1
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Stewart JM. RNA nanotechnology on the horizon: Self-assembly, chemical modifications, and functional applications. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2024; 81:102479. [PMID: 38889473 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.102479] [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: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
RNA nanotechnology harnesses the unique chemical and structural properties of RNA to build nanoassemblies and supramolecular structures with dynamic and functional capabilities. This review focuses on design and assembly approaches to building RNA structures, the RNA chemical modifications used to enhance stability and functionality, and modern-day applications in therapeutics, biosensing, and bioimaging.
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2
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He S, Huang R, Townley J, Kretsch RC, Karagianes TG, Cox DBT, Blair H, Penzar D, Vyaltsev V, Aristova E, Zinkevich A, Bakulin A, Sohn H, Krstevski D, Fukui T, Tatematsu F, Uchida Y, Jang D, Lee JS, Shieh R, Ma T, Martynov E, Shugaev MV, Bukhari HST, Fujikawa K, Onodera K, Henkel C, Ron S, Romano J, Nicol JJ, Nye GP, Wu Y, Choe C, Reade W, Das R. Ribonanza: deep learning of RNA structure through dual crowdsourcing. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.24.581671. [PMID: 38464325 PMCID: PMC10925082 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.24.581671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Prediction of RNA structure from sequence remains an unsolved problem, and progress has been slowed by a paucity of experimental data. Here, we present Ribonanza, a dataset of chemical mapping measurements on two million diverse RNA sequences collected through Eterna and other crowdsourced initiatives. Ribonanza measurements enabled solicitation, training, and prospective evaluation of diverse deep neural networks through a Kaggle challenge, followed by distillation into a single, self-contained model called RibonanzaNet. When fine tuned on auxiliary datasets, RibonanzaNet achieves state-of-the-art performance in modeling experimental sequence dropout, RNA hydrolytic degradation, and RNA secondary structure, with implications for modeling RNA tertiary structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujun He
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, TX, USA
| | - Rui Huang
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - David B T Cox
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, and Department of Biochemistry, Stanford CA, USA
| | | | - Dmitry Penzar
- AIRI, Moscow, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Valeriy Vyaltsev
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation
| | - Elizaveta Aristova
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation
| | - Arsenii Zinkevich
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation
| | - Artemy Bakulin
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation
| | - Hoyeol Sohn
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, TX, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford CA, USA
- Eterna Massive Open Laboratory
- Biophysics Program, Stanford CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, and Department of Biochemistry, Stanford CA, USA
- Department of Mathematics, Stanford CA, USA
- AIRI, Moscow, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation
- GO Inc., Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- DeltaX, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4745, USA
- Vergesense, CA
- DeNA, Tokyo, Japan
- NVIDIA, Tokyo, Japan
- NVIDIA, Munich
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford CA, USA
- Kaggle, San Francisco CA, USA
| | - Daniel Krstevski
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, TX, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford CA, USA
- Eterna Massive Open Laboratory
- Biophysics Program, Stanford CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, and Department of Biochemistry, Stanford CA, USA
- Department of Mathematics, Stanford CA, USA
- AIRI, Moscow, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation
- GO Inc., Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- DeltaX, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4745, USA
- Vergesense, CA
- DeNA, Tokyo, Japan
- NVIDIA, Tokyo, Japan
- NVIDIA, Munich
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford CA, USA
- Kaggle, San Francisco CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Donghoon Jang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Roger Shieh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, TX, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford CA, USA
- Eterna Massive Open Laboratory
- Biophysics Program, Stanford CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, and Department of Biochemistry, Stanford CA, USA
- Department of Mathematics, Stanford CA, USA
- AIRI, Moscow, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation
- GO Inc., Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- DeltaX, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4745, USA
- Vergesense, CA
- DeNA, Tokyo, Japan
- NVIDIA, Tokyo, Japan
- NVIDIA, Munich
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford CA, USA
- Kaggle, San Francisco CA, USA
| | - Tom Ma
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, TX, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford CA, USA
- Eterna Massive Open Laboratory
- Biophysics Program, Stanford CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, and Department of Biochemistry, Stanford CA, USA
- Department of Mathematics, Stanford CA, USA
- AIRI, Moscow, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation
- GO Inc., Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- DeltaX, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4745, USA
- Vergesense, CA
- DeNA, Tokyo, Japan
- NVIDIA, Tokyo, Japan
- NVIDIA, Munich
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford CA, USA
- Kaggle, San Francisco CA, USA
| | - Eduard Martynov
- Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation
| | - Maxim V Shugaev
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4745, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Shlomo Ron
