.129729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Aptamers have shown significant potential in treating diverse diseases. However, challenges such as stability and drug delivery limited their clinical application. In this paper, the development of AS1411 prodrug-type aptamers for tumor treatment was introduced. A Short oligonucleotide was introduced at the end of the AS1411 sequence with a disulfide bond as responsive switch. The results indicated that the aptamer prodrugs not only enhanced the stability of the aptamer against nuclease activity but also facilitated binding to serum albumin. Furthermore, in the reducing microenvironment of tumor cells, disulfide bonds triggered drug release, resulting in superior therapeutic effects in vitro and in vivo compared to original drugs. This paper proposes a novel approach for optimizing the structure of nucleic acid drugs, that promises to protect other oligonucleotides or secondary structures, thus opening up new possibilities for nucleic acid drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Dong
- College of Pharmacy, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030000, China; State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100080, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100080, China
| | - Tangna Zhao
- College of Pharmacy, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030000, China; State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100080, China
| | - Zuyi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100080, China
| | - Jia Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030000, China; State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100080, China
| | - Liang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100080, China.
| | - Aiping Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030000, China.
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4
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Song Y, Shen T, Sun H, Wang X. Genome-wide analyses reveal the regulatory roles of DNA methylation-regulated alternative promoter transcripts in breast cancer. Hum Genet 2024; 143:385-399. [PMID: 38502355 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-024-02653-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
A certain proportion of genes are regulated by multiple, distinct promoters, revealing a dynamic landscape of the cancer transcriptome. However, the contribution of alternative promoters (APs) in breast cancer (BRCA) remains largely unexplored. Here, we identified 3654 genes with multiple promoters in BRCA patients, and 53 of them could generate distinct AP transcripts that are dysregulated and prognosis-related in BRCA, namely prognosis-related dysregulated AP (prdeAP) transcripts. Interestingly, when we searched for the genomic signatures of these prdeAP genes, we found that the promoter regions of 92% of the prdeAP genes were enriched with abundant DNA methylation signals. Through further bioinformatic analysis and experimental validation, we showed that AP selections of TANK, UNKL, CCL28, and MAP1LC3A were regulated by DNA methylation upon their corresponding promoter regions. Functionally, by overexpressing AP variants of TANK, we found that TANK|55731 could dramatically suppress MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation and migration. Meanwhile, pan-cancer survival analyses suggested that AP variants of TANK provided more accurate prognostic predictive ability than TANK gene in a variety of tumor types, including BRCA. Together, by uncovering the DNA methylation-regulated AP transcripts with tumor prognostic features, our work revealed a novel layer of regulators in BRCA progression and provided potential targets that served as effective biomarkers for anti-BRCA treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingdong Song
- Department of Geriatrics, Gerontology Institute of Anhui Province, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, The First Affiliated Hospital, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Tao Shen
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Metabolic Diseases, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Centre for Molecular Detection and Diagnostics, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.
| | - Huihui Sun
- Department of Geriatrics, Gerontology Institute of Anhui Province, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, The First Affiliated Hospital, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xiangting Wang
- Department of Geriatrics, Gerontology Institute of Anhui Province, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, The First Affiliated Hospital, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Geriatric Immunology and Nutrition Therapy, Hefei, China.
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5
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Ornelas MY, Cournoyer JE, Bram S, Mehta AP. Evolution and synthetic biology. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 76:102394. [PMID: 37801925 PMCID: PMC10842511 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionary observations have often served as an inspiration for biological design. Decoding of the central dogma of life at a molecular level and understanding of the cellular biochemistry have been elegantly used to engineer various synthetic biology applications, including building genetic circuits in vitro and in cells, building synthetic translational systems, and metabolic engineering in cells to biosynthesize and even bioproduce complex high-value molecules. Here, we review three broad areas of synthetic biology that are inspired by evolutionary observations: (i) combinatorial approaches toward cell-based biomolecular evolution, (ii) engineering interdependencies to establish microbial consortia, and (iii) synthetic immunology. In each of the areas, we will highlight the evolutionary premise that was central toward designing these platforms. These are only a subset of the examples where evolution and natural phenomena directly or indirectly serve as a powerful source of inspiration in shaping synthetic biology and biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marya Y Ornelas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S Matthews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Jason E Cournoyer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S Matthews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Stanley Bram
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S Matthews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Angad P Mehta
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S Matthews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, United States; Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, United States; Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, United States.
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6
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Sivagnanam S, Mahato P, Das P. An overview on the development of different optical sensing platforms for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) recognition. Org Biomol Chem 2023; 21:3942-3983. [PMID: 37128980 DOI: 10.1039/d3ob00209h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), one of the biological anions, plays a crucial role in several biological processes including energy transduction, cellular respiration, enzyme catalysis and signaling. ATP is a bioactive phosphate molecule, recognized as an important extracellular signaling agent. Apart from serving as a universal energy currency for various cellular events, ATP is also considered a factor responsible for numerous physiological activities. It regulates cellular metabolism by breaking phosphoanhydride bonds. Several diseases have been reported widely based on the levels and behavior of ATP. The variation of ATP concentration usually causes a foreseeable impact on mitochondrial physiological function. Mitochondrial dysfunction is responsible for the occurrence of many severe diseases such as angiocardiopathy, malignant tumors and Parkinson's disease. Therefore, there is high demand for developing a sensitive, fast-responsive, nontoxic and versatile detection platform for the detection of ATP. To this end, considerable efforts have been employed by several research groups throughout the world to develop specific and sensitive detection platforms to recognize ATP. Although a repertoire of optical chemosensors (both colorimetric and fluorescent) for ATP has been developed, many of them are not arrayed appropriately. Therefore, in this present review, we focused on the design and sensing strategy of some chemosensors including metal-free, metal-based, sequential sensors, aptamer-based sensors, nanoparticle-based sensors etc. for ATP recognition via diverse binding mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subramaniyam Sivagnanam
- Department of Chemistry, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, SRM Nagar, Potheri, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu-603203, India.
| | - Prasenjit Mahato
- Department of Chemistry, Raghunathpur College, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Purulia, West Bengal-723133, India
| | - Priyadip Das
- Department of Chemistry, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, SRM Nagar, Potheri, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu-603203, India.
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7
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Emerging Strategies in Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs): Highlights from 2022. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065190. [PMID: 36982263 PMCID: PMC10049114 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) is a promising therapeutic modality that has garnered attention in academic, industrial, and pharmaceutical research for treating diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, inflammation, and viral infections. In this context, proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) present a reliable technology for degrading disease-causing proteins. PROTACs complement small-molecule inhibitors, which primarily rely on direct protein regulation. From concept-to-clinic, PROTACs have evolved from cell impermeable peptide molecules to orally bioavailable drugs. Despite their potential in medicinal chemistry, certain aspects regarding PROTACs remain unclear. The clinical significance of PROTACs is primarily limited owing to their lack of selectivity and drug-like properties. This review focused on recently reported PROTAC strategies, particularly in 2022. It aimed to address and overcome the challenges posed by classical PROTACs by correlating them with emerging approaches with improved selectivity and controllability, cell permeability, linker flexibility, druggability, and PROTAC-based approaches, developed in 2022. Furthermore, recently reported PROTAC-based approaches are discussed, highlighting each of their advantages and limitations. We predict that several improved PROTAC molecules will be accessible for treating patients exhibiting various conditions, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, inflammation, and viral infections.
