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Shi Y, Zhen X, Zhang Y, Li Y, Koo S, Saiding Q, Kong N, Liu G, Chen W, Tao W. Chemically Modified Platforms for Better RNA Therapeutics. Chem Rev 2024; 124:929-1033. [PMID: 38284616 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00611] [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: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
RNA-based therapies have catalyzed a revolutionary transformation in the biomedical landscape, offering unprecedented potential in disease prevention and treatment. However, despite their remarkable achievements, these therapies encounter substantial challenges including low stability, susceptibility to degradation by nucleases, and a prominent negative charge, thereby hindering further development. Chemically modified platforms have emerged as a strategic innovation, focusing on precise alterations either on the RNA moieties or their associated delivery vectors. This comprehensive review delves into these platforms, underscoring their significance in augmenting the performance and translational prospects of RNA-based therapeutics. It encompasses an in-depth analysis of various chemically modified delivery platforms that have been instrumental in propelling RNA therapeutics toward clinical utility. Moreover, the review scrutinizes the rationale behind diverse chemical modification techniques aiming at optimizing the therapeutic efficacy of RNA molecules, thereby facilitating robust disease management. Recent empirical studies corroborating the efficacy enhancement of RNA therapeutics through chemical modifications are highlighted. Conclusively, we offer profound insights into the transformative impact of chemical modifications on RNA drugs and delineates prospective trajectories for their future development and clinical integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yesi Shi
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Xueyan Zhen
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Yiming Zhang
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Yongjiang Li
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Seyoung Koo
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Qimanguli Saiding
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Na Kong
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Gang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Wei Tao
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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2
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Zhou J, Han T, Ahmad S, Quinn D, Moody TS, Wu Q, Huang M. Origin of the enantioselectivity of alcohol dehydrogenase. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:31292-31300. [PMID: 37955422 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp04019d] [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: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) are a family of enzymes that catalyse the interconversion between ketones/aldehydes and alcohols in the presence of NADPH cofactor. It is challenging to desymmetrise the substituted cyclopentane-1,3-dione by engineering an ADH, while the reaction mechanism of the metal independent ADH remains elusive. Here we measured the conversion of a model substrate 2-benzyl-2-methylcyclopentane-1,3-dione by LbADH and found it predominately gave the (2R,3R) product. Binding mode analysis of the substrate in LbADH from molecular dynamics simulations disclosed the origin of the enantioselectivity of the enzyme; the opening and closing of the loop 191-205 above the substrate are responsible for shaping the binding pocket to orientate the substrate, so as to give different stereoisomer products. Using QM/MM calculations, we elucidated the reaction mechanism of LbADH. Furthermore, we demonstrated the reaction profile corresponding to the production of different stereoisomers, which is in accordance with our experimental observations. This research here will shed a light on the rational engineering of ADH to achieve stereodivergent stereoisomer products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Zhou
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University, David Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG, Northern Ireland, UK.
| | - Tao Han
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China.
| | - Shahbaz Ahmad
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University, David Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG, Northern Ireland, UK.
- Almac Sciences, Department of Biocatalysis and Isotope Chemistry, Almac House, 20 Seagoe Industrial Estate, Craigavon BT63 5QD, Northern Ireland, UK
- Arran Chemical Company Limited, Unit 1 Monksland Industrial Estate, Athlone, Co. Roscommon, Ireland
| | - Derek Quinn
- Almac Sciences, Department of Biocatalysis and Isotope Chemistry, Almac House, 20 Seagoe Industrial Estate, Craigavon BT63 5QD, Northern Ireland, UK
- Arran Chemical Company Limited, Unit 1 Monksland Industrial Estate, Athlone, Co. Roscommon, Ireland
| | - Thomas S Moody
- Almac Sciences, Department of Biocatalysis and Isotope Chemistry, Almac House, 20 Seagoe Industrial Estate, Craigavon BT63 5QD, Northern Ireland, UK
- Arran Chemical Company Limited, Unit 1 Monksland Industrial Estate, Athlone, Co. Roscommon, Ireland
| | - Qi Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China.
| | - Meilan Huang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University, David Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG, Northern Ireland, UK.
