1
|
Lu X, Passalacqua LFM, Nodwell M, Kong KYS, Caballero-García G, Dolgosheina EV, Ferré-D'Amaré AR, Britton R, Unrau PJ. Symmetry breaking of fluorophore binding to a G-quadruplex generates an RNA aptamer with picomolar KD. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:8039-8051. [PMID: 38945550 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae493] [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: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Fluorogenic RNA aptamer tags with high affinity enable RNA purification and imaging. The G-quadruplex (G4) based Mango (M) series of aptamers were selected to bind a thiazole orange based (TO1-Biotin) ligand. Using a chemical biology and reselection approach, we have produced a MII.2 aptamer-ligand complex with a remarkable set of properties: Its unprecedented KD of 45 pM, formaldehyde resistance (8% v/v), temperature stability and ligand photo-recycling properties are all unusual to find simultaneously within a small RNA tag. Crystal structures demonstrate how MII.2, which differs from MII by a single A23U mutation, and modification of the TO1-Biotin ligand to TO1-6A-Biotin achieves these results. MII binds TO1-Biotin heterogeneously via a G4 surface that is surrounded by a stadium of five adenosines. Breaking this pseudo-rotational symmetry results in a highly cooperative and homogeneous ligand binding pocket: A22 of the G4 stadium stacks on the G4 binding surface while the TO1-6A-Biotin ligand completely fills the remaining three quadrants of the G4 ligand binding face. Similar optimization attempts with MIII.1, which already binds TO1-Biotin in a homogeneous manner, did not produce such marked improvements. We use the novel features of the MII.2 complex to demonstrate a powerful optically-based RNA purification system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaocen Lu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Luiz F M Passalacqua
- Laboratory of Nucleic Acids, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Matthew Nodwell
- Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Kristen Y S Kong
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| | | | - Elena V Dolgosheina
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Adrian R Ferré-D'Amaré
- Laboratory of Nucleic Acids, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Robert Britton
- Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Peter J Unrau
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kehrli J, Husser C, Ryckelynck M. Fluorogenic RNA-Based Biosensors of Small Molecules: Current Developments, Uses, and Perspectives. BIOSENSORS 2024; 14:376. [PMID: 39194605 DOI: 10.3390/bios14080376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2024] [Revised: 07/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Small molecules are highly relevant targets for detection and quantification. They are also used to diagnose and monitor the progression of disease and infectious processes and track the presence of contaminants. Fluorogenic RNA-based biosensors (FRBs) represent an appealing solution to the problem of detecting these targets. They combine the portability of molecular systems with the sensitivity and multiplexing capacity of fluorescence, as well as the exquisite ligand selectivity of RNA aptamers. In this review, we first present the different sensing and reporting aptamer modules currently available to design an FRB, together with the main methodologies used to discover modules with new specificities. We next introduce and discuss how both modules can be functionally connected prior to exploring the main applications for which FRB have been used. Finally, we conclude by discussing how using alternative nucleotide chemistries may improve FRB properties and further widen their application scope.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janine Kehrli
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR 9002, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Claire Husser
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR 9002, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Michael Ryckelynck
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR 9002, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yan Z, Eshed A, Tang AA, Arevalos NR, Ticktin ZM, Chaudhary S, Ma D, McCutcheon G, Li Y, Wu K, Saha S, Alcantar-Fernandez J, Moreno-Camacho JL, Campos-Romero A, Collins JJ, Yin P, Green AA. Rapid, Multiplexed, and Enzyme-Free Nucleic Acid Detection Using Programmable Aptamer-Based RNA Switches. Chem 2024; 10:2220-2244. [PMID: 39036067 PMCID: PMC11259118 DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2024.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Rapid, simple, and low-cost diagnostic technologies are crucial tools for combatting infectious disease. We describe a class of aptamer-based RNA switches or aptaswitches that recognize target nucleic acid molecules and initiate folding of a reporter aptamer. Aptaswitches can detect virtually any sequence and provide an intense fluorescent readout without intervening enzymes, generating signals in as little as 5 minutes and enabling detection by eye with minimal equipment. Aptaswitches can be used to regulate folding of seven fluorogenic aptamers, providing a general means of controlling aptamers and an array of multiplexable reporter colors. Coupling isothermal amplification reactions with aptaswitches, we reach sensitivities down to 1 RNA copy/μL in one-pot reactions. Application of multiplexed all-in-one reactions against RNA from clinical saliva samples yields an overall accuracy of 96.67% for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in 30 minutes. Aptaswitches are thus versatile tools for nucleic acid detection that are readily integrated into rapid diagnostic assays.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoqing Yan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University,
Boston, MA, USA
- Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry Program,
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA
02215, USA
| | - Amit Eshed
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University,
Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA
02215, USA
| | - Anli A. Tang
- Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at
the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University,
Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Nery R. Arevalos
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University,
Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA
02215, USA
| | - Zachary M. Ticktin
- Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at
the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Soma Chaudhary
- Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at
the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University,
Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Duo Ma
- Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at
the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University,
Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Griffin McCutcheon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University,
Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA
02215, USA
- Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at
the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Yudan Li
- Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry Program,
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA
02215, USA
| | - Kaiyue Wu
- Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry Program,
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA
02215, USA
| | - Sanchari Saha
- Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at
the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University,
Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | | | | | - James J. Collins
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, MIT,
Cambridge, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering,
Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA,
USA
| | - Peng Yin
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering,
Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School,
Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander A. Green
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University,
Boston, MA, USA
- Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry Program,
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA
02215, USA
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University,
Tempe, AZ, USA
- Lead contact
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhang Y, Mou Y, Chen M, Lin X, Zhao Y, Luo X. Binary split fluorescent biosensor based on lettuce DNA aptamer for label-free and enzyme-free analysis of hepatitis B viral DNA. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2024; 16:4561-4569. [PMID: 38912590 DOI: 10.1039/d4ay00713a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) acts as a severe public health threat, causing chronic liver diseases. Although the quantified evaluation of HBV infection can be obtained by estimating the capacity of the HBV DNA genome, it still lacks an effective and robust detection method without using enzymes or chemical labeling. Herein, we have designed a binary split fluorescent DNA aptasensor (bsFDA) by rationally splitting the lettuce aptamer into two functional DNA short chains and utilizing the HBV DNA segment complementary sequences (HDs). In this strategy, the bsFDA has been investigated to specifically recognize the HDs, forming a triplex DNA with the lettuce aptamer structure. Meanwhile, the turn-on fluorescence of bsFDA is obtained upon formation of a fluorescent complex between DFHO and the triplex DNA structure, allowing the enzyme-free, label-free, fast-responsive, and reliable fluorescence readout for detecting HDs and the potential HDs mutants. Moreover, bsFDA has been applied for spiked HDs analysis in different real matrixes, including human serum and cell lysate. The satisfactory recovery rates and reproducibility of the bsFDA reveal its potential detection efficacy for HDs analysis in biological samples. Overall, bsFDA holds great potential in developing functionalized aptasensors and realizing viral genome analysis in biological research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanfei Zhang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Energy Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, P. R. China.
| | - Yue Mou
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Energy Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, P. R. China.
| | - Meiyun Chen
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Energy Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, P. R. China.
| | - Xinru Lin
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Energy Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, P. R. China.
| | - Yujie Zhao
- Medical College, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, P. R. China.
| | - Xingyu Luo
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Energy Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, P. R. China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kuo YA, Chen YI, Wang Y, Korkmaz Z, Yonas S, He Y, Nguyen TD, Hong S, Nguyen AT, Kim S, Seifi S, Fan PH, Wu Y, Yang Z, Liu HW, Lu Y, Ren P, Yeh HC. Fluorogenic Aptamer Optimizations on a Massively Parallel Sequencing Platform. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.07.602435. [PMID: 39026723 PMCID: PMC11257435 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.07.602435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
F luorogenic ap tamers (FAPs) have become an increasingly important tool in cellular sensing and pathogen diagnostics. However, fine-tuning FAPs for enhanced performance remains challenging even with the structural details provided by X-ray crystallography. Here we present a novel approach to optimize a DNA-based FAP (D-FAP), Lettuce, on repurposed Illumina next-generation sequencing (NGS) chips. When substituting its cognate chromophore, DFHBI-1T, with TO1-biotin, Lettuce not only shows a red-shifted emission peak by 53 nm (from 505 to 558 nm), but also a 4-fold bulk fluorescence enhancement. After screening 8,821 Lettuce variants complexed with TO1-biotin, the C14T mutation is found to exhibit an improved apparent dissociated constant ( vs. 0.82 µM), an increased quantum yield (QY: 0.62 vs. 0.59) and an elongated fluorescence lifetime (τ: 6.00 vs. 5.77 ns), giving 45% more ensemble fluorescence than the canonical Lettuce/TO1-biotin complex. Molecular dynamic simulations further indicate that the π-π stacking interaction is key to determining the coordination structure of TO1-biotin in Lettuce. Our screening-and-simulation pipeline can effectively optimize FAPs without any prior structural knowledge of the canonical FAP/chromophore complexes, providing not only improved molecular probes for fluorescence sensing but also insights into aptamer-chromophore interactions.