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, TX, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford CA, USA
- Eterna Massive Open Laboratory
- Biophysics Program, Stanford CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, and Department of Biochemistry, Stanford CA, USA
- Department of Mathematics, Stanford CA, USA
- AIRI, Moscow, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation
- GO Inc., Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- DeltaX, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4745, USA
- Vergesense, CA
- DeNA, Tokyo, Japan
- NVIDIA, Tokyo, Japan
- NVIDIA, Munich
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford CA, USA
- Kaggle, San Francisco CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Romano
- Eterna Massive Open Laboratory
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
| | | | - Grace P Nye
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford CA, USA
| | - Yuan Wu
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
| | | | | | - Rhiju Das
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford CA, USA
- Biophysics Program, Stanford CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
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3
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Jang SS, Ray KK, Lynall DG, Shepard KL, Nuckolls C, Gonzalez RL. RNA adapts its flexibility to efficiently fold and resist unfolding. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.27.595525. [PMID: 38853856 PMCID: PMC11160689 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.27.595525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that the mechanisms through which biopolymers like RNA interconvert between multiple folded structures are critical for their cellular functions. A major obstacle to elucidating these mechanisms is the lack of experimental approaches that can resolve these interconversions between functionally relevant biomolecular structures. Here, using a nano-electronic device with microsecond time resolution, we dissect the complete set of structural rearrangements executed by an ultra-stable RNA, the UUCG stem-loop, at the single-molecule level. We show that the stem-loop samples at least four conformations along two folding pathways leading to two distinct folded structures, only one of which has been previously observed. By modulating its flexibility, the stem-loop can adaptively select between these pathways, enabling it to both fold rapidly and resist unfolding. This paradigm of stabilization through compensatory changes in flexibility broadens our understanding of stable RNA structures and is expected to serve as a general strategy employed by all biopolymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukjin S. Jang
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA
| | - Korak Kumar Ray
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA
| | - David G. Lynall
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA
| | - Kenneth L. Shepard
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA
| | - Colin Nuckolls
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA
| | - Ruben L. Gonzalez
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA
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4
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Joshi CK, Jamasb AR, Viñas R, Harris C, Mathis SV, Morehead A, Anand R, Liò P. gRNAde: Geometric Deep Learning for 3D RNA inverse design. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.31.587283. [PMID: 38826198 PMCID: PMC11142113 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.31.587283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Computational RNA design tasks are often posed as inverse problems, where sequences are designed based on adopting a single desired secondary structure without considering 3D geometry and conformational diversity. We introduce gRNAde, a geometric RNA design pipeline operating on 3D RNA backbones to design sequences that explicitly account for structure and dynamics. Under the hood, gRNAde is a multi-state Graph Neural Network that generates candidate RNA sequences conditioned on one or more 3D backbone structures where the identities of the bases are unknown. On a single-state fixed backbone re-design benchmark of 14 RNA structures from the PDB identified by Das et al. [2010], gRNAde obtains higher native sequence recovery rates (56% on average) compared to Rosetta (45% on average), taking under a second to produce designs compared to the reported hours for Rosetta. We further demonstrate the utility of gRNAde on a new benchmark of multi-state design for structurally flexible RNAs, as well as zero-shot ranking of mutational fitness landscapes in a retrospective analysis of a recent RNA polymerase ribozyme structure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arian R Jamasb
- University of Cambridge, UK
- Prescient Design, Genentech, Roche
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5
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Zhang WQ, Tu YD, Liu H, Liu R, Zhang XJ, Jiang L, Huang Y, Xia F. A Single Set of Well-Designed Aptamer Probes for Reliable On-site Qualitative and Ultra-Sensitive Quantitative Detection. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202316434. [PMID: 38192021 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202316434] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Aptamer-based probes are pivotal components in various sensing strategies, owing to their exceptional specificity and versatile programmable structure. Nevertheless, numerous aptamer-based probes usually offer only a single function, limiting their capacity to meet the diverse requirements of multi-faceted sensing systems. Here, we introduced supersandwich DNA probes (SSW-DNA), designed and modified on the outer surface of nanochannels with hydrophobic inner walls, enabling dual functionality: qualitative detection for on-site analysis and quantitative detection for precise analysis. The fragmented DNAs resulting from the target recognition, are subsequently identified through lateral flow assays, enabling robust on-site qualitative detection of microcystin-LR with an impressively low limit of detection (LOD) at 0.01 μg/L. Meanwhile, the nanochannels enable highly sensitive quantification of microcystin-LR through the current analysis, achieving an exceptionally low LOD at 2.5×10-7 μg/L, with a broad dynamic range spanning from 1×10-6 to 1×102 μg/L. Furthermore, the process of target recognition introduces just a single potential error propagation, which reduces the overall risk of errors during the entire qualitative and quantitative detection process. This sensing strategy broadens the scope of applications for aptamer-based composite probes, holding promising implications across diverse fields, such as medical diagnosis, food safety, and environmental protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Qi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Material Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China