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Ji C, Wei J, Zhang L, Hou X, Tan J, Yuan Q, Tan W. Aptamer-Protein Interactions: From Regulation to Biomolecular Detection. Chem Rev 2023; 123:12471-12506. [PMID: 37931070 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Serving as the basis of cell life, interactions between nucleic acids and proteins play essential roles in fundamental cellular processes. Aptamers are unique single-stranded oligonucleotides generated by in vitro evolution methods, possessing the ability to interact with proteins specifically. Altering the structure of aptamers will largely modulate their interactions with proteins and further affect related cellular behaviors. Recently, with the in-depth research of aptamer-protein interactions, the analytical assays based on their interactions have been widely developed and become a powerful tool for biomolecular detection. There are some insightful reviews on aptamers applied in protein detection, while few systematic discussions are from the perspective of regulating aptamer-protein interactions. Herein, we comprehensively introduce the methods for regulating aptamer-protein interactions and elaborate on the detection techniques for analyzing aptamer-protein interactions. Additionally, this review provides a broad summary of analytical assays based on the regulation of aptamer-protein interactions for detecting biomolecules. Finally, we present our perspectives regarding the opportunities and challenges of analytical assays for biological analysis, aiming to provide guidance for disease mechanism research and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cailing Ji
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Junyuan Wei
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Xinru Hou
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Jie Tan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Quan Yuan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Weihong Tan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
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4
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Li J, Luo S, Ouyang X, Wu G, Deng Z, He X, Zhao YL. Understanding base and backbone contributions of phosphorothioate DNA for molecular recognition with SBD proteins. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:29289-29302. [PMID: 37876253 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp02820h] [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: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial DNA phosphorothioate (PT) modification provides a specific anchoring site for sulfur-binding proteins (SBDs). Besides, their recognition patterns include phosphate links and bases neighboring the PT-modified site, thereby bringing about genome sequence-dependent properties in PT-related epigenetics. Here, we analyze the contributions of the DNA backbone (phosphates and deoxyribose) and bases bound with two SBD proteins in Streptomyces pristinaespiralis and coelicolor (SBDSco and SBDSpr). The chalcogen-hydrophobic interactions remained constantly at the anchoring site while the adjacent bases formed conditional and distinctive non-covalent interactions. More importantly, SBD/PT-DNA interactions were not limited within the traditional "4-bp core" range from 5'-I to 3'-III but extended to upstream 5'-II and 5'-III bases and even 5''-I to 5''-III at the non-PT-modified complementary strand. From the epigenetic viewpoint, bases 3'-II, 5''-I, and 5''-III of SBDSpr and 3'-II, 5''-II, and 5''-III of SBDSco present remarkable differentiations in the molecular recognitions. From the protein viewpoint, H102 in SBDSpr and R191 in SBDSco contribute significantly while proline residues at the PT-bound site are strictly conserved for the PT-chalcogen bond. The mutual and make-up mutations are proposed to alter the SBD/PT-DNA recognition pattern, besides additional chiral phosphorothioate modifications on phosphates 5'-II, 5'-II, 3'-I, and 3'-II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Shenggan Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Xingyu Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Geng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Zixin Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Xinyi He
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Yi-Lei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
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5
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Hyjek-Składanowska M, Anderson BA, Mykhaylyk V, Orr C, Wagner A, Poznański J, Skowronek K, Seth P, Nowotny M. Structures of annexin A2-PS DNA complexes show dominance of hydrophobic interactions in phosphorothioate binding. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 51:1409-1423. [PMID: 36124719 PMCID: PMC9943651 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The introduction of phosphorothioate (PS) linkages to the backbone of therapeutic nucleic acids substantially increases their stability and potency. It also affects their interactions with cellular proteins, but the molecular mechanisms that underlie this effect are poorly understood. Here, we report structural and biochemical studies of interactions between annexin A2, a protein that does not possess any known canonical DNA binding domains, and phosphorothioate-modified antisense oligonucleotides. We show that a unique mode of hydrophobic interactions between a sulfur atom of the phosphorothioate group and lysine and arginine residues account for the enhanced affinity of modified nucleic acid for the protein. Our results demonstrate that this mechanism of interaction is observed not only for nucleic acid-binding proteins but can also account for the association of PS oligonucleotides with other proteins. Using the anomalous diffraction of sulfur, we showed that preference for phosphorothioate stereoisomers is determined by the hydrophobic environment around the PS linkage that comes not only from protein but also from additional structural features within the ASO such as 5-Me groups on cytosine nucleobases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malwina Hyjek-Składanowska