Collapse
|
6
|
Mumbleau M, Chevance F, Hughes K, Hammond MC. Investigating the Effect of RNA Scaffolds on the Multicolor Fluorogenic Aptamer Pepper in Different Bacterial Species. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:1093-1099. [PMID: 38593047 PMCID: PMC11037261 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
RNA synthetic biology tools have primarily been applied in E. coli; however, many other bacteria are of industrial and clinical significance. Thus, the multicolor fluorogenic aptamer Pepper was evaluated in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Suitable HBC-Pepper dye pairs were identified that give blue, green, or red fluorescence signals in the E. coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium). Furthermore, we found that different RNA scaffolds have a drastic effect on in vivo fluorescence, which did not correlate with the in vitro folding efficiency. One such scaffold termed DF30-tRNA displays 199-fold greater fluorescence than the Pepper aptamer alone and permits simultaneous dual color imaging in live cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Madeline
M. Mumbleau
- Department
of Chemistry and Henry Eyring Center for Cell and Genome Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Fabienne Chevance
- School
of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Kelly Hughes
- School
of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Ming C. Hammond
- Department
of Chemistry and Henry Eyring Center for Cell and Genome Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Faisal M, Sarnaik AP, Kannoju N, Hajinajaf N, Asad MJ, Davis RW, Varman AM. RuBisCO activity assays: a simplified biochemical redox approach for in vitro quantification and an RNA sensor approach for in vivo monitoring. Microb Cell Fact 2024; 23:83. [PMID: 38486280 PMCID: PMC10938803 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02357-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) is the most abundant soluble protein in nature. Extensive studies have been conducted for improving its activity in photosynthesis through approaches like protein engineering. Concurrently, multiple biochemical and radiolabeling assays have been developed for determining its activity. Although these existing assays yield reliable results, they require addition of multiple external components, rendering them less convenient and expensive. Therefore, in this study, we have developed two relatively cheaper, convenient, and easily reproducible assays for quantitative and qualitative estimation of RuBisCO activity. RESULTS We simplified a contemporary NADH based spectrophotometric RuBisCO assay by using cyanobacterial cell lysate as the source for Calvin cycle enzymes. We analyzed the influence of inorganic carbon substrates, CO2 and NaHCO3, and varying protein concentrations on RuBisCO activity. Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) consumption rates for the cultures grown under 5% CO2 were 5-7 times higher than the ones grown with 20 mM NaHCO3, at different protein concentrations. The difference could be due to the impaired activity of carbonic anhydrase in the cell lysate, which is required for the conversion of HCO3- to CO2. The highest RuBisCO activity of 2.13 nmol of NAD+/ µg of Chl-a/ min was observed with 50 µg of protein and 5% CO2. Additionally, we developed a novel RNA-sensor based fluorescence assay that is based on the principle of tracking the kinetics of ATP hydrolysis to ADP during the conversion of 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PG) to 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate (1,3-BPG) in the Calvin cycle. Under in vitro conditions, the fluorometric assay exhibited ~ 3.4-fold slower reaction rate (0.37 min-1) than the biochemical assay when using 5% CO2. We also confirmed the in vivo application of this assay, where increase in the fluorescence was observed with the recombinant strain of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (SSL142) expressing the ADP-specific RNA sensor, compared to the WT. In addition, SSL142 exhibited three-fold higher fluorescence when supplemented with 20 mM NaHCO3 as compared to the cells that were grown without NaHCO3 supplementation. CONCLUSIONS Overall, we have developed a simplified biochemical assay for monitoring RuBisCO activity and demonstrated that it can provide reliable results as compared to the prior literature. Furthermore, the biochemical assay using 5% CO2 (100% relative activity) provided faster RuBP consumption rate compared to the biochemical assay utilizing 20 mM NaHCO3 (30.70% relative activity) and the in vitro fluorometric assay using 5% CO2 (29.64% relative activity). Therefore, the absorbance-based biochemical assay using 5% CO2 or higher would be suitable for in vitro quantification of the RuBisCO activity. On the other hand, the RNA-sensor based in vivo fluorometric assay can be applied for qualitative analysis and be used for high-throughput screening of RuBisCO variants. As RuBisCO is an enzyme shared amongst all the photoautotrophs, the assays developed in this study can easily be extended for analyzing the RuBisCO activities even in microalgae and higher plants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Faisal
- Chemical Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy (SEMTE), Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA
- University Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi, 46000, Pakistan
| | - Aditya P Sarnaik
- Chemical Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy (SEMTE), Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA
| | - Nandini Kannoju
- Chemical Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy (SEMTE), Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA
| | - Nima Hajinajaf
- Chemical Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy (SEMTE), Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA
| | - Muhammad Javaid Asad
- University Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi, 46000, Pakistan
| | - Ryan W Davis
- Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, USA
| | - Arul M Varman
- Chemical Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy (SEMTE), Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Pham TG, Wu J. Recent advances in methods for live-cell RNA imaging. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:5537-5545. [PMID: 38414383 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr00129j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
As one of the most fundamental building blocks of life, RNA plays critical roles in diverse biological processes, from X chromosome inactivation, genome stability maintenance, to embryo development. Being able to visualize the localization and dynamics of RNA can provide critical insights into these fundamental processes. In this review, we provide an overview of current methods for live-cell RNA imaging with a focus on methods for visualizing RNA in living mammalian cells with single-molecule resolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tien G Pham
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
| | - Jiahui Wu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Legen T, Mayer G. Modular Approach for Rapid Identification of RNA-Based Sensors. ACS Sens 2024; 9:753-758. [PMID: 38253513 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.3c02060] [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] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Detection of metabolites in real time and in whole cells requires effective molecular sensors. In this regard, fluorogenic light-up RNAs have recently become important tools for small-molecule detection in cells. However, the construction of light-up RNA sensors is an arduous task that requires structural knowledge of both the sensor and reporter RNA. De novo strategies for selecting sensors from RNA libraries are limited and are mostly restricted to known aptamers and riboswitches. Here, we provide a solution to this problem by developing a capture-SELEX variant that allows the obtained libraries and aptamers to be linked to fluorogenic RNAs in a modular and allosteric manner. The approach is generally applicable and allows for rapid modular allosteric assembly with green- or red-shifted fluorogenic RNAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tjasa Legen
- Life and Medical Sciences, University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany
- Center of Aptamer Research and Development, University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Günter Mayer
- Life and Medical Sciences, University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany
- Center of Aptamer Research and Development, University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Zhang Z, Rong X, Xie T, Li Z, Song H, Zhen S, Wang H, Wu J, Jaffrey SR, Li X. Fluorogenic CRISPR for genomic DNA imaging. Nat Commun 2024; 15:934. [PMID: 38296979 PMCID: PMC10831063 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45163-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Genomic DNA exhibits high heterogeneity in terms of its dynamic within the nucleus, its structure and functional roles. CRISPR-based imaging approaches can image genomic loci in living cells. However, conventional CRISPR-based tools involve expressing constitutively fluorescent proteins, resulting in high background and nonspecific nucleolar signal. Here, we construct fluorogenic CRISPR (fCRISPR) to overcome these issues. fCRISPR is designed with dCas9, an engineered sgRNA, and a fluorogenic protein. Fluorogenic proteins are degraded unless they are bound to specific RNA hairpins. These hairpins are inserted into sgRNA, resulting in dCas9: sgRNA: fluorogenic protein ternary complexes that enable fluorogenic DNA imaging. With fCRISPR, we image various genomic DNA in different human cells with high signal-to-noise ratio and sensitivity. Furthermore, fCRISPR tracks chromosomes dynamics and length. fCRISPR also allows DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and repair to be tracked in real time. Taken together, fCRISPR offers a high-contrast and sensitive platform for imaging genomic loci.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongxuan Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science, 100101, Beijing, China
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 646000, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Rong
- Beijing Institute of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science, 100101, Beijing, China
- College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, Hebei, China
| | - Tianjin Xie
- Beijing Institute of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science, 100101, Beijing, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Beibei District, 400715, Chongqing, China
| | - Zehao Li
- Beijing Institute of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science, 100101, Beijing, China
- College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, Hebei, China
| | - Haozhi Song
- Beijing Institute of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Shujun Zhen
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Beibei District, 400715, Chongqing, China
| | - Haifeng Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Jiahui Wu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Samie R Jaffrey
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Xing Li
- Beijing Institute of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science, 100101, Beijing, China.