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8
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Chen M, Zhou P, Kong Y, Li J, Li Y, Zhang Y, Ran J, Zhou J, Chen Y, Xie S. Inducible Degradation of Oncogenic Nucleolin Using an Aptamer-Based PROTAC. J Med Chem 2023; 66:1339-1348. [PMID: 36608275 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
While proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are showing promise for targeting previously undruggable molecules, their application has been limited by difficulties in identifying suitable ligands and undesired on-target toxicity. Aptamers can virtually recognize any protein through their unique and switchable conformations. Here, by exploiting aptamers as targeting warheads, we developed a novel strategy for inducible degradation of undruggable proteins. As a proof of concept, we chose oncogenic nucleolin (NCL) as the target and generated a series of NCL degraders, and demonstrated that dNCL#T1 induced NCL degradation in a ubiquitin-proteasome-dependent manner, thereby inhibiting NCL-mediated breast cancer cell proliferation. To reduce on-target toxicity, we further developed a light-controllable PROTAC, opto-dNCL#T1, by introducing a photolabile complementary oligonucleotide to hybridize with dNCL#T1. UVA irradiation liberated dNCL#T1 from caged opto-dNCL#T1, leading to dNCL#T1 activation and NCL degradation. These results indicate that aptamer-based PROTACs are a viable alternative approach to degrade proteins of interest in a highly tunable manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Chen
- School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, China
| | - Ping Zhou
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Yun Kong
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Jingrui Li
- School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, China
| | - Yan Li
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Yao Zhang
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Jie Ran
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Jun Zhou
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China.,College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Songbo Xie
- School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, China.,Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
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9
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Alkhamis O, Xiao Y. Systematic Study of in Vitro Selection Stringency Reveals How To Enrich High-Affinity Aptamers. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:194-206. [PMID: 36574475 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c09522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Aptamers are oligonucleotide receptors with great potential for sensing and therapeutic applications. They are isolated from random libraries through an in vitro method termed systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). Although SELEX-based methods have been widely employed over several decades, many aspects of the experimental process remain poorly understood in terms of how to adjust the selection conditions to obtain aptamers with the desired set of binding characteristics. As a result, SELEX is often performed with arbitrary parameters that tend to produce aptamers with insufficient affinity and/or specificity. Having a better understanding of these basic principles could increase the likelihood of obtaining high-quality aptamers. Here, we have systematically investigated how altering the selection stringency in terms of target concentration─which is essentially the root source of selection pressure for aptamer isolation─affects the outcome of SELEX. By performing four separate trials of SELEX for the same small-molecule target, we experimentally prove that the use of excessively high target concentrations promotes enrichment of low-affinity binders while also suppressing the enrichment of high-affinity aptamers. These findings should be broadly applicable across SELEX methods, given that they share the same core operating principle, and will be crucial for guiding selections to obtain high-quality aptamers in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Obtin Alkhamis
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, 2620 Yarbrough Dr., Raleigh, North Carolina27695, United States
| | - Yi Xiao
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, 2620 Yarbrough Dr., Raleigh, North Carolina27695, United States
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10
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Ali GK, Omer KM. Nanozyme and Stimulated Fluorescent Cu-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks (Cu-MOFs) Functionalized with Engineered Aptamers as a Molecular Recognition Element for Thrombin Detection in the Plasma of COVID-19 Patients. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:36804-36810. [PMID: 36278053 PMCID: PMC9583328 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c05232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
An essential tool in the management and control of the COVID-19 pandemic is the development of a fast, selective, sensitive, and inexpensive COVID-19 biomarkers detection method. Herein, an ultrasensitive and label-free biosensing strategy was described for the colorimetric and fluorimetric detection of thrombin. A dual-mode aptasensing method based on integrating engineered ssDNA with a stimulated fluorescent enzyme-mimetic copper-based metal-organic framework (Cu-MOF) as a molecular recognition element for thrombin was investigated. Cu-MOFs displayed stimulated fluorescence and enzyme-mimetic peroxidase activities that oxidize the chromogenic colorless substance TMB to blue-colored oxTMB. The thrombin-based aptamer (ssDNA) can be immobilized on the Cu-MOF surface to form a functionalized composite, ssDNA/MOF, and quench the stimulated fluorescence emission and the enzymatic activity of the Cu-MOF. Later, addition of thrombin recovers the fluorescence and enzymatic activity of the MOF. Thus, a turn-on colorimetry/fluorimetry aptasensing probe was designed for the detection of thrombin. Based on colorimetric assay, 350 pM was recorded as the lower limit of detection (LOD), while based on the fluorescence mode, 110 fM was recorded as the LOD (when S/N = 3). The label-free aptasensing probe was used successfully for the detection of thrombin in COVID-19 patients with satisfactory recoveries, 95-98%. Since the detection time of our aptasensor is relatively rapid (45 min) and due to the low-cost precursors and easy-to-operate characteristics, we believe that it has great potential to be used in point-of-care testing (POCT).
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Affiliation(s)
- Gona K. Ali
- Department
of Chemistry, College of Science, University
of Sulaimani, Slemani
City 46002, Kurdistan
Region, Iraq
| | - Khalid M. Omer
- Department
of Chemistry, College of Science, University
of Sulaimani, Slemani
City 46002, Kurdistan
Region, Iraq
- Center
for Biomedical Analysis, Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Sulaimani, Slemani City 46002, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
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11
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Bie L, Wang Y, Jiang F, Xiao Z, Zhang L, Wang J. Insights into the binding mode of AS1411 aptamer to nucleolin. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:1025313. [PMID: 36262475 PMCID: PMC9574071 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1025313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
AS1411 aptamer can function as a recognition probe to detect the cell surface nucleolin overexpressed in cancer cells, however, little is known about their binding process. This study proposed a feasible binding mode for the first time and provided atomic-level descriptions for the high affinity and specific binding of AS1411. The binding pose predicted by docking was screened using knowledge-based criteria, and a microsecond molecular dynamics (MD) simulation showed the stable existence of the predicted structure in the solution. Structural analysis shows that the unique capping of the 5′ end of AS1411 provides the specific binding with RBD1, and the interactions of hydrogen bond, salt bridge, and water-mediated network between AS1411 and RBD1,2 stabilize the binding. The calculation of per-residue decomposition emphasizes the dominant contribution of van der Waals energy and critical residues are screened. Our study provides the molecular basis of this specific binding and can guide rational AS1411-based aptamers design. Further insights require tight collaborations between the experiments and in silico studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihua Bie
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Laboratory for Advanced Analytical Technologies, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Yue Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fuze Jiang
- Laboratory for Advanced Analytical Technologies, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Zhen Xiao
- Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Suzhou, China
| | - Lianjun Zhang
- Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Suzhou, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Laboratory for Advanced Analytical Technologies, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Jing Wang,
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12
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Li M, Wang H, Yu X, Jia X, Zhu C, Liu J, Zhang F, Chen Z, Yan M, Yang Q. A sensitive and simple competitive nanozyme-linked apta-sorbent assay for the dual-mode detection of ochratoxin A. Analyst 2022; 147:2215-2222. [PMID: 35467672 DOI: 10.1039/d1an02335g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The enzyme-linked apta-sorbent assay (ELASA) is widely used for the detection of small-molecule compounds as a result of low cost and reagent stability of aptamers. However, enzyme labels used in ELASA still suffer from some drawbacks, such as high production cost and limited stability. To overcome the drawbacks, we reported a nanozyme-linked apta-sorbent assay (NLASA) coupled with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-colorimetric dual-mode detection. For nanozyme labels, Pd-Pt bimetallic nanocrystals (Pd-Pt NRs) could catalyze 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to blue TMB2+, whose color variation could not only be distinguished by naked eyes but also had a strong SERS signal. The NLASA method was employed to detect ochratoxin A (OTA) with a limit of detection values of 0.097 nM (0.039 ppb) and 0.042 nM (0.017 ppb) via the colorimetric and SERS methods, respectively. This method was applied for the determination of OTA in wine and grape samples, and the detection results were in a satisfied agreement with those determined by the high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method. The proposed NLASA method provided a rapid and sensitive detection for OTA and could also be broadened for other small-molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- School of Bioengineering, State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, 250353, Shandong, P.R. China. .,Institution of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Product, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Science, Jinan 250100, China.
| | - Hao Wang
- School of Bioengineering, State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, 250353, Shandong, P.R. China.
| | - Xiaodi Yu
- School of Bioengineering, State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, 250353, Shandong, P.R. China.
| | - Xindi Jia
- School of Bioengineering, State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, 250353, Shandong, P.R. China.
| | - Chao Zhu
- Institution of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Product, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Science, Jinan 250100, China.
| | - Jiahui Liu
- Institution of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Product, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Science, Jinan 250100, China.
| | - Fan Zhang
- Institution of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Product, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Science, Jinan 250100, China.
| | - Zilei Chen
- Institution of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Product, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Science, Jinan 250100, China.
| | - Mengmeng Yan
- Institution of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Product, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Science, Jinan 250100, China.
| | - Qinzheng Yang
- School of Bioengineering, State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, 250353, Shandong, P.R. China.
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13
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Wu D, Gordon CKL, Shin JH, Eisenstein M, Soh HT. Directed Evolution of Aptamer Discovery Technologies. Acc Chem Res 2022; 55:685-695. [PMID: 35130439 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Although antibodies are a powerful tool for molecular biology and clinical diagnostics, there are many emerging applications for which nucleic acid-based aptamers can be advantageous. However, generating high-quality aptamers with sufficient affinity and specificity for biomedical applications is a challenging feat for most research laboratories. In this Account, we describe four techniques developed in our laboratory to accelerate the discovery of high-quality aptamer reagents that can achieve robust binding even for challenging molecular targets. The first method is particle display, in which we convert solution-phase aptamers into aptamer particles that can be screened via fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) to quantitatively isolate individual aptamer particles based on their affinity. This enables the efficient isolation of high-affinity aptamers in fewer selection rounds than conventional methods, thereby minimizing selection biases and reducing the emergence of artifacts in the final aptamer pool. We subsequently developed the multiparametric particle display (MPPD) method, which employs two-color FACS to isolate aptamer particles based on both affinity and specificity, yielding aptamers that exhibit excellent target binding even in complex matrixes such as serum. The third method is an alkyne-azide chemistry ("click chemistry")-based particle display (click-PD) that enables the generation and screening of "non-natural" aptamers with a wide range of base modifications. We have shown that these base-modified aptamers can achieve robust affinity and specificity for targets that have proven challenging or inaccessible with natural nucleotide-based aptamer libraries. Finally, we describe the non-natural aptamer array (N2A2) platform in which a modified benchtop sequencing instrument is used to characterize base-modified aptamers in high throughput, enabling the efficient identification of molecules with excellent affinity and specificity for their targets. This system first generates aptamer clusters on the flow-cell surface that incorporate alkyne-modified nucleobases and then performs a click reaction to couple those nucleobases to an azide-modified chemical moiety. This yields a sequence-defined array of tens of millions of base-modified sequences, which can then be characterized for affinity and specificity in a high-throughput fashion. Collectively, we believe that these advancements are helping to make aptamer technology more accessible, efficient, and robust, thereby enabling the use of these affinity reagents for a wider range of molecular recognition and detection-based applications.