- Laboratory of Protein Structure, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw 02-109, Poland
| | | | | | - Christian Orr
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Armin Wagner
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Jarosław T Poznański
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Skowronek
- Biophysics and Structural Biology Facility, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Punit Seth
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Marcin Nowotny
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +48 22 597 0717; Fax: +48 22 597 0715;
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6
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Moreno Martinez D, Guillaumont D, Guilbaud P. Force Field Parameterization of Actinyl Molecular Cations Using the 12-6-4 Model. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:2432-2445. [PMID: 35537184 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In this work, a set of 12-6-4 force fields (FFs) parameters were developed for the actinyl molecular cations, AnO2n+ (n = 1, 2), from uranium to plutonium for classical molecular dynamics (MD) for four water models: TIP3P, SPC/E, OPC3, and TIP4Pew. Such a non-bonded potential model taking into account the induced dipole between the metallic center and the surrounding molecules has shown better performances for various cations than the classic 12-6 non-bonded potentials. The parametrization method proposed elsewhere for metallic cations has been extended to these molecular cations. In contrast to the actinyl 12-6 FFs from the literature, the new models reproduce correctly both solvation and thermodynamic properties, thanks to the inclusion of the induced dipole term (C4). The transferability of such force fields was assessed by performing MD simulations of carbonato actinyl species, which are highly implicated in actinide migration or actinide extraction from seawater. A highly satisfying agreement was found when comparing the EXAFS signals computed from our MD simulation to the experimental ones. The set of FFs developed here opens new possibilities for the study of actinide chemistry.
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7
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Li J, Wan H, Zhang H, Wang XL, Liu G, Wu G, He X, Deng Z, Zhao YL. Molecular recognition between bacterial phosphorothioate DNA and sulfur-binding domain (SBD): competition between the water cage and chalcogen-hydrophobic packet. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:9176-9187. [PMID: 35383346 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp00291d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial DNA phosphorothioation (PT) physiologically and stereo-specifically replaces a non-bridging oxygen in a phosphate link with a sulfur atom, which can be recognized by a highly conserved sulfur-binding domain (SBD). Here we conducted thermodynamic integration (TI), molecular dynamics simulation, and quantum chemical calculations to decipher the specific molecular interactions between PT-DNA and SBD in Streptomyces coelicolor type IV restriction enzyme ScoMcrA. The TI-calculated binding affinity of (5'-CCGRp-PSGCCGG-3')2 is larger than that of (5'-CCGGCCGG-3')2 by about 7.4-7.7 kcal mol-1. The binding difference dominantly stems from hydration energy of non-phosphorothioate DNA (9.8-10.6 kcal mol-1) in aqueous solution, despite the persistent preference of 2.6-3.2 kcal mol-1 in the DNA-SBD MD simulations. Furthermore, the quantum chemical calculations reveal an unusual non-covalent interaction in the phosphorothioate-binding scenario, where the PS⋯NP165 chalcogen bond prevails the PS⋯HCβ vdW interactions from the adjacent residues H116-R117-Y164-P165-A168. Thus, the chalcogen-hydrophobic interaction pulls PT-DNA into the SBD binding pocket while the water cage pulls a normal DNA molecule out. The synergetic mechanism suggests the special roles of the proline pyrrolidine group in the SBD proteins, consistent with the experimental observations in the X-ray crystallography and structural bioinformatics analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
| | - Haibo Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
| | - Haoqing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
| | - Xiao-Lei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
| | - Guang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
| | - Geng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
| | - Xinyi He
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
| | - Zixin Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
| | - Yi-Lei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
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8