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 646000, Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Moon JD, Yusko K, Nassimos L, Wu J. Imaging S-Adenosyl Methionine Dynamics in Living Cells Using an RNA-Based Fluorescent Sensor. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2774:259-267. [PMID: 38441770 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3718-0_17] [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] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
S-Adenosyl methionine (SAM) is a critical metabolite involved in numerous cellular processes, including DNA methylation and gene expression regulation. Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of SAM within living cells is essential for deciphering its roles in maintaining cell homeostasis and in disease development. Here, we describe a protocol based on a recently reported SAM sensor exploiting a fluorogenic RNA and an RNA three-way junction for visualizing SAM dynamics in cultured mammalian cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jared D Moon
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Menands, NY, USA.
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Kevin Yusko
- Department of Chemistry, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Lindsey Nassimos
- Department of Chemistry, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Jiahui Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Jiang L, Xie X, Su N, Zhang D, Chen X, Xu X, Zhang B, Huang K, Yu J, Fang M, Bao B, Zuo F, Yang L, Zhang R, Li H, Huang X, Chen Z, Zeng Q, Liu R, Lin Q, Zhao Y, Ren A, Zhu L, Yang Y. Large Stokes shift fluorescent RNAs for dual-emission fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging in live cells. Nat Methods 2023; 20:1563-1572. [PMID: 37723244 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-01997-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescent RNAs, aptamers that bind and activate small fluorogenic dyes, have provided a particularly attractive approach to visualizing RNAs in live cells. However, the simultaneous imaging of multiple RNAs remains challenging due to a lack of bright and stable fluorescent RNAs with bio-orthogonality and suitable spectral properties. Here, we develop the Clivias, a series of small, monomeric and stable orange-to-red fluorescent RNAs with large Stokes shifts of up to 108 nm, enabling the simple and robust imaging of RNA with minimal perturbation of the target RNA's localization and functionality. In combination with Pepper fluorescent RNAs, the Clivias enable the single-excitation two-emission dual-color imaging of cellular RNAs and genomic loci. Clivias can also be used to detect RNA-protein interactions by bioluminescent imaging both in live cells and in vivo. We believe that these large Stokes shift fluorescent RNAs will be useful tools for the tracking and quantification of multiple RNAs in diverse biological processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li Jiang
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Xie
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Ni Su
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Dasheng Zhang
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Fluorescence Diagnosis (Shanghai) Biotech Company Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianjun Chen
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xiaochen Xu
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bibi Zhang
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Kaiyi Huang
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Orthopedics Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jingwei Yu
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengyue Fang
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Bingkun Bao
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fangting Zuo
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Lipeng Yang
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Huiwen Li
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinyi Huang
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhengda Chen
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingmei Zeng
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Renmei Liu
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiuning Lin
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuzheng Zhao
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Aiming Ren
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Department of Orthopedics Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Linyong Zhu
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yi Yang
- Optogenetics and Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Peng Y, Shu L, Deng X, Huang X, Mo X, Du F, Tang Z. Live-Cell Imaging of Endogenous RNA with a Genetically Encoded Fluorogenic Allosteric Aptamer. Anal Chem 2023; 95:13762-13768. [PMID: 37661353 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c05724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Imaging and tracking tools for natural cellular RNA with improved biocompatibility, specificity, and sensitivity are critical to understanding RNA function and providing insights into disease therapeutics. We developed a new genetically encoded sensor using fluorogenic allosteric aptamer (FaApt) for the sensitive imaging of the localization and dynamics of RNA targets in live cells. Target RNAs can be specifically recognized with our sensor by forming perfectly complementary duplexes, which in turn can induce allosteric structural changes of the sensor to refold the native conformation of fluorogenic RNA aptamers. We demonstrated the ability of the sensor to monitor the effect of tumor necrosis factor and small-molecule inhibitor on the expression abundance of CXCL1 and survivin mRNA in human cancer cells, respectively. The asymmetrical distribution of endogenous Squint mRNA was confirmed in developing zebrafish embryos through microinjection of FaApt probes. This study provides an effective molecular tool for sensitive imaging and tracking endogenous RNA in living cells. Due to the high specificity and small size of our sensor system, it is expected to be applied to early diagnosis of RNA marker-related diseases and real-time evaluation of the treatment process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Peng
- Natural Products Research Center, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Linjuan Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 6100141, P. R. China
| | - Xiongfei Deng
- Natural Products Research Center, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Xin Huang
- Natural Products Research Center, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China
| | - Xianming Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 6100141, P. R. China
| | - Feng Du
- Natural Products Research Center, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China
| | - Zhuo Tang
- Natural Products Research Center, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Chen Z, Chen W, Reheman Z, Jiang H, Wu J, Li X. Genetically encoded RNA-based sensors with Pepper fluorogenic aptamer. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:8322-8336. [PMID: 37486780 PMCID: PMC10484673 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensors to measure the abundance and signaling of intracellular molecules are crucial for understanding their physiological functions. Although conventional fluorescent protein-based sensors have been designed, RNA-based sensors are promising imaging tools. Numerous RNA-based sensors have been developed. These sensors typically contain RNA G-quadruplex (RG4) motifs and thus may be suboptimal in living cells. Here we describe RNA-based sensors based on Pepper, a fluorogenic RNA without an RG4 motif. With Pepper, we engineered various sensors for metabolites, synthetic compounds, proteins and metal ions in vitro and in living cells. In addition, these sensors show high activation and selectivity, demonstrating their universality and robustness. In the case of sensors responding to S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), a metabolite produced by methionine adenosyltransferase (MATase), we showed that our sensors exhibited positively correlated fluorescence responding to different SAM levels. Importantly, we revealed the SAM biosynthesis pathway and monitored MATase activity and gene expression spatiotemporally in living individual human cells. Additionally, we constructed a ratiometric SAM sensor to determine the inhibition efficacy of a MATase inhibitor in living cells. Together, these sensors comprising Pepper provide a useful platform for imaging diverse cellular targets and their signaling pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyin Chen
- Beijing Institute of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Inflammation and Clinical Allergology, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Beijing Institute of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, the Hengyang Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Zhayila Reheman
- Beijing Institute of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- School of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071000, China
| | - Haodong Jiang
- Beijing Institute of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiahui Wu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA01003, USA
| | - Xing Li