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14
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Spirov AV, Myasnikova EM. Heuristic algorithms in evolutionary computation and modular organization of biological macromolecules: Applications to in vitro evolution. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0260497. [PMID: 35085255 PMCID: PMC8794168 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary computing (EC) is an area of computer sciences and applied mathematics covering heuristic optimization algorithms inspired by evolution in Nature. EC extensively study all the variety of methods which were originally based on the principles of selectionism. As a result, many new algorithms and approaches, significantly more efficient than classical selectionist schemes, were found. This is especially true for some families of special problems. There are strong arguments to believe that EC approaches are quite suitable for modeling and numerical analysis of those methods of synthetic biology and biotechnology that are known as in vitro evolution. Therefore, it is natural to expect that the new algorithms and approaches developed in EC can be effectively applied in experiments on the directed evolution of biological macromolecules. According to the John Holland's Schema theorem, the effective evolutionary search in genetic algorithms (GA) is provided by identifying short schemata of high fitness which in the further search recombine into the larger building blocks (BBs) with higher and higher fitness. The multimodularity of functional biological macromolecules and the preservation of already found modules in the evolutionary search have a clear analogy with the BBs in EC. It seems reasonable to try to transfer and introduce the methods of EC, preserving BBs and essentially accelerating the search, into experiments on in vitro evolution. We extend the key instrument of the Holland's theory, the Royal Roads fitness function, to problems of the in vitro evolution (Biological Royal Staircase, BioRS, functions). The specific version of BioRS developed in this publication arises from the realities of experimental evolutionary search for (DNA-) RNA-devices (aptazymes). Our numerical tests showed that for problems with the BioRS functions, simple heuristic algorithms, which turned out to be very effective for preserving BBs in GA, can be very effective in in vitro evolution approaches. We are convinced that such algorithms can be implemented in modern methods of in vitro evolution to achieve significant savings in time and resources and a significant increase in the efficiency of evolutionary search.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander V. Spirov
- I. M. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
- The Institute of Scientific Information for Social Sciences RAS, Moscow, Russia
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15
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Le ATH, Wang TY, Krylova SM, Beloborodov SS, Krylov SN. Quantitative Characterization of Partitioning in Selection of DNA Aptamers for Protein Targets by Capillary Electrophoresis. Anal Chem 2022; 94:2578-2588. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c04560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- An T. H. Le
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Tong Ye Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Svetlana M. Krylova
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Stanislav S. Beloborodov
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Sergey N. Krylov
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
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16
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Aptamers in Virology-A Consolidated Review of the Most Recent Advancements in Diagnosis and Therapy. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13101646. [PMID: 34683938 PMCID: PMC8540715 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13101646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of short oligonucleotide or peptide molecules as target-specific aptamers has recently garnered substantial attention in the field of the detection and treatment of viral infections. Based on their high affinity and high specificity to desired targets, their use is on the rise to replace antibodies for the detection of viruses and viral antigens. Furthermore, aptamers inhibit intracellular viral transcription and translation, in addition to restricting viral entry into host cells. This has opened up a plethora of new targets for the research and development of novel vaccines against viruses. Here, we discuss the advances made in aptamer technology for viral diagnosis and therapy in the past decade.
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Yu H, Alkhamis O, Canoura J, Liu Y, Xiao Y. Advances and Challenges in Small‐Molecule DNA Aptamer Isolation, Characterization, and Sensor Development. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202008663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Haixiang Yu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Florida International University 11200 SW 8th Street Miami FL 33199 USA
| | - Obtin Alkhamis
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Florida International University 11200 SW 8th Street Miami FL 33199 USA
| | - Juan Canoura
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Florida International University 11200 SW 8th Street Miami FL 33199 USA
| | - Yingzhu Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Florida International University 11200 SW 8th Street Miami FL 33199 USA
| | - Yi Xiao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Florida International University 11200 SW 8th Street Miami FL 33199 USA
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18
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Yu H, Alkhamis O, Canoura J, Liu Y, Xiao Y. Advances and Challenges in Small-Molecule DNA Aptamer Isolation, Characterization, and Sensor Development. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:16800-16823. [PMID: 33559947 PMCID: PMC8292151 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202008663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Aptamers are short oligonucleotides isolated in vitro from randomized libraries that can bind to specific molecules with high affinity, and offer a number of advantages relative to antibodies as biorecognition elements in biosensors. However, it remains difficult and labor-intensive to develop aptamer-based sensors for small-molecule detection. Here, we review the challenges and advances in the isolation and characterization of small-molecule-binding DNA aptamers and their use in sensors. First, we discuss in vitro methodologies for the isolation of aptamers, and provide guidance on selecting the appropriate strategy for generating aptamers with optimal binding properties for a given application. We next examine techniques for characterizing aptamer-target binding and structure. Afterwards, we discuss various small-molecule sensing platforms based on original or engineered aptamers, and their detection applications. Finally, we conclude with a general workflow to develop aptamer-based small-molecule sensors for real-world applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haixiang Yu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Obtin Alkhamis
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Juan Canoura
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Yingzhu Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Yi Xiao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
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Wang A, Liang K, Yang S, Cao Y, Wang L, Zhang M, Zhou J, Zhang L. Genome-wide analysis of MYB transcription factors of Vaccinium corymbosum and their positive responses to drought stress. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:565. [PMID: 34294027 PMCID: PMC8296672 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07850-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) is an important species with a high content of flavonoids in fruits. As a perennial shrub, blueberry is characterized by shallow-rooted property and susceptible to drought stress. MYB transcription factor was reported to be widely involved in plant response to abiotic stresses, however, the role of MYB family in blueberry responding to drought stress remains elusive. Results In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of VcMYBs in blueberry based on the genome data under drought stress, including phylogenetic relationship, identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), expression profiling, conserved motifs, expression correlation and protein-protein interaction prediction, etc. The results showed that 229 non-redundant MYB sequences were identified in the blueberry genome, and divided into 23 subgroups. A total of 102 MYB DEGs with a significant response to drought stress were identified, of which 72 in leaves and 69 in roots, and 8 differential expression genes with a > 20-fold change in the level of expression. 17 DEGs had a higher expression correlation with other MYB members. The interaction partners of the key VcMYB proteins were predicted by STRING analysis and in combination with physiological and morphological observation. 10 key VcMYB genes such as VcMYB8, VcMYB102 and VcMYB228 were predicted to be probably involved in reactive oxygen species (ROS) pathway, and 7 key VcMYB genes (VcMYB41, VcMYB88 and VcMYB100, etc..) probably participated in leaf regulation under drought treatment. Conclusions Our studies provide a new understanding of the regulation mechanism of VcMYB family in blueberry response to drought stress, and lay fundamental support for future studies on blueberry grown in regions with limited water supply for this crop. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07850-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aibin Wang
- Research & Development Center of Blueberry, Key Laboratory of Forest Silviculture and Conservation of the Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, 35 QinghuaEast Road, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Kehao Liang
- Research & Development Center of Blueberry, Key Laboratory of Forest Silviculture and Conservation of the Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, 35 QinghuaEast Road, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Shiwen Yang
- Research & Development Center of Blueberry, Key Laboratory of Forest Silviculture and Conservation of the Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, 35 QinghuaEast Road, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Yibo Cao
- Research & Development Center of Blueberry, Key Laboratory of Forest Silviculture and Conservation of the Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, 35 QinghuaEast Road, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Research & Development Center of Blueberry, Key Laboratory of Forest Silviculture and Conservation of the Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, 35 QinghuaEast Road, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Zhang
- Research & Development Center of Blueberry, Key Laboratory of Forest Silviculture and Conservation of the Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, 35 QinghuaEast Road, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Zhou
- Research & Development Center of Blueberry, Key Laboratory of Forest Silviculture and Conservation of the Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, 35 QinghuaEast Road, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Lingyun Zhang
- Research & Development Center of Blueberry, Key Laboratory of Forest Silviculture and Conservation of the Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, 35 QinghuaEast Road, 100083, Beijing, China.