| | - Yi-Dan Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Material Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China
| | - Hong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Material Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China
| | - Rui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Material Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Jin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Material Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China
| | - Lei Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Yu Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Material Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China
| | - Fan Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Material Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China
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6
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Pham TM, Miffin T, Sun H, Sharp KK, Wang X, Zhu M, Hoshika S, Peterson RJ, Benner SA, Kahn JD, Mathews DH. DNA Structure Design Is Improved Using an Artificially Expanded Alphabet of Base Pairs Including Loop and Mismatch Thermodynamic Parameters. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:2750-2763. [PMID: 37671922 PMCID: PMC10510751 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00358] [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: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
We show that in silico design of DNA secondary structures is improved by extending the base pairing alphabet beyond A-T and G-C to include the pair between 2-amino-8-(1'-β-d-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl)-imidazo-[1,2-a]-1,3,5-triazin-(8H)-4-one and 6-amino-3-(1'-β-d-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl)-5-nitro-(1H)-pyridin-2-one, abbreviated as P and Z. To obtain the thermodynamic parameters needed to include P-Z pairs in the designs, we performed 47 optical melting experiments and combined the results with previous work to fit free energy and enthalpy nearest neighbor folding parameters for P-Z pairs and G-Z wobble pairs. We find G-Z pairs have stability comparable to that of A-T pairs and should therefore be included as base pairs in structure prediction and design algorithms. Additionally, we extrapolated the set of loop, terminal mismatch, and dangling end parameters to include the P and Z nucleotides. These parameters were incorporated into the RNAstructure software package for secondary structure prediction and analysis. Using the RNAstructure Design program, we solved 99 of the 100 design problems posed by Eterna using the ACGT alphabet or supplementing it with P-Z pairs. Extending the alphabet reduced the propensity of sequences to fold into off-target structures, as evaluated by the normalized ensemble defect (NED). The NED values were improved relative to those from the Eterna example solutions in 91 of 99 cases in which Eterna-player solutions were provided. P-Z-containing designs had average NED values of 0.040, significantly below the 0.074 of standard-DNA-only designs, and inclusion of the P-Z pairs decreased the time needed to converge on a design. This work provides a sample pipeline for inclusion of any expanded alphabet nucleotides into prediction and design workflows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuan M. Pham
- Department
of Biochemistry & Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | - Terrel Miffin
- Department
of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University
of Maryland, College
Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - Hongying Sun
- Department
of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical
Center, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | - Kenneth K. Sharp
- Department
of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University
of Maryland, College
Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - Xiaoyu Wang
- Department
of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University
of Maryland, College
Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - Mingyi Zhu
- Department
of Biochemistry & Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | - Shuichi Hoshika
- Foundation
for Applied Molecular Evolution, Alachua, Florida 32615, United States
| | | | - Steven A. Benner
- Foundation
for Applied Molecular Evolution, Alachua, Florida 32615, United States
| | - Jason D. Kahn
- Department
of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University
of Maryland, College
Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - David H. Mathews
- Department
of Biochemistry & Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
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7
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Pham TM, Miffin T, Sun H, Sharp KK, Wang X, Zhu M, Hoshika S, Peterson RJ, Benner SA, Kahn JD, Mathews DH. DNA Structure Design Is Improved Using an Artificially Expanded Alphabet of Base Pairs Including Loop and Mismatch Thermodynamic Parameters. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.06.543917. [PMID: 37333404 PMCID: PMC10274641 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.06.543917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