- Beijing Institute of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Inflammation and Clinical Allergology, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Zhang YP, Wang ZG, Tian YF, Jiang LH, Zhao L, Kong DM, Li X, Pang DW, Liu SL. In Situ Self-Assembly of Fluorogenic RNA Nanozipper Enables Real-Time Imaging of Single Viral mRNA Translation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202217230. [PMID: 37082873 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202217230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Real-time visualization of individual viral mRNA translation activities in live cells is essential to obtain critical details of viral mRNA dynamics and to detect its transient responses to environmental stress. Fluorogenic RNA aptamers are powerful tools for real-time imaging of mRNA in live cells, but monitoring the translation activity of individual mRNAs remains a challenge due to their intrinsic photophysical properties. Here, we develop a genetically encoded turn-on 3,5-difluoro-4-hydroxybenzylidene imidazolinone (DFHBI)-binding RNA nanozipper with superior brightness and high photostability by in situ self-assembly of multiple nanozippers along single mRNAs. The nanozipper enables real-time imaging of the mobility and dynamic translation of individual viral mRNAs in live cells, providing information on the spatial dynamics and translational elongation rate of viral mRNAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Peng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, and School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Zhi-Gang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, and School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Yi-Fan Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, and School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Lin-Han Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, and School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Liang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, and School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - De-Ming Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, and School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Xing Li
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Dai-Wen Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, and School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
- Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Shu-Lin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, and School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
- Engineering Research Center of Nano Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China
- Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin, 300192, China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Yan Z, Tang AA, Eshed A, Ticktin ZM, Chaudhary S, Ma D, McCutcheon G, Li Y, Wu K, Saha S, Alcantar-Fernandez J, Moreno-Camacho JL, Campos-Romero A, Collins JJ, Yin P, Green AA. Rapid and Multiplexed Nucleic Acid Detection using Programmable Aptamer-Based RNA Switches. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.06.02.23290873. [PMID: 37333364 PMCID: PMC10275000 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.02.23290873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Rapid, simple, and low-cost diagnostic technologies are crucial tools for combatting infectious disease. Here, we describe a class of aptamer-based RNA switches called aptaswitches that recognize specific target nucleic acid molecules and respond by initiating folding of a reporter aptamer. Aptaswitches can detect virtually any sequence and provide a fast and intense fluorescent readout, generating signals in as little as 5 minutes and enabling detection by eye with minimal equipment. We demonstrate that aptaswitches can be used to regulate folding of six different fluorescent aptamer/fluorogen pairs, providing a general means of controlling aptamer activity and an array of different reporter colors for multiplexing. By coupling isothermal amplification reactions with aptaswitches, we reach sensitivities down to 1 RNA copy/μL in one-pot reactions. Application of multiplexed one-pot reactions against RNA extracted from clinical saliva samples yields an overall accuracy of 96.67% for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in 30 minutes. Aptaswitches are thus versatile tools for nucleic acid detection that can be readily integrated into rapid diagnostic assays.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoqing Yan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry Program, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Zhaoqing Yan, Anli A. Tang
| | - Anli A. Tang
- Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Zhaoqing Yan, Anli A. Tang
| | - Amit Eshed
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Zackary M. Ticktin
- Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Soma Chaudhary
- Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Duo Ma
- Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Griffin McCutcheon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Yudan Li
- Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry Program, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kaiyue Wu
- Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry Program, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Sanchari Saha
- Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | | | | | - James J. Collins
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Peng Yin
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander A. Green
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry Program, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Torres-Ocampo AP, Palmer AE. Genetically encoded fluorescent sensors for metals in biology. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2023; 74:102284. [PMID: 36917910 PMCID: PMC10573084 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Metal ions intersect a wide range of biological processes. Some metal ions are essential and hence absolutely required for the growth and health of an organism, others are toxic and there is great interest in understanding mechanisms of toxicity. Genetically encoded fluorescent sensors are powerful tools that enable the visualization, quantification, and tracking of dynamics of metal ions in biological systems. Here, we review recent advances in the development of genetically encoded fluorescent sensors for metal ions. We broadly focus on 5 classes of sensors: single fluorescent protein, FRET-based, chemigenetic, DNAzymes, and RNA-based. We highlight recent developments in the past few years and where these developments stand concerning the rest of the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana P Torres-Ocampo
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, 3415 Colorado Ave, CO, 80303, Boulder, United States
| | - Amy E Palmer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, 3415 Colorado Ave, CO, 80303, Boulder, United States; BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, 3415 Colorado Ave, CO, 80303, Boulder, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Fang M, Li H, Xie X, Wang H, Jiang Y, Li T, Zhang B, Jiang X, Cao Y, Zhang R, Zhang D, Zhao Y, Zhu L, Chen X, Yang Y. Imaging intracellular metabolite and protein changes in live mammalian cells with bright fluorescent RNA-based genetically encoded sensors. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 235:115411. [PMID: 37236014 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescent RNA (FR)-based genetically encoded sensors have been engineered to detect various essential metabolites in living systems. However, the unfavorable characteristics of FR impede sensor applications. Here, we describe a strategy for converting Pepper fluorescent RNA into a series of fluorescent sensors to detect their cognate targets both in vitro and in live cells. Compared to previously developed FR-based sensors, Pepper-based sensors exhibited expanded emission of up to 620 nm and markedly improved cellular brightness, allowing robust and real-time monitoring of the pharmacologic-triggered dynamics changes in the intracellular level of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and the optogenetic manipulated protein translocation in live mammalian cells. Furthermore, signal amplification in fluorescence imaging of the target was achieved using the CRISPR-display strategy by incorporating a Pepper-based sensor into the sgRNA scaffold. Together, these results demonstrate that Pepper can be readily developed into high-performance FR-based sensors to detect various cellular targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mengyue Fang
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Huiwen Li
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Xin Xie
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Ying Jiang
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Tianyu Li
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Bibi Zhang
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Xin Jiang
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Yueyang Cao
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Dasheng Zhang
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Yuzheng Zhao
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Linyong Zhu
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China; School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Xianjun Chen
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China.