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20
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Rabies Prophylactic and Treatment Options: An In Vitro Study of siRNA- and Aptamer-Based Therapeutics. Viruses 2021; 13:v13050881. [PMID: 34064911 PMCID: PMC8150346 DOI: 10.3390/v13050881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
If the goal of eliminating dog-mediated human rabies by 2030 is to be achieved, effective mass dog vaccination needs to be complemented by effective prophylaxis for individuals exposed to rabies. Aptamers and short-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) have been successful in therapeutics, but few studies have investigated their potential as rabies therapeutics. In this study, siRNAs and aptamers-using a novel selection method-were developed and tested against rabies virus (RABV) in a post-infection (p.i.) scenario. Multiple means of delivery were tested for siRNAs, including the use of Lipofectamine and conjugation with the developed aptamers. One siRNA (N53) resulted in an 80.13% reduction in viral RNA, while aptamer UPRET 2.03 demonstrated a 61.3% reduction when used alone at 2 h p.i. At 24 h p.i., chimera UPRET 2.03-N8 (aptamer-siRNA) resulted in a 36.5% inhibition of viral replication. To our knowledge, this is the first study using siRNAs or aptamers that (1) demonstrated significant inhibition of RABV using an aptamer, (2) tested Lipofectamine RNAi-Max as a means for delivery, and (3) produced significant RABV inhibition at 24 h p.i. This study serves as a proof-of-concept to potentially use aptamers and siRNAs as rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) replacements or therapeutic options for RABV and provides strong evidence towards their further investigation.
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21
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Le ATH, Krylova SM, Beloborodov SS, Wang TY, Hili R, Johnson PE, Li F, Veedu RN, Belyanskaya S, Krylov SN. How to Develop and Prove High-Efficiency Selection of Ligands from Oligonucleotide Libraries: A Universal Framework for Aptamers and DNA-Encoded Small-Molecule Ligands. Anal Chem 2021; 93:5343-5354. [PMID: 33764056 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c00601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Screening molecular libraries for ligands capable of binding proteins is widely used for hit identification in the early drug discovery process. Oligonucleotide libraries provide a very high diversity of compounds, while the combination of the polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing allow the identification of ligands in low copy numbers selected from such libraries. Ligand selection from oligonucleotide libraries requires mixing the library with the target followed by the physical separation of the ligand-target complexes from the unbound library. Cumulatively, the low abundance of ligands in the library and the low efficiency of available separation methods necessitate multiple consecutive rounds of partitioning. Multiple rounds of inefficient partitioning make the selection process ineffective and prone to failures. There are continuing efforts to develop a separation method capable of reliably generating a pure pool of ligands in a single round of partitioning; however, none of the proposed methods for single-round selection have been universally adopted. Our analysis revealed that the developers' efforts are disconnected from each other and hindered by the lack of quantitative criteria of selection quality assessment. Here, we present a formalism that describes single-round selection mathematically and provides parameters for quantitative characterization of selection quality. We use this formalism to define a universal strategy for development and validation of single-round selection methods. Finally, we analyze the existing partitioning methods, the published single-round selection reports, and some pertinent practical considerations through the prism of this formalism. This formalism is not an experimental protocol but a framework for correct development of experimental protocols. While single-round selection is not a goal by itself and may not always suffice selection of good-quality ligands, our work will help developers of highly efficient selection approaches to consolidate their efforts under an umbrella of universal quantitative criteria of method development and assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- An T H Le
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Svetlana M Krylova
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Stanislav S Beloborodov
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Tong Y Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Ryan Hili
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Philip E Johnson
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Feng Li
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Biotechnology, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Rakesh N Veedu
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University and Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth 6150, Australia
| | | | - Sergey N Krylov
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
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22
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Ni S, Zhuo Z, Pan Y, Yu Y, Li F, Liu J, Wang L, Wu X, Li D, Wan Y, Zhang L, Yang Z, Zhang BT, Lu A, Zhang G. Recent Progress in Aptamer Discoveries and Modifications for Therapeutic Applications. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:9500-9519. [PMID: 32603135 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c05750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 244] [Impact Index Per Article: 81.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Aptamers are oligonucleotide sequences with a length of about 25-80 bases which have abilities to bind to specific target molecules that rival those of monoclonal antibodies. They are attracting great attention in diverse clinical translations on account of their various advantages, including prolonged storage life, little batch-to-batch differences, very low immunogenicity, and feasibility of chemical modifications for enhancing stability, prolonging the half-life in serum, and targeted delivery. In this Review, we demonstrate the emerging aptamer discovery technologies in developing advanced techniques for producing aptamers with high performance consistently and efficiently as well as requiring less cost and resources but offering a great chance of success. Further, the diverse modifications of aptamers for therapeutic applications including therapeutic agents, aptamer-drug conjugates, and targeted delivery materials are comprehensively summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuaijian Ni
- Institute of Precision Medicine and Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone & Joint Diseases, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
- HKBU and IncreasePharm Joint Centre for Nucleic Acid Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Zhenjian Zhuo
- School of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Yufei Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yuanyuan Yu
- Institute of Precision Medicine and Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone & Joint Diseases, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
- HKBU and IncreasePharm Joint Centre for Nucleic Acid Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Fangfei Li
- Institute of Precision Medicine and Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone & Joint Diseases, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
- HKBU and IncreasePharm Joint Centre for Nucleic Acid Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Jin Liu
- Institute of Precision Medicine and Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone & Joint Diseases, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
- HKBU and IncreasePharm Joint Centre for Nucleic Acid Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Luyao Wang
- Institute of Precision Medicine and Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone & Joint Diseases, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
- HKBU and IncreasePharm Joint Centre for Nucleic Acid Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Xiaoqiu Wu
- Institute of Precision Medicine and Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone & Joint Diseases, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
- HKBU and IncreasePharm Joint Centre for Nucleic Acid Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Dijie Li
- Institute of Precision Medicine and Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone & Joint Diseases, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
- HKBU and IncreasePharm Joint Centre for Nucleic Acid Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Youyang Wan
- Institute of Precision Medicine and Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone & Joint Diseases, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
- HKBU and IncreasePharm Joint Centre for Nucleic Acid Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Lihe Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Zhenjun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Bao-Ting Zhang
- School of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Aiping Lu
- Institute of Precision Medicine and Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone & Joint Diseases, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
- HKBU and IncreasePharm Joint Centre for Nucleic Acid Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Ge Zhang
- Institute of Precision Medicine and Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone & Joint Diseases, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong 999077, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
- HKBU and IncreasePharm Joint Centre for Nucleic Acid Drug Discovery, Hong Kong 999077, China
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DNA aptamer-based rolling circle amplification product as a novel immunological adjuvant. Sci Rep 2020; 10:22282. [PMID: 33335251 PMCID: PMC7747709 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79420-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Several agonists to CD40 have shown to induce acquired immune responses. Here, we developed and evaluated the rolling circle amplification (RCA) products that are based on anti-CD40 DNA aptamers as a novel vaccine adjuvant. First, we developed DNA aptamers with specific binding affinity to chicken CD40 extra domain (chCD40ED). Next, we prepared the RCA products that consist of these aptamers to increase the spanning space and overall binding affinity to chCD40ED. Using 8 DNA aptamer candidates, 4 aptamer-based RCA products (aptamer RCAs) were generated, each consisting of two distinct aptamers. We demonstrated that all 4 aptamer RCAs significantly induced the signal transduction in chicken HD11 macrophage cell line (p < 0.05). Finally, we conjugated one of the aptamer RCAs (Aptamer RCA II) to M2e epitope peptide of influenza virus as a model hapten, and the immune complex was injected to chickens. Aptamer RCA II stimulated anti-M2e IgG antibody production to the level significantly higher as compared to the control (M2e epitope alone; p < 0.05). The results of our work suggest that aptamer RCA is a novel platform to boost the efficacy of vaccines, which might find broad applications to other antigens beyond M2e epitope evaluated in this study using chicken infection model.
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24
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Modeling SELEX for regulatory regions using Royal Road and Royal Staircase fitness functions. Biosystems 2020; 200:104312. [PMID: 33278501 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2020.104312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The field of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) emerged in the area of computer science due to transfer of ideas from biology and developed independently for several decades, enriched with techniques from probability theory, complexity theory and optimization methods. In this paper, we consider some recent results form the EAs theory transferred back into biology. The well-known biotechnological procedure SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment) is viewed as an experimental implementation of an evolutionary algorithm. Theoretical bounds on EAs runtime are applied to model SELEX search for a regulatory region consisting of promoter and enhancer sequences. A comparison of theoretical bounds to the results of computational simulation indicates some cases where the theoretical bounds give favorable prediction, while simulation requires prohibitive computational resource.