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Chen Y. Recent progress in fluorescent aptasensors for the detection of aflatoxin B1 in food. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2022; 14:86-96. [PMID: 34897320 DOI: 10.1039/d1ay01714d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Aflatoxin B1 pollution is one of the most critical issues of food safety and has been categorized as a group I carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Aflatoxin B1 exists in various foods and feedstuff products and can be produced and contaminate food products in all processes, including growth, harvest, storage, or processing. Therefore, it is of great value for detecting and on-site monitoring aflatoxin B1. Aptamers are short single-stranded DNA or RNA obtained from the nucleic acid molecular library through SELEX. With advantages of high specificity, large affinity, and easy modification, aptasensors have become popular in a wide range of promising applications. This review focuses on recent advances on fluorescent aptamer sensors for the detection of aflatoxin B1, including their design strategies, working mechanisms, and applications to on-site detection. Finally, the current challenges and prospects are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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Shen M, Wang Y, Kan X. Dual-recognition colorimetric sensing of thrombin based on surface-imprinted aptamer-Fe 3O 4. J Mater Chem B 2021; 9:4249-4256. [PMID: 34008694 DOI: 10.1039/d1tb00565k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Thrombin plays an essential role in blood coagulation and some physiological and pathological processes. The convenient, rapid, sensitive, and specific detection of thrombin is of great significance in clinical research and diagnosis. Herein, surface molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was modified on aptamer-functionalized Fe3O4 nanoparticles (MIP-aptamer-Fe3O4 NP) for thrombin colorimetric assay by taking advantage of the peroxidase-like activity of Fe3O4 NP. With the adsorption of thrombin into imprinted cavities, the exposed surface area of Fe3O4 NP decreased, causing a decrease in its peroxidase-like activity toward 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H2O2. On the other hand, the reductive amino acids on the thrombin surface also impeded the oxidation of TMB. Both phenomena caused the light blue color of the sensing solution. Thus, a specifically sensitive colorimetric approach for the visual detection of thrombin was proposed with a linear range and limit of detection of 108.1 pmol L-1-2.7 × 10-5 mol L-1 and 27.8 pmol L-1, respectively. Moreover, due to the double recognition elements of MIP and aptamer, the prepared MIP-aptamer-Fe3O4 NP showed higher selectivity to thrombin than that based on only one recognition element. It is worth noting that no special property (e.g. electrochemical or fluorescence activity) of the template was required in this work. Thus, more template molecules can be easily, selectively, and sensitively detected based on the proposed MIP-aptamer-mimic enzyme colorimetric sensing strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingmei Shen
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, P. R. China. and The Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, Anhui Laboratory of Molecule-Based Materials, Anhui Key Laboratory of Chemo-Biosensing, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, P. R. China
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, P. R. China. and The Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, Anhui Laboratory of Molecule-Based Materials, Anhui Key Laboratory of Chemo-Biosensing, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, P. R. China
| | - Xianwen Kan
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, P. R. China. and The Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, Anhui Laboratory of Molecule-Based Materials, Anhui Key Laboratory of Chemo-Biosensing, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, P. R. China
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10
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Liczner C, Duke K, Juneau G, Egli M, Wilds CJ. Beyond ribose and phosphate: Selected nucleic acid modifications for structure-function investigations and therapeutic applications. Beilstein J Org Chem 2021; 17:908-931. [PMID: 33981365 PMCID: PMC8093555 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.17.76] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past 25 years, the acceleration of achievements in the development of oligonucleotide-based therapeutics has resulted in numerous new drugs making it to the market for the treatment of various diseases. Oligonucleotides with alterations to their scaffold, prepared with modified nucleosides and solid-phase synthesis, have yielded molecules with interesting biophysical properties that bind to their targets and are tolerated by the cellular machinery to elicit a therapeutic outcome. Structural techniques, such as crystallography, have provided insights to rationalize numerous properties including binding affinity, nuclease stability, and trends observed in the gene silencing. In this review, we discuss the chemistry, biophysical, and structural properties of a number of chemically modified oligonucleotides that have been explored for gene silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Liczner
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Kieran Duke
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Gabrielle Juneau
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Martin Egli
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, and Center for Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Christopher J Wilds
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
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11