| | - Yi Yang
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, China.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Ortega AD. Real-Time Assessment of Intracellular Metabolites in Single Cells through RNA-Based Sensors. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13050765. [PMID: 37238635 DOI: 10.3390/biom13050765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Quantification of the concentration of particular cellular metabolites reports on the actual utilization of metabolic pathways in physiological and pathological conditions. Metabolite concentration also constitutes the readout for screening cell factories in metabolic engineering. However, there are no direct approaches that allow for real-time assessment of the levels of intracellular metabolites in single cells. In recent years, the modular architecture of natural bacterial RNA riboswitches has inspired the design of genetically encoded synthetic RNA devices that convert the intracellular concentration of a metabolite into a quantitative fluorescent signal. These so-called RNA-based sensors are composed of a metabolite-binding RNA aptamer as the sensor domain, connected through an actuator segment to a signal-generating reporter domain. However, at present, the variety of available RNA-based sensors for intracellular metabolites is still very limited. Here, we go through natural mechanisms for metabolite sensing and regulation in cells across all kingdoms, focusing on those mediated by riboswitches. We review the design principles underlying currently developed RNA-based sensors and discuss the challenges that hindered the development of novel sensors and recent strategies to address them. We finish by introducing the current and potential applicability of synthetic RNA-based sensors for intracellular metabolites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Darío Ortega
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Chen W, Zhao X, Yang N, Li X. Single mRNA Imaging with Fluorogenic RNA Aptamers and Small-molecule Fluorophores. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202209813. [PMID: 36420710 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202209813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Messenger RNA (mRNA) is the fundamental information transfer system in the cell. Tracking single mRNA from transcription to degradation with fluorescent probes provides spatiotemporal information in cells about how the genetic information is transferred from DNA to proteins. The traditional single mRNA imaging approach utilizes RNA hairpins (e.g. MS2) and tethered fluorescent protein as probes. As an exciting alternative, RNA aptamers: small-molecule fluorophores (SFs) systems have emerged as novel single mRNA imaging probes since 2019, exhibiting several advantages including fluorogenic ability and minimal perturbation. This review summarizes all five reported RNA aptamers: SFs systems for single mRNA imaging in living cells so far. It also discusses the challenges and provides prospects for single mRNA imaging applications. This review is expected to inspire researchers to develop RNA aptamers: SFs systems for studying gene expression at single-molecule resolution in cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Chen
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, the Hengyang Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China.,Beijing Institutes of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xiaoying Zhao
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Nanyang Yang
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, the Hengyang Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
| | - Xing Li
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100101, China
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Mi L, Yu Q, Mudiyanselage APK, Wu R, Sun Z, Zheng R, Ren K, You M. Genetically Encoded RNA-Based Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET) Sensors. ACS Sens 2023; 8:308-316. [PMID: 36608281 PMCID: PMC10630924 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.2c02213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
RNA-based nanostructures and molecular devices have become popular for developing biosensors and genetic regulators. These programmable RNA nanodevices can be genetically encoded and modularly engineered to detect various cellular targets and then induce output signals, most often a fluorescence readout. Although powerful, the high reliance of fluorescence on the external excitation light raises concerns about its high background, photobleaching, and phototoxicity. Bioluminescence signals can be an ideal complementary readout for these genetically encoded RNA nanodevices. However, RNA-based real-time bioluminescent reporters have been rarely developed. In this study, we reported the first type of genetically encoded RNA-based bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) sensors that can be used for real-time target detection in living cells. By coupling a luciferase bioluminescence donor with a fluorogenic RNA-based acceptor, our BRET system can be modularly designed to image and detect various cellular analytes. We expect that this novel RNA-based bioluminescent system can be potentially used broadly in bioanalysis and nanomedicine for engineering biosensors, characterizing cellular RNA-protein interactions, and high-throughput screening or in vivo imaging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lan Mi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Qikun Yu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | | | - Rigumula Wu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Zhining Sun
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Ru Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Kewei Ren
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, China
| | - Mingxu You
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Advances in
G
‐quadruplexes‐based fluorescent imaging. Biopolymers 2022; 113:e23528. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.23528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
|
23
|
Zhao L, Ahmed F, Zeng Y, Xu W, Xiong H. Recent Developments in G-Quadruplex Binding Ligands and Specific Beacons on Smart Fluorescent Sensor for Targeting Metal Ions and Biological Analytes. ACS Sens 2022; 7:2833-2856. [PMID: 36112358 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.2c00992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The G-quadruplex structure is crucial in several biological processes, including DNA replication, transcription, and genomic maintenance. G-quadruplex-based fluorescent probes have recently gained popularity because of their ease of use, low cost, excellent selectivity, and sensitivity. This review summarizes the latest applications of G-quadruplex structures as detectors of genome-wide, enantioselective catalysts, disease therapeutics, promising drug targets, and smart fluorescence probes. In every section, sensing of G-quadruplex and employing G4 for the detection of other analytes were introduced, respectively. Since the discovery of the G-quadruplex structure, several studies have been conducted to investigate its conformations, biological potential, stability, reactivity, selectivity for chemical modification, and optical properties. The formation mechanism and advancements for detecting different metal ions (Na+, K+, Ag+, Tl+, Cu+/Cu2+, Hg2+, and Pb2+) and biomolecules (AMP, ATP, DNA/RNA, microRNA, thrombin, T4 PNK, RNase H, ALP, CEA, lipocalin 1, and UDG) using fluorescent sensors based on G-quadruplex modification, such as dye labels, artificial nucleobase moieties, dye complexes, intercalating dyes, and bioconjugated nanomaterials (AgNCs, GO, QDs, CDs, and MOF) is described herein. To investigate these extremely efficient responsive agents for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in medicine, fluorescence sensors based on G-quadruplexes have also been employed as a quantitative visualization technique.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Long Zhao
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China.,College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China
| | - Farid Ahmed
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China
| | - Yating Zeng
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China
| | - Weiqing Xu
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China
| | - Hai Xiong
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Yang X, Liu C, Kuo YA, Yeh HC, Ren P. Computational study on the binding of Mango-II RNA aptamer and fluorogen using the polarizable force field AMOEBA. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:946708. [PMID: 36120549 PMCID: PMC9478177 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.946708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluorescent light-up aptamers (FLAPs) are well-performed biosensors for cellular imaging and the detection of different targets of interest, including RNA, non-nucleic acid molecules, metal ions, and so on. They could be easily designed and emit a strong fluorescence signal once bound to specified fluorogens. Recently, one unique aptamer called Mango-II has been discovered to possess a strong affinity and excellent fluorescent properties with fluorogens TO1-Biotin and TO3-Biotin. To explore the binding mechanisms, computational simulations have been performed to obtain structural and thermodynamic information about FLAPs at atomic resolution. AMOEBA polarizable force field, with the capability of handling the highly charged and flexible RNA system, was utilized for the simulation of Mango-II with TO1-Biotin and TO3-Biotin in this work. The calculated binding free energy using published crystal structures is in excellent agreement with the experimental values. Given the challenges in modeling complex RNA dynamics, our work demonstrates that MD simulation with a polarizable force field is valuable for understanding aptamer-fluorogen binding and potentially designing new aptamers or fluorogens with better performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xudong Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Chengwen Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Yu-An Kuo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Hsin-Chih Yeh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Texas Materials Institute, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Pengyu Ren
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Science, Austin, TX, United States
- Interdisciplinary Life Science Graduate Programs, Austin, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Liu XH, Li BR, Ying ZM, Tang LJ, Wang F, Jiang JH. Small-Molecule-Mediated Split-Aptamer Assembly for Inducible CRISPR-dCas9 Transcription Activation. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:1769-1777. [PMID: 35700146 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Inducible CRISPR-dCas9 transcription system has become a powerful tool for transcription regulation and sensing. Here, we develop a new concept of small-molecule-mediated split-aptamer assembly for inducible CRISPR-dCas9 transcription activation, allowing quantitative detection and imaging of S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) in live cells. This inducible transcription system is designed by integrating one fragment of a split SAM aptamer to guide RNA (gRNA) and the other to MS2 arrays. SAM-mediated reassembly of the split fragments recruits an MCP-fused transcription activator to the gRNA-dCas9 complex, activating the expression of a near-infrared fluorescent protein for imaging. We demonstrate that this inducible transcription system achieves quantitative detection of SAM with high sensitivity in live cells. Our system shows that methionine adenosyltransferase 1A (MAT1A) and MAT2A can both catalyze SAM production in live cells and the SAM levels in cancer cells can be increased via upregulation of MAT1A mRNA by epigenetic inhibitors. This split-aptamer assembly strategy could afford a new approach for controlling the CRISPR-dCas9 system, enabling conditional transcription regulation in response to endogenous metabolites in live cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Han Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Bang-Rui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Zhan-Ming Ying