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Kooshki H, Abbaszadeh R, Heidari R, Akbariqomi M, Mazloumi M, Shafei S, Absalan M, Tavoosidana G. Developing a DNA aptamer-based approach for biosensing cystatin-c in serum: An alternative to antibody-based methods. Anal Biochem 2019; 584:113386. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2019.113386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Komarova N, Kuznetsov A. Inside the Black Box: What Makes SELEX Better? Molecules 2019; 24:E3598. [PMID: 31591283 PMCID: PMC6804172 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24193598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aptamers are small oligonucleotides that are capable of binding specifically to a target, with impressive potential for analysis, diagnostics, and therapeutics applications. Aptamers are isolated from large nucleic acid combinatorial libraries using an iterative selection process called SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment). Since being implemented 30 years ago, the SELEX protocol has undergone many modifications and improvements, but it remains a laborious, time-consuming, and costly method, and the results are not always successful. Each step in the aptamer selection protocol can influence its results. This review discusses key technical points of the SELEX procedure and their influence on the outcome of aptamer selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Komarova
- Scientific-Manufacturing Complex Technological Centre, 1-7 Shokin Square, Zelenograd, Moscow 124498, Russia.
| | - Alexander Kuznetsov
- Scientific-Manufacturing Complex Technological Centre, 1-7 Shokin Square, Zelenograd, Moscow 124498, Russia.
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Mazaafrianto DN, Ishida A, Maeki M, Tani H, Tokeshi M. An Electrochemical Sensor Based on Structure Switching of Dithiol-modified Aptamer for Simple Detection of Ochratoxin A. ANAL SCI 2019; 35:1221-1226. [PMID: 31327816 DOI: 10.2116/analsci.19p240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we developed an electrochemical sensor for ochratoxin A (OTA) by using an aptamer having a dithiol-based anchor, which exhibited higher stability on a gold electrode than a monothiol-based aptamer because of its two anchors. The sensor was also based on a signal-on scheme that produces a signal current resulting from structure-switching of the aptamer upon interaction with OTA. For simple fabrication of this sensor, the non-covalent interaction of methylene blue with the aptamer was also employed as an electrochemical indicator. In this study, the performance of the sensor, including the dissociation constant of the aptamer-OTA complex, was characterized. The proposed sensor exhibited high reproducibility and enough sensitivity to detect the minimum amount of OTA required for the analysis of real food samples with a limit of detection of 113 pM.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Akihiko Ishida
- Division of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University
| | - Masatoshi Maeki
- Division of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University
| | - Hirofumi Tani
- Division of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University
| | - Manabu Tokeshi
- Division of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University.,ImPACT Research Center for Advanced Nanobiodevices, Nagoya University.,Innovative Research Center for Preventive Medical Engineering, Nagoya University.,Institute of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University
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Yang W, Yu H, Alkhamis O, Liu Y, Canoura J, Fu F, Xiao Y. In vitro isolation of class-specific oligonucleotide-based small-molecule receptors. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:e71. [PMID: 30926988 PMCID: PMC6614805 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Class-specific bioreceptors are highly desirable for recognizing structurally similar small molecules, but the generation of such affinity elements has proven challenging. We here develop a novel 'parallel-and-serial' selection strategy for isolating class-specific oligonucleotide-based receptors (aptamers) in vitro. This strategy first entails parallel selection to selectively enrich cross-reactive binding sequences, followed by serial selection that enriches aptamers binding to a designated target family. As a demonstration, we isolate a class-specific DNA aptamer against a family of designer drugs known as synthetic cathinones. The aptamer binds to 12 diverse synthetic cathinones with nanomolar affinity and does not respond to 11 structurally similar non-target compounds, some of which differ from the cathinone targets by a single atom. This is the first account of an aptamer exhibiting a combination of broad target cross-reactivity, high affinity and remarkable specificity. Leveraging the qualities of this aptamer, instantaneous colorimetric detection of synthetic cathinones at nanomolar concentrations in biological samples is achieved. Our findings significantly expand the binding capabilities of aptamers as class-specific bioreceptors and further demonstrate the power of rationally designed selection strategies for isolating customized aptamers with desired binding profiles. We believe that our aptamer isolation approach can be broadly applied to isolate class-specific aptamers for various small molecule families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijuan Yang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 11200 SW Eighth Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA
- Department of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Haixiang Yu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 11200 SW Eighth Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Obtin Alkhamis
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 11200 SW Eighth Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Yingzhu Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 11200 SW Eighth Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Juan Canoura
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 11200 SW Eighth Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Fengfu Fu
- Key Laboratory for Analytical Science of Food Safety and Biology of MOE, Fujian Provincial Key Lab of Analysis and Detection for Food Safety, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, China
| | - Yi Xiao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 11200 SW Eighth Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA
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Le ATH, Krylova SM, Krylov SN. Determination of the Equilibrium Constant and Rate Constant of Protein-Oligonucleotide Complex Dissociation under the Conditions of Ideal-Filter Capillary Electrophoresis. Anal Chem 2019; 91:8532-8539. [PMID: 31136154 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b01801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Ideal-filter capillary electrophoresis (IFCE) allows selection of protein binders from oligonucleotide libraries in a single step of partitioning in which protein-bound and unbound oligonucleotides move in the opposite directions. In IFCE, the unbound oligonucleotide does not reach the detector, imposing a problem for finding the equilibrium constant ( Kd) and rate constant ( koff) of protein-oligonucleotide complex dissociation. We report a double-passage approach that allows finding Kd and koff under the IFCE conditions, i.e. near-physiological pH and ionic strength. First, a plug of the protein-oligonucleotide equilibrium mixture passes to the detector in a pressure-driven flow, allowing for both the complex and free oligonucleotide to be detected as a single first peak. Second, the pressure is turned off and the voltage is applied to reverse the migration of only the complex which is detected as the second peak. The experiment is repeated with a lower voltage consequently resulting in longer travel time of the complex to the detector, greater extent of complex dissociation, and the decreased area of the second peak. Finally, the peak areas are used to calculate the values of Kd and koff. Here we explain theoretical and practical aspects of the double-passage approach, prove its validity quantitatively, and, demonstrate its application to determine Kd and koff for an affinity complex between a protein and its DNA aptamer. The double-passage approach for finding Kd and koff of protein-oligonucleotide complexes under the IFCE conditions is a perfect complement for IFCE-based selection of protein binders from oligonucleotide libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
- An T H Le
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions , York University , Toronto , Ontario M3J 1P3 , Canada
| | - Svetlana M Krylova
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions , York University , Toronto , Ontario M3J 1P3 , Canada
| | - Sergey N Krylov
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions , York University , Toronto , Ontario M3J 1P3 , Canada
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Le ATH, Krylova SM, Krylov SN. Ideal-filter capillary electrophoresis: A highly efficient partitioning method for selection of protein binders from oligonucleotide libraries. Electrophoresis 2019; 40:2553-2564. [PMID: 31069842 DOI: 10.1002/elps.201900028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Selection of affinity ligands for protein targets from oligonucleotide libraries currently involves multiple rounds of alternating steps of partitioning of protein-bound oligonucleotides (binders) from protein-unbound oligonucleotides (nonbinders). We have recently introduced ideal-filter capillary electrophoresis (IFCE) for binder selection in a single step of partitioning. In IFCE, protein-binder complexes and nonbinders move inside the capillary in the opposite directions, and the efficiency of their partitioning reaches 109 , i.e., only one of a billion molecules of nonbinders leaks through IFCE while all binders pass through. The condition of IFCE can be satisfied when the magnitude of the mobility of EOF is smaller than that of the protein-binder complexes and larger than that of nonbinders. The efficiency of partitioning in IFCE is 10 million times higher than those of solid-phase-based methods of partitioning typically used in selection of affinity ligands for protein targets from oligonucleotide libraries. Here, we provide additional details on our justification for IFCE development. We elaborate on electrophoretic aspects of the method and define the theoretical range of EOF mobilities that support IFCE. Based on these theoretical results, we identify an experimental range of background electrolyte's ionic strength that supports IFCE. We also extend our interpretation of the results and discuss in-depth IFCE's prospective in practical applications and fundamental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- An T H Le
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Svetlana M Krylova
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sergey N Krylov
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Highly Efficient and Reliable DNA Aptamer Selection Using the Partitioning Capabilities of ddPCR: The Hi-Fi SELEX Method. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1768:531-554. [PMID: 29717463 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7778-9_30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In addition to its growing use in detecting and quantifying genes and larger genomic events, the partitioning used in digital PCR can serve as a powerful tool for high-fidelity amplification of synthetic combinatorial libraries of single-stranded DNA. Sequence-diverse libraries of this type are used as a basis for selecting tight-binding aptamers against a specific target. Here we provide a detailed description of the Hi-Fi SELEX protocol for rapid and efficient DNA aptamer selection. As part of that methodology, we describe how Hi-Fi SELEX gains advantages over other aptamer selection methods in part through the use of the massive partitioning capability of digital PCR.