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Pallan PS, Lybrand TP, Schlegel MK, Harp JM, Jahns H, Manoharan M, Egli M. Incorporating a Thiophosphate Modification into a Common RNA Tetraloop Motif Causes an Unanticipated Stability Boost. Biochemistry 2020; 59:4627-4637. [PMID: 33275419 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
GNRA (N = A, C, G, or U; R = A or G) tetraloops are common RNA secondary structural motifs and feature a phosphate stacked atop a nucleobase. The rRNA sarcin/ricin loop (SRL) is capped by GApGA, and the phosphate p stacks on G. We recently found that regiospecific incorporation of a single dithiophosphate (PS2) but not a monothiophosphate (PSO) instead of phosphate in the backbone of RNA aptamers dramatically increases the binding affinity for their targets. In the RNA:thrombin complex, the key contribution to the 1000-fold tighter binding stems from an edge-on contact between PS2 and a phenylalanine ring. Here we investigated the consequences of replacing the SRL phosphate engaged in a face-on interaction with guanine with either PS2 or PSO for stability. We found that PS2···G and Rp-PSO···G contacts stabilize modified SRLs compared to the parent loop to unexpected levels: up to 6.3 °C in melting temperature Tm and -4.7 kcal/mol in ΔΔG°. Crystal structures demonstrate that the vertical distance to guanine for the closest sulfur is just 0.05 Å longer on average compared to that of oxygen despite the larger van der Waals radius of the former (1.80 Å for S vs 1.52 Å for O). The higher stability is enthalpy-based, and the negative charge as assessed by a neutral methylphosphonate modification plays only a minor role. Quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical calculations are supportive of favorable dispersion attraction interactions by sulfur making the dominant contribution. A stacking interaction between phosphate and guanine (SRL) or uracil (U-turn) is also found in newly classified RNA tetraloop families besides GNRA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mark K Schlegel
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, 300 Third Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | | | - Hartmut Jahns
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, 300 Third Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Muthiah Manoharan
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, 300 Third Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
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Li L, Xu S, Yan H, Li X, Yazd HS, Li X, Huang T, Cui C, Jiang J, Tan W. Nucleic Acid Aptamers for Molecular Diagnostics and Therapeutics: Advances and Perspectives. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202003563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Long Li
- Department of Chemistry and Physiology and Functional Genomics Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface Health Cancer Center UF Genetics Institute McKnight Brain Institute University of Florida Gainesville Florida 32611 USA
| | - Shujuan Xu
- Department of Chemistry and Physiology and Functional Genomics Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface Health Cancer Center UF Genetics Institute McKnight Brain Institute University of Florida Gainesville Florida 32611 USA
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL) State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering College of Biology Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province Hunan University Changsha 410082 China
| | - He Yan
- Department of Chemistry and Physiology and Functional Genomics Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface Health Cancer Center UF Genetics Institute McKnight Brain Institute University of Florida Gainesville Florida 32611 USA
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL) State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering College of Biology Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province Hunan University Changsha 410082 China
| | - Xiaowei Li
- Department of Chemistry and Physiology and Functional Genomics Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface Health Cancer Center UF Genetics Institute McKnight Brain Institute University of Florida Gainesville Florida 32611 USA
| | - Hoda Safari Yazd
- Department of Chemistry and Physiology and Functional Genomics Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface Health Cancer Center UF Genetics Institute McKnight Brain Institute University of Florida Gainesville Florida 32611 USA
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Chemistry and Physiology and Functional Genomics Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface Health Cancer Center UF Genetics Institute McKnight Brain Institute University of Florida Gainesville Florida 32611 USA
| | - Tong Huang
- Department of Chemistry and Physiology and Functional Genomics Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface Health Cancer Center UF Genetics Institute McKnight Brain Institute University of Florida Gainesville Florida 32611 USA
| | - Cheng Cui
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL) State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering College of Biology Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province Hunan University Changsha 410082 China
- Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine (IBMC) Chinese Academy of Sciences The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Hangzhou Zhejiang 310022 China
| | - Jianhui Jiang