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Li-Juan Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Fenglin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Jian-Hui Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Jakubec M, Pšenáková K, Svehlova K, Curtis EA. Optimizing the Chemiluminescence of a Light-Producing Deoxyribozyme. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200026. [PMID: 35286749 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Supernova is a chemiluminescent deoxyribozyme recently discovered in our group. It transfers the phosphate group from the 1,2-dioxetane substrate CDP-Star to its 5' hydroxyl group, which triggers a decomposition reaction and the production of light. Here we investigated the effects of reaction conditions on the ability of Supernova to generate a chemiluminescent signal (using a plate reader assay) and to phosphorylate itself (using a ligation assay). Our experiments indicate that multiple zinc ions are required for catalytic function, suggesting links between Supernova and protein enzymes that catalyze similar reactions. They also show how factors such as pH, potassium concentration, CDP-Star concentration, and DNA concentration affect the reaction. By combining information from different experiments, the rate enhancement of light production was increased by more than 1000-fold. These results should be useful for applications in which Supernova is used as a sensor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Jakubec
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, 160 00, Prague, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Karolína Pšenáková
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, 160 00, Prague, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Katerina Svehlova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, 160 00, Prague, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Edward A Curtis
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, 160 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Wang Q, Xiao F, Su H, Liu H, Xu J, Tang H, Qin S, Fang Z, Lu Z, Wu J, Weng X, Zhou X. Inert Pepper aptamer-mediated endogenous mRNA recognition and imaging in living cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:e84. [PMID: 35580055 PMCID: PMC9371900 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of RNA aptamers/fluorophores system is highly desirable for understanding the dynamic molecular biology of RNAs in vivo. Peppers-based imaging systems have been reported and applied for mRNA imaging in living cells. However, the need to insert corresponding RNA aptamer sequences into target RNAs and relatively low fluorescence signal limit its application in endogenous mRNA imaging. Herein, we remolded the original Pepper aptamer and developed a tandem array of inert Pepper (iPepper) fluorescence turn-on system. iPepper allows for efficient and selective imaging of diverse endogenous mRNA species in live cells with minimal agitation of the target mRNAs. We believe iPepper would significantly expand the applications of the aptamer/fluorophore system in endogenous mRNA imaging, and it has the potential to become a powerful tool for real-time studies in living cells and biological processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Luojiashan Street, Wuchang District, Wuhan, HuBei 430072, PR China
| | - Feng Xiao
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Luojiashan Street, Wuchang District, Wuhan, HuBei 430072, PR China
| | - Haomiao Su
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Luojiashan Street, Wuchang District, Wuhan, HuBei 430072, PR China.,Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 225 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Hui Liu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Luojiashan Street, Wuchang District, Wuhan, HuBei 430072, PR China
| | - Jinglei Xu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Luojiashan Street, Wuchang District, Wuhan, HuBei 430072, PR China
| | - Heng Tang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Luojiashan Street, Wuchang District, Wuhan, HuBei 430072, PR China
| | - Shanshan Qin
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Luojiashan Street, Wuchang District, Wuhan, HuBei 430072, PR China
| | - Zhentian Fang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Luojiashan Street, Wuchang District, Wuhan, HuBei 430072, PR China
| | - Ziang Lu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Luojiashan Street, Wuchang District, Wuhan, HuBei 430072, PR China
| | - Jian Wu
- School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Luojiashan Street, Wuchang District, Wuhan, HuBei 430072, PR China
| | - Xiaocheng Weng
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Luojiashan Street, Wuchang District, Wuhan, HuBei 430072, PR China
| | - Xiang Zhou
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Luojiashan Street, Wuchang District, Wuhan, HuBei 430072, PR China.,The Institute of Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Luojiashan Street, Wuchang District, Wuhan, HuBei 430072, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Fam KT, Pelletier R, Bouhedda F, Ryckelynck M, Collot M, Klymchenko AS. Rational Design of Self-Quenched Rhodamine Dimers as Fluorogenic Aptamer Probes for Live-Cell RNA Imaging. Anal Chem 2022; 94:6657-6664. [PMID: 35486532 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c04556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
With the growing interest in the understanding of the importance of RNAs in health and disease, detection of RNAs in living cells is of high importance. Fluorogenic dyes that light up specifically selected RNA aptamers constitute an attractive direction in the design of RNA imaging probes. In this work, based on our recently proposed concept of a fluorogenic dimer, we aim to develop a robust molecular tool for intracellular RNA imaging. We rationally designed a fluorogenic self-quenched dimer (orange Gemini, o-Gemini) based on rhodamine and evaluated its capacity to light up its cognate aptamer o-Coral in solution and live cells. We found that the removal of biotin from the dimer slightly improved the fluorogenic response without losing the affinity to the cognate aptamer (o-Coral). On the other hand, replacing sulforhodamine with a carboxyrhodamine produced drastic improvement of the affinity and the turn-on response to o-Coral and, thus, a better limit of detection. In live cells expressing o-Coral-tagged RNAs, the carboxyrhodamine analogue of o-Gemini without a biotin unit displayed a higher signal as well as faster internalization into the cells. We suppose that less hydrophilic carboxyrhodamine compared to sulforhodamine can more readily penetrate through the cell plasma membrane and, together with its higher affinity to o-Coral, provide the observed improvement in the imaging experiments. The promiscuity of the o-Coral RNA aptamer to the fluorogenic dimer allowed us to tune a fluorogen chemical structure and thus drastically improve the fluorescence response of the probe to o-Coral-tagged RNAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyong Tkhe Fam
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, CNRS UMR 7021, Université de Strasbourg, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Rémi Pelletier
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, CNRS UMR 7021, Université de Strasbourg, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Farah Bouhedda
- CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR 9002, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Michael Ryckelynck
- CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR 9002, Université de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Mayeul Collot
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, CNRS UMR 7021, Université de Strasbourg, 67401 Illkirch, France
| | - Andrey S Klymchenko
- Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies, CNRS UMR 7021, Université de Strasbourg, 67401 Illkirch, France
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
VarnBuhler BS, Moon J, Dey SK, Wu J, Jaffrey SR. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA Using a DNA Aptamer Mimic of Green Fluorescent Protein. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:840-853. [PMID: 35341244 PMCID: PMC9780036 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
RNA detection is important in diverse diagnostic and analytical applications. RNAs can be rapidly detected using molecular beacons, which fluoresce upon hybridizing to a target RNA but require oligonucleotides with complex fluorescent dye and quencher conjugations. Here, we describe a simplified method for rapid fluorescence detection of a target RNA using simple unmodified DNA oligonucleotides. To detect RNA, we developed Lettuce, a fluorogenic DNA aptamer that binds and activates the fluorescence of DFHBI-1T, an otherwise nonfluorescent molecule that resembles the chromophore found in green fluorescent protein. Lettuce was selected from a randomized DNA library based on binding to DFHBI-agarose. We further show that Lettuce can be split into two separate oligonucleotide components, which are nonfluorescent on their own but become fluorescent when their proximity is induced by a target RNA. We designed several pairs of split Lettuce fragments that contain an additional 15-20 nucleotides that are complementary to adjacent regions of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA, resulting in Lettuce fluorescence only in the presence of the viral RNA. Overall, these studies describe a simplified RNA detection approach using fully unmodified DNA oligonucleotides that reconstitute the Lettuce aptamer templated by RNA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bria S. VarnBuhler
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill-Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA,Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, The Rockefeller University, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Jared Moon
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill-Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA,Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sourav Kumar Dey
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill-Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jiahui Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill-Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Samie R. Jaffrey
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill-Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA,Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY 10065, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Liu X, Wang T, Wu Y, Tan Y, Jiang T, Li K, Lou B, Chen L, Liu Y, Liu Z. Aptamer based probes for living cell intracellular molecules detection. Biosens Bioelectron 2022; 208:114231. [PMID: 35390719 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.114231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Biosensors have been employed for monitoring and imaging biological events and molecules. Sensitive detection of different biomolecules in vivo can reflect the changes of physiological conditions in real-time, which is of great significance for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The detection of intracellular molecules concentration change can indicate the occurrence and development of disease. But the analysis process of the existing detection methods, such as Western blot detection of intracellular protein, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique quantitative analysis of intracellular RNA and DNA, usually need to extract the cell lysis which is complex and time-consuming. Fluorescence bioimaging enables in situ monitoring of intracellular molecules in living cells. By combining the specificity of aptamer for intracellular molecules binding, and biocompatibility of fluorescent materials and nanomaterials, biosensors with different nanostructures have been developed to enter into living cells for analysis. This review summarizes the fluorescence detection methods based on aptamer for intracellular molecules detection. The principles, limit of detection, advantages, and disadvantages of different platforms for intracellular molecular fluorescent response are summarized and reviewed. Finally, the current challenges and future developments were discussed and proposed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqin Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - Yuwei Wu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - Yifu Tan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - Ting Jiang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - Ke Li
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - Beibei Lou
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - Liwei Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - Yanfei Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan Province, PR China.