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Le ATH, Krylova SM, Kanoatov M, Desai S, Krylov SN. Ideal-Filter Capillary Electrophoresis (IFCE) Facilitates the One-Step Selection of Aptamers. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:2739-2743. [PMID: 30577082 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201812974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Selection of aptamers from oligonucleotide libraries currently requires multiple rounds of alternating steps of partitioning of binders from nonbinders and enzymatic amplification of all collected oligonucleotides. Herein, we report a highly practical solution for reliable one-step selection of aptamers. We introduce partitioning by ideal-filter capillary electrophoresis (IFCE) in which binders and nonbinders move in the opposite directions. The efficiency of IFCE-based partitioning reaches 109 , which is ten million times higher than that of typical solid-phase partitioning methods. One step of IFCE-based partitioning is sufficient for the selection of a high-affinity aptamer pool for a protein target. Partitioning by IFCE promises to become an indispensable tool for fast and robust selection of binders from different types of oligonucleotide libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
- An T H Le
- Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Svetlana M Krylova
- Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Mirzo Kanoatov
- Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Shrey Desai
- Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Sergey N Krylov
- Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
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Le ATH, Krylova SM, Kanoatov M, Desai S, Krylov SN. Ideal‐Filter Capillary Electrophoresis (IFCE) Facilitates the One‐Step Selection of Aptamers. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201812974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- An T. H. Le
- Centre for Research on Biomolecular InteractionsYork University Toronto Ontario M3J 1P3 Canada
| | - Svetlana M. Krylova
- Centre for Research on Biomolecular InteractionsYork University Toronto Ontario M3J 1P3 Canada
| | - Mirzo Kanoatov
- Centre for Research on Biomolecular InteractionsYork University Toronto Ontario M3J 1P3 Canada
| | - Shrey Desai
- Centre for Research on Biomolecular InteractionsYork University Toronto Ontario M3J 1P3 Canada
| | - Sergey N. Krylov
- Centre for Research on Biomolecular InteractionsYork University Toronto Ontario M3J 1P3 Canada
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Yu F, Li H, Sun W, Zhao Y, Xu D, He F. Selection of aptamers against Lactoferrin based on silver enhanced and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Talanta 2018; 193:110-117. [PMID: 30368278 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2018.09.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2018] [Revised: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We report a novel method for efficiently screening aptamers from a complex ssDNA library based on silver decahedral nanoparticles (AgNP) and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). In this method, target protein (lactoferrin) and negative proteins (α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, bovine serum albumin, casein) were respectively immobilized on polystyrene microspheres (PS) to form PSLac, PSα-Lac, PSβ-Lac, PSBSA and PSCas. PSLac was firstly interacted with Cy5 labeled library (Lib), then hybridized with Cy5 modified silver decahedral nanoparticles (AgNPCy5) to form PSLac/Lib/AgNPCy5 conjugates. FACS was used to separate and collect PSLac/Lib/AgNPCy5 conjugates from complicated complex. AgNP was used to increase the fluorescence intensity in the selecting process and choose non-self-hybridization of Lib. Six aptamers (Ylac1, Ylac4, Ylac5, Ylac6, Ylac8 and Ylac9) were obtained after five-round of selection. These aptamers showed good specificity towards lactoferrin in the presence of negative proteins. The equilibrium dissociation constants (Kd) of six aptamers were calculated and all were in the nanomolar range. In a word, AgNP-FACS SELEX (AgFACS-SELEX) is a rapid, sensitive and highly efficient method for screening aptamers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210046, China
| | - Hui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210046, China.
| | - Wei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yaju Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210046, China
| | - Danke Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210046, China.
| | - Fuchu He
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210046, China; State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing 102206, China.
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Bayat P, Nosrati R, Alibolandi M, Rafatpanah H, Abnous K, Khedri M, Ramezani M. SELEX methods on the road to protein targeting with nucleic acid aptamers. Biochimie 2018; 154:132-155. [PMID: 30193856 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Systematic evolution of ligand by exponential enrichment (SELEX) is an efficient method used to isolate high-affinity single stranded oligonucleotides from a large random sequence pool. These SELEX-derived oligonucleotides named aptamer, can be selected against a broad spectrum of target molecules including proteins, cells, microorganisms and chemical compounds. Like antibodies, aptamers have a great potential in interacting with and binding to their targets through structural recognition and are therefore called "chemical antibodies". However, aptamers offer advantages over antibodies including smaller size, better tissue penetration, higher thermal stability, lower immunogenicity, easier production, lower cost of synthesis and facilitated conjugation or modification with different functional moieties. Thus, aptamers represent an attractive substitution for protein antibodies in the fields of biomarker discovery, diagnosis, imaging and targeted therapy. Enormous interest in aptamer technology triggered the development of SELEX that has underwent numerous modifications since its introduction in 1990. This review will discuss the recent advances in SELEX methods and their advantages and limitations. Aptamer applications are also briefly outlined in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payam Bayat
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Rahim Nosrati
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran; Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mona Alibolandi
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Houshang Rafatpanah
- Inflammation and Inflammatory Diseases Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Khalil Abnous
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mostafa Khedri
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ramezani
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
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Aptamer-Based Biosensors to Detect Aquatic Phycotoxins and Cyanotoxins. SENSORS 2018; 18:s18072367. [PMID: 30037056 PMCID: PMC6068809 DOI: 10.3390/s18072367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 07/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Aptasensors have a great potential for environmental monitoring, particularly for real-time on-site detection of aquatic toxins produced by marine and freshwater microorganisms (cyanobacteria, dinoflagellates, and diatoms), with several advantages over other biosensors that are worth considering. Freshwater monitoring is of vital importance for public health, in numerous human activities, and animal welfare, since these toxins may cause fatal intoxications. Similarly, in marine waters, very effective monitoring programs have been put in place in many countries to detect when toxins exceed established regulatory levels and accordingly enforce shellfish harvesting closures. Recent advances in the fields of aptamer selection, nanomaterials and communication technologies, offer a vast array of possibilities to develop new imaginative strategies to create improved, ultrasensitive, reliable and real-time devices, featuring unique characteristics to produce and amplify the signal. So far, not many strategies have been used to detect aquatic toxins, mostly limited to the optic and electrochemical sensors, the majority applied to detect microcystin-LR using a target-induced switching mode. The limits of detection of these aptasensors have been decreasing from the nM to the fM order of magnitude in the past 20 years. Aspects related to sensor components, performance, aptamers sequences, matrices analyzed and future perspectives, are considered and discussed.
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Diao D, Qiao N, Wu X, Li J, Lou X. An efficient method to evaluate experimental factor influence on in vitro binding of aptamers. Anal Biochem 2018; 556:7-15. [PMID: 29913134 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2018.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Nucleic acid-based aptamers are promising alternative to antibodies, however, their selection process (SELEX) is challenging. A number of simulations and few experiments have been reported offering insights into experimental factors (EFs) that govern the effectiveness of the selection process. Though useful, these previous studied were either lack of experimental confirmation, or considered limited EFs. A more efficient experimental method is highly desired. In this study, we developed a fast method that is capable to quantitatively probe the influence of multiple EFs. Based on the fact that the aptamer enrichment efficiency is highly affected by background binding, the binding ratio between the numbers of specific aptamer binders and nonspecific (unselected library) binders per bead was used to quantitatively evaluate EF effects. Taking thrombin and streptavidin as models, three previously studied EFs (surface coverage, buffer composition, and DNA concentration) and four never-studied ones (surface chemistry, heat treatment, elution methodology and pool purity) were investigated. The EFs greatly affected binding ratio (ranging from 0.03 ± 0.03 to 14.60 ± 2.30). The results were in good agreement with the literature, suggesting the good feasibility of our method. Our study provides guidance for the choice of EFs not only for aptamer selection, but also for binding evaluation of aptamers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donglin Diao
- Department of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Xisanhuan North Road. 105, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Na Qiao
- Department of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Xisanhuan North Road. 105, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Xiao Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Xisanhuan North Road. 105, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Jiyuan Li
- Department of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Xisanhuan North Road. 105, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Xinhui Lou
- Department of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Xisanhuan North Road. 105, Beijing, 100048, China.
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38
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Yan C, Zhang J, Yao L, Xue F, Lu J, Li B, Chen W. Aptamer-mediated colorimetric method for rapid and sensitive detection of chloramphenicol in food. Food Chem 2018; 260:208-212. [PMID: 29699664 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Revised: 09/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
We report an aptamer-mediated colorimetric method for sensitive detection of chloramphenicol (CAP). The aptamer of CAP is immobilized by the hybridization with pre-immobilized capture probe in the microtiter plate. The horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is covalently attached to the aptamer by the biotin-streptavidin system for signal production. CAP will preferably bind with aptamer due to the high binding affinity, which attributes to the release of aptamer and HRP and thus, affects the optical signal intensity. Quantitative determination of CAP is successfully achieved in the wide range from 0.001 to 1000 ng/mL with detection limit of 0.0031 ng/mL, which is more sensitive than traditional immunoassays. This method is further validated by measuring the recovery of CAP spiked in two different food matrices (honey and fish). The aptamer-mediated colorimetric method can be a useful protocol for rapid and sensitive screening of CAP, and may be used as an alternative means for traditional immunoassays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Yan
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio-process, MOE, Hefei University of Technology, 193 Tunxi Road, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio-process, MOE, Hefei University of Technology, 193 Tunxi Road, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Li Yao
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio-process, MOE, Hefei University of Technology, 193 Tunxi Road, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Feng Xue
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jianfeng Lu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio-process, MOE, Hefei University of Technology, 193 Tunxi Road, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Baoguang Li
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - Wei Chen
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio-process, MOE, Hefei University of Technology, 193 Tunxi Road, Hefei 230009, China.
