Kinetic capillary electrophoresis-based affinity screening of aptamer clones

Process, advances, and perspectives of graphene oxide-SELEX for the development of aptamer molecular probes: A comprehensive review

BACKGROUND

Aptamers are screened via the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) and are widely used in molecular diagnostics and targeted therapies. The development of efficient and convenient SELEX technology has facilitated rapid access to high-performance aptamers, thereby advancing the aptamer industry. Graphene oxide (GO) serves as an immobilization matrix for libraries in GO-SELEX, making it suitable for screening aptamers against diverse targets.

RESULTS

This review summarizes the detailed steps involved in GO-SELEX, including monitoring methods, various sublibrary acquisition methods, and practical applications from its inception to the present day. In addition, the potential of GO-SELEX in the development of broad-spectrum aptamers is explored, and its current limitations for future development are emphasized. This review effectively promotes the application of the GO-SELEX technique by providing valuable insights and assisting researchers interested in conducting related studies.

SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY

To date, no review on the topic of GO-SELEX has been published, making it challenging for researchers to initiate studies in this area. We believe that this review will broaden the SELEX options available to researchers, ensuring that they can meet the growing demand for molecular probes in the scientific domain.

Bridging biological samples to functional nucleic acid biosensor applications: current enzymatic-based strategies for single-stranded DNA generation

The escalating threat of emerging diseases, often stemming from contaminants and lethal pathogens, has precipitated a heightened demand for sophisticated diagnostic tools. Within this landscape, the functional nucleic acid (FNA) biosensor, harnessing the power of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), has emerged as a preeminent choice for target analyte detection. However, the dependence on ssDNA has raised difficulties in realizing it in biological samples. Therefore, the production of high-quality ssDNA from biological samples is critical. This review aims to discuss strategies for generating ssDNA from biological samples for integration into biosensors. Several innovative strategies for ssDNA generation have been deployed, encompassing techniques, such as asymmetric PCR, Exonuclease-PCR, isothermal amplification, biotin-streptavidin PCR, transcription-reverse transcription, ssDNA overhang generation, and urea denaturation PAGE. These approaches have been seamlessly integrated with biosensors for biological sample analysis, ushering in a new era of disease detection and monitoring. This amalgamation of ssDNA generation techniques with biosensing applications holds significant promise, not only in improving the speed and accuracy of diagnostic processes but also in fortifying the global response to deadly diseases, thereby underlining the pivotal role of cutting-edge biotechnology in public health and disease prevention.

Atypical applications of transverse diffusion of laminar flow profiles methodology for in-capillary reactions in capillary electrophoresis

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a powerful separation technique offering quick and efficient analyses in various fields of bioanalytical chemistry. It is characterized by many well-known advantages, but one, which is perhaps the most important for this application field, is somewhat overlooked. It is the possibility to perform chemical and biochemical reactions at the nL scale inside the separation capillary. There are two basic formats applicable for this purpose, heterogeneous and homogeneous. In the former, one reactant is immobilized onto a particle or monolithic support or directly on the capillary wall, and the other is injected. In the latter, the reactant mixing inside a capillary is based on electromigration or diffusion. One of the diffusion-based methodologies, termed Transverse Diffusion of Laminar Flow Profiles, is the subject of this review. Since most studies utilizing in-capillary reactions in CE focus on enzymes, which are being continuously and exhaustively reviewed, this review covers the atypical applications of this methodology, but still in the bioanalytical field. As can be seen from the demonstrated applications, they are not limited to reactions, but can also be utilized for other biochemical systems.

Mammalian N1-adenosine PARylation is a reversible DNA modification

Poly-ADP-ribosylation (PARylation) is regarded as a protein-specific modification. However, some PARPs were recently shown to modify DNA termini in vitro. Here, we use ultrasensitive mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), anti-PAR antibodies, and anti-PAR reagents to show that mammalian DNA is physiologically PARylated and to different levels in primary tissues. Inhibition of PAR glycohydrolase (PARG) increases DNA PARylation, supporting that the modification is reversible. DNA PARylation requires PARP1 and in vitro PARP1 PARylates single-stranded DNA, while PARG reverts the modification. DNA PARylation occurs at the N1-position of adenosine residues to form N1-Poly(ADP-ribosyl)-deoxyadenosine. Through partial hydrolysis of mammalian gDNA we identify PAR-DNA via the diagnostic deamination product N1-ribosyl-deoxyinosine to occur in vivo. The discovery of N1-adenosine PARylation as a DNA modification establishes the conceptual and methodological framework to elucidate its biological relevance and extends the role of PARP enzymes.