| | - Zhenbao Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan Province, PR China; Molecular Imaging Research Center of Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Qu B, Sun J, Li P, Jing L. Current advances on g-C 3N 4-based fluorescence detection for environmental contaminants. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 425:127990. [PMID: 34986565 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The development of highly-sensitive fluorescence detection systems for environmental contaminants has become high priority research in the past years. Special attention has been paid to graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4)-based nanomaterials, whose unique and superior optical property makes them promising and attractive candidates for this purpose. It is necessary to enhance the current understanding of the various classes of g-C3N4-based fluorescence detection systems and their mechanisms, as well as find suitable approaches to improve detection performance for environmental monitoring, protection, and management. In this review, the recent progresses on g-C3N4-based fluorescence detections for environmental contaminants, mainly including their basic principles, mechanisms, applications, modification strategies, and conclusions, are summarized. A particular emphasis is placed on the design and development of modification strategies for g-C3N4 with the objective of improving detection performance. High photoluminescence quantum yield, tunable fluorescence emission characteristics, and strong adsorption capacity of g-C3N4 could ensure the ultrasensitivity and selectivity of fluorescence detection of environmental contaminants. Concluding perspectives on the challenges and opportunities to design highly efficient g-C3N4-based fluorescence detection system are intensively put forward as well.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Binhong Qu
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry (Ministry of Education), International Joint Research Center for Catalytic Technology, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, PR China
| | - Jianhui Sun
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry (Ministry of Education), International Joint Research Center for Catalytic Technology, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, PR China; College of Physical Science and Technology, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, PR China
| | - Peng Li
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry (Ministry of Education), International Joint Research Center for Catalytic Technology, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, PR China; College of Physical Science and Technology, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, PR China.
| | - Liqiang Jing
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry (Ministry of Education), International Joint Research Center for Catalytic Technology, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Zheng G, Zhao L, Yuan D, Li J, Yang G, Song D, Miao H, Shu L, Mo X, Xu X, Li L, Song X, Zhao Y. A genetically encoded fluorescent biosensor for monitoring ATP in living cells with heterobifunctional aptamers. Biosens Bioelectron 2022; 198:113827. [PMID: 34861524 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Visualizing the dynamics of ATP in living cells is key to understanding cellular energy metabolism and related diseases. However, the live-cell applications of current methods are still limited due to challenges in biological compatibility and sensitivity to pH. Herein, a novel label-free fluorescent " turn-on " biosensor for monitoring ATP in living bacterias and mammalian cells was developed. This biosensor (Broc-ATP) employed heterobifunctional aptamers to detect ATP with high sensitivity in vitro. In our system, a very useful tandem method was established by combining four Broc-ATPs with 3 × F30 three-way junction scaffold to construct an intracellular biosensor that achieves sufficient fluorescence to respond to intracellular ATP. This intracellular biosensor can be used for sensitive and specific dynamic imaging of ATP in mammalian cells. Hence, this genetically encoded biosensor provides a robust and efficient tool for the detection of intracellular ATP dynamics and 3 × F30 tandem method expands the application of heterobifunctional aptamers in mammalian cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guoliang Zheng
- Center for Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, PR China
| | - Liang Zhao
- Center for Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, PR China
| | - Deyu Yuan
- Center for Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, PR China
| | - Jia Li
- Center for Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, PR China
| | - Gang Yang
- Center for Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, PR China
| | - Danxia Song
- Center for Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, PR China
| | - Hui Miao
- Center for Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, PR China
| | - Linjuan Shu
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Xianming Mo
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Xiaoding Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, PR China
| | - Ling Li
- Center for Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, PR China.
| | - Xu Song
- Center for Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, PR China.
| | - Yongyun Zhao
- Center for Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Dey SK, Filonov GS, Olarerin-George AO, Jackson BT, Finley LWS, Jaffrey SR. Repurposing an adenine riboswitch into a fluorogenic imaging and sensing tag. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:180-190. [PMID: 34937909 PMCID: PMC8967656 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-021-00925-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Fluorogenic RNA aptamers are used to genetically encode fluorescent RNA and to construct RNA-based metabolite sensors. Unlike naturally occurring aptamers that efficiently fold and undergo metabolite-induced conformational changes, fluorogenic aptamers can exhibit poor folding, which limits their cellular fluorescence. To overcome this, we evolved a naturally occurring well-folded adenine riboswitch into a fluorogenic aptamer. We generated a library of roughly 1015 adenine aptamer-like RNAs in which the adenine-binding pocket was randomized for both size and sequence, and selected Squash, which binds and activates the fluorescence of green fluorescent protein-like fluorophores. Squash exhibits markedly improved in-cell folding and highly efficient metabolite-dependent folding when fused to a S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-binding aptamer. A Squash-based ratiometric sensor achieved quantitative SAM measurements, revealed cell-to-cell heterogeneity in SAM levels and revealed metabolic origins of SAM. These studies show that the efficient folding of naturally occurring aptamers can be exploited to engineer well-folded cell-compatible fluorogenic aptamers and devices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sourav Kumar Dey
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Grigory S Filonov
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Sartorius, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Benjamin T Jackson
- Cell Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lydia W S Finley
- Cell Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Samie R Jaffrey
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Chandris P, Giannouli CC, Panayotou G. Imaging Approaches for the Study of Metabolism in Real Time Using Genetically Encoded Reporters. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 9:725114. [PMID: 35118062 PMCID: PMC8804523 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.725114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolism comprises of two axes in order to serve homeostasis: anabolism and catabolism. Both axes are interbranched with the so-called bioenergetics aspect of metabolism. There is a plethora of analytical biochemical methods to monitor metabolites and reactions in lysates, yet there is a rising need to monitor, quantify and elucidate in real time the spatiotemporal orchestration of complex biochemical reactions in living systems and furthermore to analyze the metabolic effect of chemical compounds that are destined for the clinic. The ongoing technological burst in the field of imaging creates opportunities to establish new tools that will allow investigators to monitor dynamics of biochemical reactions and kinetics of metabolites at a resolution that ranges from subcellular organelle to whole system for some key metabolites. This article provides a mini review of available toolkits to achieve this goal but also presents a perspective on the open space that can be exploited to develop novel methodologies that will merge classic biochemistry of metabolism with advanced imaging. In other words, a perspective of "watching metabolism in real time."
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Chandris
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming”, Vari, Greece
| | | | - George Panayotou
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming”, Vari, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Svehlova K, Lukšan O, Jakubec M, Curtis EA. Supernova: A Deoxyribozyme that Catalyzes a Chemiluminescent Reaction. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202109347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Svehlova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry ASCR Prague Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science Charles University in Prague Prague Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Lukšan
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry ASCR Prague Czech Republic
| | - Martin Jakubec
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry ASCR Prague Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science Charles University in Prague Prague Czech Republic
| | - Edward A. Curtis
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry ASCR Prague Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Qi S, Duan N, Khan IM, Dong X, Zhang Y, Wu S, Wang Z. Strategies to manipulate the performance of aptamers in SELEX, post-SELEX and microenvironment. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 55:107902. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
37
|
Ma K, Li X, Xu B, Tian W. Label-free bioassay with graphene oxide-based fluorescent aptasensors: A review. Anal Chim Acta 2021; 1188:338859. [PMID: 34794573 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2021.338859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Bioassays using a fluorophore and DNA aptamer have been extensively developed due to the ultrasensitivity of fluorophores and recognition ability of DNA aptamers. Conventional fluorescent aptamer-based sensors (aptasensors) require chemical labeling between the fluorophore and aptamer and is technologically impracical for various sensing and assay applications. A simple "mix and go" strategy has been introduced that uses label-free technology as a platform for sensor development. The biosensors comprise a fluorophore, a ssDNA aptamer, and eco-friendly graphene oxide (GO). In the absence of the sensor target, GO quenches the fluorescence of the fluorophore and single-strand DNA aptamer complex. When the target is added, the DNA aptamer conformationally turns into a duplex, G-quadruplexe, or other secondary structure. This structure change leads to release of GO by the fluorophore-aptamer-target complex, generating dramatic fluorescence recovery and amplification. With this sensing method, the DNA aptamer does not need to be chemically labeled. Therefore, flexible fluorophore indicators and ssDNA aptamers can be used in this label-free aptasensing strategy. In this review, we discuss various unlabeled fluorophores, including synthetic small molecular fluorophores and genetically encoded fluorescent proteins, as indicators for generating GO-based fluorescent DNA aptasensors for label-free bioassay.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ke Ma
- Center of AIE Research, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, PR China
| | - Xing Li
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, PR China.