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Tuma Sabah J, Zulkifli RM, Shahir S, Ahmed F, Abdul Kadir MR, Zakaria Z. In vitro selection and characterization of single stranded DNA aptamers for luteolin: A possible recognition tool. Anal Biochem 2018. [PMID: 29524380 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2018.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Distinctive bioactivities possessed by luteolin (3', 4', 5, 7-tetrahydroxy-flavone) are advantageous for sundry practical applications. This paper reports the in vitro selection and characterization of single stranded-DNA (ssDNA) aptamers, specific for luteolin (LUT). 76-mer library containing 1015 randomized ssDNA were screened via systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). The recovered ssDNA pool from the 8th round was amplified with unlabeled primers and cloned into PSTBlue-1 vector prior to sequencing. 22 of LUT-binding aptamer variants were further classified into one of the seven groups based on their N40 random sequence regions, wherein one representative from each group was characterized. The dissociation constant of aptamers designated as LUT#28, LUT#20 and LUT#3 was discerned to be 107, 214 and 109 nM, respectively with high binding affinity towards LUT. Prediction analysis of the secondary structure suggested discrete features with typical loop and stem motifs. Furthermore, LUT#3 displayed higher specificity with insignificant binding toward kaempferol and quercetin despite its structural and functional similarity compared to LUT#28 and LUT#20. Further LUT#3 can detect free luteolin within 0.2-1 mM in solution. It was suggested that LUT#3 aptamer were the most suitable for LUT recognition tool at laboratory scale based on the condition tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinan Tuma Sabah
- Faculty of Biosciences and Medical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia
| | | | - Shafinaz Shahir
- Faculty of Biosciences and Medical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia
| | - Farediah Ahmed
- Faculty of Biosciences and Medical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia
| | | | - Zarita Zakaria
- Faculty of Biosciences and Medical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia
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Rafati A, Zarrabi A, Abediankenari S, Aarabi M, Gill P. Sensitive colorimetric assay using insulin G-quadruplex aptamer arrays on DNA nanotubes coupled with magnetic nanoparticles. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:171835. [PMID: 29657789 PMCID: PMC5882713 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Described here is a methodology for fabrication of a sensitive colorimetric nanoassay for measurement of insulin using G-quadruplex aptamer arrays on DNA nanotubes (DNTs) coupled with magnetic nanoparticles. The spectroscopic findings (e.g. visible spectra, velocity assay and limit of detection determination) indicated a highly sensitive performance of this new nanoassay in comparison to those results obtained from the insulin assay with non-arrayed aptamers. The clinical performance statistics (i.e. paired sample t-test, Bland-Altman plot and scatter diagram) from the newly developed assay and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay suggested its reliable precision and its acceptable repeatability for measurement of insulin in human sera. This is, to our knowledge, the first study for the application of magnetic nanoparticle-coupled DNTs for carrying G-quadruplex aptamers for detection of biomolecules (such as insulin) in human serum.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Rafati
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - A. Zarrabi
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - S. Abediankenari
- Nanomedicine Group, Immunogenetics Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Science, Sari, Iran
| | - M. Aarabi
- Diabetes Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Science, Sari, Iran
- Ischemic Disorders Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - P. Gill
- Nanomedicine Group, Immunogenetics Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Science, Sari, Iran
- Diabetes Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Science, Sari, Iran
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Kinghorn AB, Fraser LA, Liang S, Shiu SCC, Tanner JA. Aptamer Bioinformatics. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:E2516. [PMID: 29186809 PMCID: PMC5751119 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18122516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aptamers are short nucleic acid sequences capable of specific, high-affinity molecular binding. They are isolated via SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment), an evolutionary process that involves iterative rounds of selection and amplification before sequencing and aptamer characterization. As aptamers are genetic in nature, bioinformatic approaches have been used to improve both aptamers and their selection. This review will discuss the advancements made in several enclaves of aptamer bioinformatics, including simulation of aptamer selection, fragment-based aptamer design, patterning of libraries, identification of lead aptamers from high-throughput sequencing (HTS) data and in silico aptamer optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Julian A. Tanner
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR China; (A.B.K.); (L.A.F.); (S.L.); (S.C.-C.S.)
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AlMatar M, AlMandeal H, Var I, Kayar B, Köksal F. New drugs for the treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Biomed Pharmacother 2017; 91:546-558. [PMID: 28482292 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.04.105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2017] [Revised: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis presents a grave challenge to health, globally instigating 1.5 million mortalities each year. Following the breakthrough of first-line anti-TB medication, the number of mortalities reduced greatly; nonetheless, the swift appearance of tuberculosis which was drug-resistant, as well as the capability of the bacterium to survive and stay dormant are a considerable problem for public health. In order to address this issue, several novel possible candidates for tuberculosis therapy have been subjected to clinical trials of late. The novel antimycobacterial agents are acquired from different categories of medications, operate through a range of action systems, and are at various phases of advancement. We therefore talk about the present methods of treating tuberculosis and novel anti-TB agents with their action method, in order to advance awareness of these new compounds and medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manaf AlMatar
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences (Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü), Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
| | - Husam AlMandeal
- Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, Gebäude 90, Kirrberger Straße, D-66421, Homburg, Germany
| | - Işıl Var
- Department of Food Engineering, Agricultural Faculty, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Begüm Kayar
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Fatih Köksal
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey
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Yarus M. The Genetic Code and RNA-Amino Acid Affinities. Life (Basel) 2017; 7:life7020013. [PMID: 28333103 PMCID: PMC5492135 DOI: 10.3390/life7020013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Revised: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A significant part of the genetic code likely originated via a chemical interaction, which should be experimentally verifiable. One possible verification relates bound amino acids (or perhaps their activated congeners) and ribonucleotide sequences within cognate RNA binding sites. To introduce this interaction, I first summarize how amino acids function as targets for RNA binding. Then the experimental method for selecting relevant RNA binding sites is characterized. The selection method’s characteristics are related to the investigation of the RNA binding site model treated at the outset. Finally, real binding sites from selection and also from extant natural RNAs (for example, the Sulfobacillus guanidinium riboswitch) are connected to the genetic code, and by extension, to the evolutionary progression that produced the code. During this process, peptides may have been produced directly on an instructive amino acid binding RNA (a DRT; Direct RNA Template). Combination of observed stereochemical selectivity with adaptation and co-evolutionary refinement is logically required, and also potentially sufficient, to create the striking order conserved throughout the present coding table.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Yarus
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0347, USA.
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Skúpa K, Urban J. Modifications of the chromophore of Spinach aptamer based on QM:MM calculations. J Mol Model 2017; 23:46. [PMID: 28154983 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-017-3232-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Spinach aptamer was developed as an RNA analog of the green fluorescent protein. The aptamer interacts with its ligand and modifies its electronic spectrum so that it fluoresces brightly at the wavelength of 501 nm. Song et al. investigated modifications of the ligand in their experimental study and found a molecule emitting at 523 nm upon creating a complex with the Spinach aptamer. The crystal structure of the aptamer in complex with its original ligand has been published, which enabled us to study the system computationally. In this article, we suggest several new modifications of the ligand that shift the emission maximum of the complex to even longer wavelengths. Our results are based on combined quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical calculations with DFT method used for geometry optimization and TD-DFT for calculations of absorption and emission energies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarína Skúpa
- Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Ján Urban
- Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Abstract
The search for high-affinity aptamers for targets such as proteins, small molecules, or cancer cells remains a formidable endeavor. Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential Enrichment (SELEX) offers an iterative process to discover these aptamers through evolutionary selection of high-affinity candidates from a highly diverse random pool. This randomness dictates an unknown population distribution of fitness parameters, encoded by the binding affinities, toward SELEX targets. Adding to this uncertainty, repeating SELEX under identical conditions may lead to variable outcomes. These uncertainties pose a challenge when tuning selection pressures to isolate high-affinity ligands. Here, we present a stochastic hybrid model that describes the evolutionary selection of aptamers to explore the impact of these unknowns. To our surprise, we find that even single copies of high-affinity ligands in a pool of billions can strongly influence population dynamics, yet their survival is highly dependent on chance. We perform Monte Carlo simulations to explore the impact of environmental parameters, such as the target concentration, on selection efficiency in SELEX and identify strategies to control these uncertainties to ultimately improve the outcome and speed of this time- and resource-intensive process.