Capillary electrophoresis-based methodology for screening of oligonucleotide aptamers

As a new molecular recognition element, oligonucleotide aptamer not only has higher affinity and specificity to target molecules, but also has the advantages of wide recognition range, in vitro synthesis and chemical stability compared with conventional antibodies. Since a kind of screening method termed systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) was reported, scientists have extensively researched the methodology of how to highly and efficiently screen out aptamers from a library consisting of a large number of random oligonucleotides. Certainly capillary electrophoresis-based screening methodologies, including nonequilibrium capillary electrophoresis of equilibrium mixtures, equilibrium capillary electrophoresis of equilibrium mixtures, non-SELEX, ideal-filter capillary electrophoresis, capillary transient isotachophoresis, etc., are revolutionary. Compared with conventional SELEX, these capillary electrophoresis-based methodologies show incomparable advantages such as the single-round screening of aptamers and increased successful screening rate. Methodology studies on the screening process of aptamers are comprehensively reviewed.

Capillary electrophoresis-based immunoassay and aptamer assay: A review

Over the last two decades, the group of techniques called affinity probe CE has been widely used for the detection and the determination of several types of biomolecules with high sensitivity. These techniques combine the low sample consumption and high separation power of CE with the selectivity of the probe to the target molecule. The assays can be defined according to the type of probe used: CE immunoassays, with an antibody as the probe, or aptamer-based CE, with an aptamer as the probe. Immunoassays are generally divided into homogeneous and heterogeneous groups, and homogeneous variant can be further performed in competitive or noncompetitive formats. Interacting partners are free in solution at homogeneous assay, as opposed to heterogeneous analyses, where one of them is immobilized onto a solid support. Highly sensitive fluorescence, chemiluminescence or electrochemical detections were typically used in this type of study. The use of the aptamers as probes has several advantages over antibodies such as shorter generation time, higher thermal stability, lower price, and lower variability. The aptamer-based CE technique was in practice utilized for the determination of proteins in biological fluids and environmentally or clinically important small molecules. Both techniques were also transferred to microchip. This review is focused on theoretical principles of these techniques and a summary of their applications in research.

Construction and optimization of an efficient amplification method of a random ssDNA library by asymmetric emulsion PCR

Construction of a random ssDNA sublibrary is an important step of the aptamer screening process. The available construction methods include asymmetric PCR, biotin–streptavidin separation, and lambda exonuclease digestions, in which PCR amplification is a key step. The main drawback of PCR amplification is overamplification increasing nonspecific hybridization among different products and by‐products, which may cause the loss of potential high‐quality aptamers, inefficient screening, and even screening failure. Cycle number optimization in PCR amplification is the main way to avoid overamplification but does not fundamentally eliminate the nonspecific hybridization, and the decreased cycle number may lead to insufficient product amounts. Here, we developed a new method, “asymmetric emulsion PCR,” which could overcome the shortcomings of conventional PCR. In asymmetric emulsion PCR, different templates were separated by emulsion particles, allowing single‐molecule PCR, in which each template was separately amplified, and the nonspecific hybridization was avoided. Overamplification or formation of by‐products was not observed. The method is so simple that direct amplification of 40 or more cycles can provide a high‐quality ssDNA library. Therefore, the asymmetric emulsion PCR would improve the screening efficiency of systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment.

Capillary electrophoresis applied to DNA: determining and harnessing sequence and structure to advance bioanalyses (2009-2014)

This review of capillary electrophoresis methods for DNA analyses covers critical advances from 2009 to 2014, referencing 184 citations. Separation mechanisms based on free-zone capillary electrophoresis, Ogston sieving, and reptation are described. Two prevalent gel matrices for gel-facilitated sieving, which are linear polyacrylamide and polydimethylacrylamide, are compared in terms of performance, cost, viscosity, and passivation of electroosmotic flow. The role of capillary electrophoresis in the discovery, design, and characterization of DNA aptamers for molecular recognition is discussed. Expanding and emerging techniques in the field are also highlighted.

Aptamers: active targeting ligands for cancer diagnosis and therapy

Aptamers, including DNA, RNA and peptide aptamers, are a group of promising recognition units that can specifically bind to target molecules and cells. Due to their excellent specificity and high affinity to targets, aptamers have attracted great attention in various fields in which selective recognition units are required. They have been used in biosensing, drug delivery, disease diagnosis and therapy (especially for cancer treatment). In this review, we summarized recent applications of DNA and RNA aptamers in cancer theranostics. The specific binding ability of aptamers to cancer-related markers and cancer cells ensured their high performance for early diagnosis of cancer. Meanwhile, the efficient targeting ability of aptamers to cancer cells and tissues provided a promising way to deliver imaging agents and drugs for cancer imaging and therapy. Furthermore, with the development of nanoscience and nanotechnology, the conjugation of aptamers with functional nanomaterials paved an exciting way for the fabrication of theranostic agents for different types of cancers, which might be a powerful tool for cancer treatment.