| | - Bin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, PR China
| | - Wenjing Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
|
39
|
Huang K, Chen X, Li C, Song Q, Li H, Zhu L, Yang Y, Ren A. Structure-based investigation of fluorogenic Pepper aptamer. Nat Chem Biol 2021; 17:1289-1295. [PMID: 34725509 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-021-00884-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Pepper fluorescent RNAs are a recently reported bright, stable and multicolor fluorogenic aptamer tag that enable imaging of diverse RNAs in live cells. To investigate the molecular basis of the superior properties of Pepper, we determined the structures of complexes of Pepper aptamer bound with its cognate HBC or HBC-like fluorophores at high resolution by X-ray crystallography. The Pepper aptamer folds in a monomeric non-G-quadruplex tuning-fork-like architecture composed of a helix and one protruded junction region. The near-planar fluorophore molecule intercalates in the middle of the structure and is sandwiched between one non-G-quadruplex base quadruple and one noncanonical G·U wobble helical base pair. In addition, structure-based mutational analysis is evaluated by in vitro and live-cell fluorogenic detection. Taken together, our research provides a structural basis for demystifying the fluorescence activation mechanism of Pepper aptamer and for further improvement of its future application in RNA visualization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyi Huang
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xianjun Chen
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunyan Li
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qianqian Song
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huiwen Li
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Linyong Zhu
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yi Yang
- Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China. .,CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
| | - Aiming Ren
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Li X, Wu J, Jaffrey SR. Engineering Fluorophore Recycling in a Fluorogenic RNA Aptamer. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202108338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xing Li
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100101 P. R. China
- Department of Pharmacology Weill Cornell Medicine Cornell University New York NY 10065 USA
| | - Jiahui Wu
- Department of Pharmacology Weill Cornell Medicine Cornell University New York NY 10065 USA
| | - Samie R. Jaffrey
- Department of Pharmacology Weill Cornell Medicine Cornell University New York NY 10065 USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Li X, Wu J, Jaffrey SR. Engineering Fluorophore Recycling in a Fluorogenic RNA Aptamer. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:24153-24161. [PMID: 34490956 PMCID: PMC8661118 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202108338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Fluorogenic aptamers can potentially show minimal photobleaching during continuous irradiation since any photobleached fluorophore can exchange with fluorescent dyes in the media. However, fluorophores have not been designed to maximize "fluorophore recycling." Here we describe TBI, a novel fluorophore for the Broccoli fluorogenic aptamer. Previous fluorophores either fail to rapidly dissociate when they undergo photobleaching via cis-trans isomerization, or bind slowly, resulting in extended periods after dissociation of the photobleached fluorophore when no fluorophore is bound. By contrast, photobleached TBI dissociates rapidly from Broccoli, and TBI from the media rapidly replaces dissociated photobleached fluorophore. Using TBI, Broccoli exhibits markedly enhanced fluorescence in cells during continuous imaging. These data show that designing fluorophores to optimize fluorophore recycling can lead to enhanced fluorescence of fluorogenic aptamers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xing Li
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, P. R. China
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Jiahui Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Samie R Jaffrey
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Svehlova K, Lukšan O, Jakubec M, Curtis EA. Supernova: A Deoxyribozyme that Catalyzes a Chemiluminescent Reaction. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 61:e202109347. [PMID: 34559935 PMCID: PMC9298802 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202109347] [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: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Functional DNA molecules are useful components in nanotechnology and synthetic biology. To expand the toolkit of functional DNA parts, in this study we used artificial evolution to identify a glowing deoxyribozyme called Supernova. This deoxyribozyme transfers a phosphate from a 1,2-dioxetane substrate to its 5' hydroxyl group, which triggers a chemiluminescent reaction and a flash of blue light. An engineered version of Supernova is only catalytically active in the presence of an oligonucleotide complementary to its 3' end, demonstrating that light production can be coupled to ligand binding. We anticipate that Supernova will be useful in a wide variety of applications, including as a signaling component in allosterically regulated sensors and in logic gates of molecular computers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Svehlova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry ASCR, Prague, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Lukšan
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry ASCR, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Jakubec
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry ASCR, Prague, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Edward A Curtis
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry ASCR, Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Yu Q, Ren K, You M. Genetically encoded RNA nanodevices for cellular imaging and regulation. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:7988-8003. [PMID: 33885099 PMCID: PMC8122502 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr08301a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Nucleic acid-based nanodevices have been widely used in the fields of biosensing and nanomedicine. Traditionally, the majority of these nanodevices were first constructed in vitro using synthetic DNA or RNA oligonucleotides and then delivered into cells. Nowadays, the emergence of genetically encoded RNA nanodevices has provided a promising alternative approach for intracellular analysis and regulation. These genetically encoded RNA-based nanodevices can be directly transcribed and continuously produced inside living cells. A variety of highly precise and programmable nanodevices have been constructed in this way during the last decade. In this review, we will summarize the recent advances in the design and function of these artificial genetically encoded RNA nanodevices. In particular, we will focus on their applications in regulating cellular gene expression, imaging, logic operation, structural biology, and optogenetics. We believe these versatile RNA-based nanodevices will be broadly used in the near future to probe and program cells and other biological systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qikun Yu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
| | - Kewei Ren
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
| | - Mingxu You
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Abstract
Technologies for RNA imaging in live cells play an important role in understanding the function and regulatory process of RNAs. One approach for genetically encoded fluorescent RNA imaging involves fluorescent light-up aptamers (FLAPs), which are short RNA sequences that can bind cognate fluorogens and activate their fluorescence greatly. Over the past few years, FLAPs have emerged as genetically encoded RNA-based fluorescent biosensors for the cellular imaging and detection of various targets of interest. In this review, we first give a brief overview of the development of the current FLAPs based on various fluorogens. Then we further discuss on the photocycles of the reversibly photoswitching properties in FLAPs and their photostability. Finally, we focus on the applications of FLAPs as genetically encoded RNA-based fluorescent biosensors in biosensing and bioimaging, including RNA, non-nucleic acid molecules, metal ions imaging and quantitative imaging. Their design strategies and recent cellular applications are emphasized and summarized in detail.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huangmei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sanjun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.,NYU-ECNU Institute of Physics at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Al Mazid MF, Shkel O, Kharkivska Y, Lee JS. Application of fluorescent turn-on aptamers in RNA studies. Mol Omics 2021; 17:483-491. [PMID: 34137415 DOI: 10.1039/d1mo00085c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
RNA is an intermediate player between DNA transcription and protein translation. RNAs also interact with other macromolecules and metabolites and regulate their fate. The emerging number of RNA identifications expanded new areas of study to determine their applicability and functional analysis. Recently, extensive research has been focused on visualizing RNA in living biological samples and a method has been developed by the evolution of specific fluorophore-binding aptamers through the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) method. Several promising fluorescent turn-on aptamers are currently available, and they can detect RNA-RNA, RNA-protein, ligand binding, small molecule, and metabolite interactions in vitro and under live-cell conditions. Here we review the currently available fluorescent turn-on aptamers and discuss their applicability for analyzing the fate of targeted RNAs in in vitro and in vivo systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Olha Shkel
- Bio-Med Program KIST-School UST, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Jun-Seok Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Kong J, Wang Y, Qi W, Huang M, Su R, He Z. Green fluorescent protein inspired fluorophores. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2020; 285:102286. [PMID: 33164780 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2020.102286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Green fluorescence proteins (GFP) are appealing to a variety of biomedical and biotechnology applications, such as protein fusion, subcellular localizations, cell visualization, protein-protein interaction, and genetically encoded sensors. To mimic the fluorescence of GFP, various compounds, such as GFP chromophores analogs, hydrogen bond-rich proteins, and aromatic peptidyl nanostructures that preclude free rotation of the aryl-alkene bond, have been developed to adapt them for a fantastic range of applications. Herein, we firstly summarize the structure and luminescent mechanism of GFP. Based on this, the design strategy, fluorescent properties, and the advanced applications of GFP-inspired fluorophores are then carefully discussed. The diverse advantages of bioinspired fluorophores, such as biocompatibility, structural simplicity, and capacity to form a variety of functional nanostructures, endow them potential candidates as the next-generation bio-organic optical materials.
Collapse
|