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL) State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering College of Biology Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province Hunan University Changsha 410082 China
| | - Weihong Tan
- Department of Chemistry and Physiology and Functional Genomics Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface Health Cancer Center UF Genetics Institute McKnight Brain Institute University of Florida Gainesville Florida 32611 USA
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL) State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering College of Biology Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province Hunan University Changsha 410082 China
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM) Renji Hospital State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
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13
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Li L, Xu S, Yan H, Li X, Yazd HS, Li X, Huang T, Cui C, Jiang J, Tan W. Nucleic Acid Aptamers for Molecular Diagnostics and Therapeutics: Advances and Perspectives. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 60:2221-2231. [PMID: 32282107 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202003563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The advent of SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) technology has shown the ability to evolve artificial ligands with affinity and specificity able to meet growing clinical demand for probes that can, for example, distinguish between the target leukemia cells and other cancer cells within the matrix of heterogeneity, which characterizes cancer cells. Though antibodies are the conventional and ideal choice as a molecular recognition tool for many applications, aptamers complement the use of antibodies due to many unique advantages, such as small size, low cost, and facile chemical modification. This Minireview will focus on the novel applications of aptamers and SELEX, as well as opportunities to develop molecular tools able to meet future clinical needs in biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Li
- Department of Chemistry and Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA
| | - Shujuan Xu
- Department of Chemistry and Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA.,Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - He Yan
- Department of Chemistry and Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA.,Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Xiaowei Li
- Department of Chemistry and Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA
| | - Hoda Safari Yazd
- Department of Chemistry and Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Chemistry and Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA
| | - Tong Huang
- Department of Chemistry and Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA
| | - Cheng Cui
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China.,Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310022, China
| | - Jianhui Jiang
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Weihong Tan
- Department of Chemistry and Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, Health Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA.,Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China.,Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
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Yamasaki K, Akutsu Y, Yamasaki T, Miyagishi M, Kubota T. Enhanced affinity of racemic phosphorothioate DNA with transcription factor SATB1 arising from diastereomer-specific hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic contacts. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:4551-4561. [PMID: 32187371 PMCID: PMC7192603 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphorothioate modification is commonly introduced into therapeutic oligonucleotides, typically as a racemic mixture in which either of the two non-bridging phosphate oxygens is replaced by sulfur, which frequently increases affinities with proteins. Here, we used isothermal titration calorimetry and X-ray crystallography to investigate the thermodynamic and structural properties of the interaction between the primary DNA-binding domain (CUTr1) of transcription factor SATB1 and dodecamer DNAs with racemic phosphorothioate modifications at the six sites known to contact CUTr1 directly. For both the modified and unmodified DNAs, the binding reactions were enthalpy-driven at a moderate salt concentration (50 mM NaCl), while being entropy-driven at higher salt concentrations with reduced affinities. The phosphorothioate modifications lowered this susceptibility to salt, resulting in a significantly enhanced affinity at a higher salt concentration (200 mM NaCl), although only some DNA molecular species remained interacting with CUTr1. This was explained by unequal populations of the two diastereomers in the crystal structure of the complex of CUTr1 and the phosphorothioate-modified DNA. The preferred diastereomer formed more hydrogen bonds with the oxygen atoms and/or more hydrophobic contacts with the sulfur atoms than the other, revealing the origins of the enhanced affinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiko Yamasaki
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
| | - Yukie Akutsu
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
| | - Tomoko Yamasaki
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
| | - Makoto Miyagishi
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
| | - Tomomi Kubota
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