New Technologies Provide Quantum Changes in the Scale, Speed, and Success of SELEX Methods and Aptamer Characterization

Single-stranded oligonucleotide aptamers have attracted great attention in the past decade because of their diagnostic and therapeutic potential. These versatile, high affinity and specificity reagents are selected by an iterative in vitro process called SELEX, Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment. Numerous SELEX methods have been developed for aptamer selections; some that are simple and straightforward, and some that are specialized and complicated. The method of SELEX is crucial for selection of an aptamer with desired properties; however, success also depends on the starting aptamer library, the target molecule, aptamer enrichment monitoring assays, and finally, the analysis and characterization of selected aptamers. Here, we summarize key recent developments in aptamer selection methods, as well as other aspects of aptamer selection that have significant impact on the outcome. We discuss potential pitfalls and limitations in the selection process with an eye to aid researchers in the choice of a proper SELEX strategy, and we highlight areas where further developments and improvements are desired. We believe carefully designed multiplexed selection methods, when complemented with high-throughput downstream analysis and characterization assays, will yield numerous high-affinity aptamers to protein and small molecule targets, and thereby generate a vast array of reagents for probing basic biological mechanisms and implementing new diagnostic and therapeutic applications in the near future.

Screening of aptamers on microfluidic systems for clinical applications

The use of microfluidic systems for screening of aptamers and their biomedical applications are reviewed in this paper. Aptamers with different nucleic acid sequences have been extensively studied and the results demonstrated a strong binding affinity to target molecules such that they can be used as promising candidate biomarkers for diagnosis and therapeutics. Recently, the aptamer screening protocol has been conducted with microfluidic-based devices. Furthermore, aptamer affinity screening by a microfluidic-based method has demonstrated remarkable advantages over competing traditional methods. In this paper, we first reviewed microfluidic systems which demonstrated efficient and rapid screening of a specific aptamer. Then, the clinical applications of screened aptamers, also performed by microfluidic systems, are further reviewed. These automated microfluidic systems can provide advantages over their conventional counterparts including more compactness, faster analysis, less sample/reagent consumption and automation. An aptamer-based compact microfluidic system for diagnosis may even lead to a point-of-care device. The use of microfluidic systems for aptamer screening and diagnosis is expected to continue growing in the near future and may make a substantial impact on biomedical applications.

Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) production in DNA aptamer generation

The discovery that synthetic short chain nucleic acids are capable of selective binding to biological targets has made them to be widely used as molecular recognition elements. These nucleic acids, called aptamers, are comprised of two types, DNA and RNA aptamers, where the DNA aptamer is preferred over the latter due to its stability, making it widely used in a number of applications. However, the success of the DNA selection process through Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) experiments is very much dependent on its most critical step, which is the conversion of the dsDNA to ssDNA. There is a plethora of methods available in generating ssDNA from the corresponding dsDNA. These include asymmetric PCR, biotin-streptavidin separation, lambda exonuclease digestion and size separation on denaturing-urea PAGE. Herein, different methods of ssDNA generation following the PCR amplification step in SELEX are reviewed.

Advances in binder identification and characterisation: the case of oligonucleotide aptamers

Aptamers represent an important class of synthetic protein binders useful for proteome-wide applications. The identification and characterisation of such molecules have been greatly facilitated by the development of Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Amplification (SELEX). Since then numerous advances and alternatives to improve efficient aptamer discovery have been reported. In the present manuscript we discuss the recent advances performed around the SELEX approach that may help to expand the availability of new aptamers and the subsequent applications that may be developed.

A sol-gel-integrated protein array system for affinity analysis of aptamer-target protein interaction

A sol-gel microarray system was developed for a protein interaction assay with high activity. Comparing to 2-dimensional microarray surfaces, sol-gel can offer a more dynamic and broad range for proteins. In the present study, this sol-gel-integrated protein array was used in binding affinity analysis for aptamers. Six RNA aptamers and their target protein, yeast TBP (TATA-binding protein), were used to evaluate this method. A TBP-containing sol-gel mixture was spotted using a dispensing workstation under high-humidity conditions and each Cy-3-labeled aptamer was incubated. The dissociation constants (K(d)) were calculated by plotting the fluorescent intensity of the bound aptamers as a function of the TBP concentrations. The K(d) value of the control aptamer was found to be 8 nM, which agrees well with the values obtained using the conventional method, electric mobility shift assay. The sol-gel-based binding affinity measurements fit well with conventional binding affinity measurements, suggesting their possible use as an alternative to the conventional method. In addition, aptamer affinity measurements by the sol-gel-integrated protein chip make it possible to develop a simple high-throughput affinity method for screening high-affinity aptamers.

Protein labeling enhances aptamer selection by methods of kinetic capillary electrophoresis

Methods of kinetic capillary electrophoresis (KCE) facilitate highly efficient selection of DNA aptamers for protein targets. The inability to detect native proteins at low concentrations in capillary electrophoresis creates, however, a significant obstacle for many important protein targets. Here we suggest that protein labeling with new Chromeo dyes can help to overcome this obstacle. By labeling a number of proteins with Chromeo P503, we show that the labeling procedure enables accurate detection of proteins in CE without significantly affecting their electrophoretic mobility or their ability to bind DNA. Moreover, Chromeo P503 does not appear to label the amino-groups of buffer components to a significant extent, making the labeling procedure compatible with a large number of selection and run buffers. Fluorescent labeling of protein targets with Chromeo dyes empowers selection of aptamers by KCE methods and promises to increase the rate at which aptamers for new targets are being developed and introduced in various applications.