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46
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Gotrik MR, Feagin TA, Csordas AT, Nakamoto MA, Soh HT. Advancements in Aptamer Discovery Technologies. Acc Chem Res 2016; 49:1903-10. [PMID: 27526193 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.6b00283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Affinity reagents that specifically bind to their target molecules are invaluable tools in nearly every field of modern biomedicine. Nucleic acid-based aptamers offer many advantages in this domain, because they are chemically synthesized, stable, and economical. Despite these compelling features, aptamers are currently not widely used in comparison to antibodies. This is primarily because conventional aptamer-discovery techniques such as SELEX are time-consuming and labor-intensive and often fail to produce aptamers with comparable binding performance to antibodies. This Account describes a body of work from our laboratory in developing advanced methods for consistently producing high-performance aptamers with higher efficiency, fewer resources, and, most importantly, a greater probability of success. We describe our efforts in systematically transforming each major step of the aptamer discovery process: selection, analysis, and characterization. To improve selection, we have developed microfluidic devices (M-SELEX) that enable discovery of high-affinity aptamers after a minimal number of selection rounds by precisely controlling the target concentration and washing stringency. In terms of improving aptamer pool analysis, our group was the first to use high-throughput sequencing (HTS) for the discovery of new aptamers. We showed that tracking the enrichment trajectory of individual aptamer sequences enables the identification of high-performing aptamers without requiring full convergence of the selected aptamer pool. HTS is now widely used for aptamer discovery, and open-source software has become available to facilitate analysis. To improve binding characterization, we used HTS data to design custom aptamer arrays to measure the affinity and specificity of up to ∼10(4) DNA aptamers in parallel as a means to rapidly discover high-quality aptamers. Most recently, our efforts have culminated in the invention of the "particle display" (PD) screening system, which transforms solution-phase aptamers into "aptamer particles" that can be individually screened at high-throughput via fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Using PD, we have shown the feasibility of rapidly generating aptamers with exceptional affinities, even for proteins that have previously proven intractable to aptamer discovery. We are confident that these advanced aptamer-discovery methods will accelerate the discovery of aptamer reagents with excellent affinities and specificities, perhaps even exceeding those of the best monoclonal antibodies. Since aptamers are reproducible, renewable, stable, and can be distributed as sequence information, we anticipate that these affinity reagents will become even more valuable tools for both research and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R. Gotrik
- Materials
Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
- Department
of Electrical Engineering and Radiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94022, United States
| | - Trevor A. Feagin
- Department
of Electrical Engineering and Radiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94022, United States
| | - Andrew T. Csordas
- Materials
Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Margaret A. Nakamoto
- Department
of Electrical Engineering and Radiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94022, United States
| | - H. Tom Soh
- Department
of Electrical Engineering and Radiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94022, United States
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Chen D, Orenstein Y, Golodnitsky R, Pellach M, Avrahami D, Wachtel C, Ovadia-Shochat A, Shir-Shapira H, Kedmi A, Juven-Gershon T, Shamir R, Gerber D. SELMAP - SELEX affinity landscape MAPping of transcription factor binding sites using integrated microfluidics. Sci Rep 2016; 6:33351. [PMID: 27628341 PMCID: PMC5024299 DOI: 10.1038/srep33351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) alter gene expression in response to changes in the environment through sequence-specific interactions with the DNA. These interactions are best portrayed as a landscape of TF binding affinities. Current methods to study sequence-specific binding preferences suffer from limited dynamic range, sequence bias, lack of specificity and limited throughput. We have developed a microfluidic-based device for SELEX Affinity Landscape MAPping (SELMAP) of TF binding, which allows high-throughput measurement of 16 proteins in parallel. We used it to measure the relative affinities of Pho4, AtERF2 and Btd full-length proteins to millions of different DNA binding sites, and detected both high and low-affinity interactions in equilibrium conditions, generating a comprehensive landscape of the relative TF affinities to all possible DNA 6-mers, and even DNA10-mers with increased sequencing depth. Low quantities of both the TFs and DNA oligomers were sufficient for obtaining high-quality results, significantly reducing experimental costs. SELMAP allows in-depth screening of hundreds of TFs, and provides a means for better understanding of the regulatory processes that govern gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Chen
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Yaron Orenstein
- Blavatnik School of Computer Science, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Rada Golodnitsky
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Michal Pellach
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Dorit Avrahami
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Chaim Wachtel
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Avital Ovadia-Shochat
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Hila Shir-Shapira
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Adi Kedmi
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Tamar Juven-Gershon
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Ron Shamir
- Blavatnik School of Computer Science, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Doron Gerber
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
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48
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Li S, Wu X, Liu C, Yin G, Luo J, Xu Z. Application of DNA aptamers as sensing layers for detection of carbofuran by electrogenerated chemiluminescence energy transfer. Anal Chim Acta 2016; 941:94-100. [PMID: 27692383 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2016.08.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Revised: 08/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In this study, an electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensing platform for carbofuran detection was constructed based on ECL energy transfer (ECRET) and carbon dot (C-dot)-tagged aptamers as the recognition element. Fullerene (C60)-loaded gold nanoparticles (C60-Au) were used as the energy donor, modified on a glassy carbon electrode. C-dot-tagged DNA aptamers were used as the receptor, and ECRET then occurred between C60-Au and C-dots. After accepting the energy, the C-dots acted as a signal indicator and showed decreased signal intensity in the presence of targets, which competitively bound to DNA aptamers and blocked energy transfer. Using this robust, straight-forward strategy, the sensor showed a linear ECL response to carbofuran at concentrations from 2.0 × 10-11 mol L-1 to 8.0 × 10-9 mol L-1. The detection limit of this assay was shown to be 8.8 × 10-13 mol L-1. Thus, the sensing approach described in this study could be adapted for use in the detection of various pesticide residue targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhuai Li
- Analysis and Test Center of Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, 571101, China; Laboratory of Quality & Safety Risk Assessment for Tropical Products (Haikou) Ministry of Agriculture, Haikou, 571101, China.
| | - Xuejin Wu
- Analysis and Test Center of Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, 571101, China; Laboratory of Quality & Safety Risk Assessment for Tropical Products (Haikou) Ministry of Agriculture, Haikou, 571101, China
| | - Chunhua Liu
- Analysis and Test Center of Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, 571101, China; Laboratory of Quality & Safety Risk Assessment for Tropical Products (Haikou) Ministry of Agriculture, Haikou, 571101, China
| | - Guihao Yin
- Analysis and Test Center of Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, 571101, China; Laboratory of Quality & Safety Risk Assessment for Tropical Products (Haikou) Ministry of Agriculture, Haikou, 571101, China
| | - Jinhui Luo
- Analysis and Test Center of Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, 571101, China; Laboratory of Quality & Safety Risk Assessment for Tropical Products (Haikou) Ministry of Agriculture, Haikou, 571101, China
| | - Zhi Xu
- Analysis and Test Center of Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, 571101, China; Laboratory of Quality & Safety Risk Assessment for Tropical Products (Haikou) Ministry of Agriculture, Haikou, 571101, China.
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49
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Groher F, Suess B. In vitro selection of antibiotic-binding aptamers. Methods 2016; 106:42-50. [PMID: 27223401 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2016.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Revised: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 05/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite its wide applicability the selection of small molecule-binding RNA aptamers with high affinity binding and specificity is still challenging. We will present here a protocol which allows the in vitro selection of antibiotic-binding aptamers which turned out to be important building blocks for the design process of synthetic riboswitches. The presented methods will be compared with alternative in vitro selection protocols. A detailed note section will point out useful tips and pitfalls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Groher
- Department of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstr. 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Beatrix Suess
- Department of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstr. 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
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Ouellet E, Foley JH, Conway EM, Haynes C. Hi-Fi SELEX: A High-Fidelity Digital-PCR Based Therapeutic Aptamer Discovery Platform. Biotechnol Bioeng 2016; 112:1506-22. [PMID: 25727321 DOI: 10.1002/bit.25581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Current technologies for aptamer discovery typically leverage the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) concept by recursively panning semi-combinatorial ssDNA or RNA libraries against a molecular target. The expectation is that this iterative selection process will be sufficiently stringent to identify a candidate pool of specific high-affinity aptamers. However, failure of this process to yield promising aptamers is common, due in part to (i) limitations in library designs, (ii) retention of non-specific aptamers during screening rounds, (iii) excessive accumulation of amplification artifacts, and (iv) the use of screening criteria (binding affinity) that does not reflect therapeutic activity. We report a new selection platform, High-Fidelity (Hi-Fi) SELEX, that introduces fixed-region blocking elements to safeguard the functional diversity of the library. The chemistry of the target-display surface and the composition of the equilibration solvent are engineered to strongly inhibit non-specific retention of aptamers. Partition efficiencies approaching 10(6) are thereby realized. Retained members are amplified in Hi-Fi SELEX by digital PCR in a manner that ensures both elimination of amplification artifacts and stoichiometric conversion of amplicons into the single-stranded library required for the next selection round. Improvements to aptamer selections are first demonstrated using human α-thrombin as the target. Three clinical targets (human factors IXa, X, and D) are then subjected to Hi-Fi SELEX. For each, rapid enrichment of ssDNA aptamers offering an order-nM mean equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) is achieved within three selection rounds, as quantified by a new label-free qPCR assay reported here. Therapeutic candidates against factor D are identified.
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