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Feng QM, Ma P, Cao QH, Guo YH, Xu JJ. An aptamer-binding DNA walking machine for sensitive electrochemiluminescence detection of tumor exosomes. Chem Commun (Camb) 2020; 56:269-272. [PMID: 31807735 DOI: 10.1039/c9cc08051a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
An aptamer-binding DNA walking machine triggered by the recognition of aptamers to exosomes was firstly reported for sensitive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) detection of exosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiu-Mei Feng
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China
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McConnell EM, Cozma I, Morrison D, Li Y. Biosensors Made of Synthetic Functional Nucleic Acids Toward Better Human Health. Anal Chem 2019; 92:327-344. [PMID: 31656066 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b04868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Erin M McConnell
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences , McMaster University , Hamilton , Ontario , Canada , L8S 4K1
| | - Ioana Cozma
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences , McMaster University , Hamilton , Ontario , Canada , L8S 4K1.,Department of Surgery, Division of General Surgery , McMaster University , Hamilton , Ontario , Canada , L8S 4K1
| | - Devon Morrison
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences , McMaster University , Hamilton , Ontario , Canada , L8S 4K1
| | - Yingfu Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences , McMaster University , Hamilton , Ontario , Canada , L8S 4K1
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Abstract
Efforts to chemically modify nucleic acids got underway merely a decade after the discovery of the DNA double helix and initially targeted nucleosides and nucleotides. The origins of three analogues that remain staples of modification strategies and figure prominently in FDA-approved nucleic acid therapeutics can be traced to the 1960s: 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-RNA (2'-F RNA), 2'- O-methyl-RNA (2'- OMe RNA), and the phosphorothioates (PS-DNA/RNA). Progress in nucleoside phosphoramidite-based solid phase oligonucleotide synthesis has gone hand in hand with the creation of second-generation (e.g., 2'- O-(2-methoxyethyl)-RNA, MOE-RNA) and third-generation (e.g., bicyclic nucleic acids, BNAs) analogues, giving rise to an expanding universe of modified nucleic acids. Thus, beyond site-specifically altered DNAs and RNAs with a modified base, sugar, and/or phosphate backbone moieties, nucleic acid chemists have created a host of conjugated oligonucleotides and artificial genetic polymers (XNAs). The search for oligonucleotides with therapeutic efficacy constitutes a significant driving force for these investigations. However, nanotechnology, diagnostics, synthetic biology and genetics, nucleic acid etiology, and basic research directed at the properties of native and artificial pairing systems have all stimulated the design of ever more diverse modifications. Modification of nucleic acids can affect pairing and chemical stability, conformation and interactions with a flurry of proteins and enzymes that play important roles in uptake, transport or processing of targets. Enhancement of metabolic stability is a central concern in the design of antisense, siRNA and aptamer oligonucleotides for therapeutic applications. In the antisense approach, uniformly modified oligonucleotides or so-called gapmers are used to target a specific RNA. The former may sterically block transcription or direct alternative splicing, whereas the latter feature a central PS window that elicits RNase H-mediated cleavage of the target. The key enzyme in RNA interference (RNAi) is Argonaute 2 (Ago2), a dynamic multidomain enzyme that binds multiple regions of the guide (antisense) and passenger (sense) siRNAs. The complexity of the individual interactions between Ago2 and the siRNA duplex provides significant challenges for chemical modification. Therefore, a uniform (the same modification throughout, e.g., antisense) or nearly uniform (e.g., aptamer) modification strategy is less useful in the pursuit of siRNA therapeutic leads. Instead, unique structural features and protein interactions of 5'-end (guide/Ago2MID domain), seed region, central region (cleavage site/Ago2 PIWI domain), and 3'-terminal nucleotides (guide/Ago2 PAZ domain) demand a more nuanced approach in the design of chemically modified siRNAs for therapeutic use. This Account summarizes current siRNA modification strategies with an emphasis on the regio-specific interactions between oligonucleotide and Ago2 and how these affect the choice of modification and optimization of siRNA efficacy. In addition to standard assays applied to measure the effects of modification on the stability of pairing and resistance against nuclease degradation, structural insights based on crystallographic data for modified RNAs alone and in complex with Ago2 from molecular modeling studies are a valuable guide in the design of siRNA therapeutics. Thus, this comprehensive approach is expected to result in accelerated generation of new siRNA-based therapies against various diseases, now that the first siRNA has obtained approval by the US FDA for treatment of hereditary hATTR amyloidosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Egli
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Muthiah Manoharan
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, 300 Third Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
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