We show that in silico design of DNA secondary structures is improved by extending the base pairing alphabet beyond A-T and G-C to include the pair between 2-amino-8-(1'-β-D-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl)-imidazo-[1,2- a ]-1,3,5-triazin-(8 H )-4-one and 6-amino-3-(1'-β-D-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl)-5-nitro-(1 H )-pyridin-2-one, simply P and Z. To obtain the thermodynamic parameters needed to include P-Z pairs in the designs, we performed 47 optical melting experiments and combined the results with previous work to fit a new set of free energy and enthalpy nearest neighbor folding parameters for P-Z pairs and G-Z wobble pairs. We find that G-Z pairs have stability comparable to A-T pairs and therefore should be considered quantitatively by structure prediction and design algorithms. Additionally, we extrapolated the set of loop, terminal mismatch, and dangling end parameters to include P and Z nucleotides. These parameters were incorporated into the RNAstructure software package for secondary structure prediction and analysis. Using the RNAstructure Design program, we solved 99 of the 100 design problems posed by Eterna using the ACGT alphabet or supplementing with P-Z pairs. Extending the alphabet reduced the propensity of sequences to fold into off-target structures, as evaluated by the normalized ensemble defect (NED). The NED values were improved relative to those from the Eterna example solutions in 91 of 99 cases where Eterna-player solutions were provided. P-Z-containing designs had average NED values of 0.040, significantly below the 0.074 of standard-DNA-only designs, and inclusion of the P-Z pairs decreased the time needed to converge on a design. This work provides a sample pipeline for inclusion of any expanded alphabet nucleotides into prediction and design workflows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuan M. Pham
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
| | - Terrel Miffin
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
| | - Hongying Sun
- Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
| | - Kenneth K. Sharp
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
| | - Xiaoyu Wang
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
| | - Mingyi Zhu
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
| | | | | | | | - Jason D. Kahn
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
| | - David H. Mathews
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
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8
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Hansen LN, Kletzien OA, Urquijo M, Schwanz LT, Batey RT. Context-dependence of T-loop Mediated Long-range RNA Tertiary Interactions. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168070. [PMID: 37003469 PMCID: PMC10152882 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
The architecture and folding of complex RNAs is governed by a limited set of highly recurrent structural motifs that form long-range tertiary interactions. One of these motifs is the T-loop, which was first identified in tRNA but is broadly distributed across biological RNAs. While the T-loop has been examined in detail in different biological contexts, the various receptors that it interacts with are not as well defined. In this study, we use a cell-based genetic screen in concert with bioinformatic analysis to examine three different, but related, T-loop receptor motifs found in the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and cobalamin (Cbl) riboswitches. As a host for different T-loop receptors, we employed the env8 class-II Cbl riboswitch, an RNA that uses two T-loop motifs for both folding and supporting the ligand binding pocket. A set of libraries was created in which select nucleotides that participate in the T-loop/T-loop receptor (TL/TLR) interaction were fully randomized. Library members were screened for their ability to support Cbl-dependent expression of a reporter gene. While T-loops appear to be variable in sequence, we find that the functional sequence space is more restricted in the Cbl riboswitch, suggesting that TL/TLR interactions are context dependent. Our data reveal clear sequence signatures for the different types of receptor motifs that align with phylogenic analysis of these motifs in the FMN and Cbl riboswitches. Finally, our data suggest the functional contribution of various nucleobase-mediated long-range interactions within the riboswitch subclass of TL/TLR interactions that are distinct from those found in other RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa N Hansen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0596, USA
| | - Otto A Kletzien
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0596, USA
| | - Marcus Urquijo
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0596, USA
| | - Logan T Schwanz
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0596, USA. https://twitter.com/Lschwanzbio
| | - Robert T Batey
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0596, USA.
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9
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Langlois NI, Ma KY, Clark HA. Nucleic acid nanostructures for in vivo applications: The influence of morphology on biological fate. APPLIED PHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 10:011304. [PMID: 36874908 PMCID: PMC9869343 DOI: 10.1063/5.0121820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The development of programmable biomaterials for use in nanofabrication represents a major advance for the future of biomedicine and diagnostics. Recent advances in structural nanotechnology using nucleic acids have resulted in dramatic progress in our understanding of nucleic acid-based nanostructures (NANs) for use in biological applications. As the NANs become more architecturally and functionally diverse to accommodate introduction into living systems, there is a need to understand how critical design features can be controlled to impart desired performance in vivo. In this review, we survey the range of nucleic acid materials utilized as structural building blocks (DNA, RNA, and xenonucleic acids), the diversity of geometries for nanofabrication, and the strategies to functionalize these complexes. We include an assessment of the available and emerging characterization tools used to evaluate the physical, mechanical, physiochemical, and biological properties of NANs in vitro. Finally, the current understanding of the obstacles encountered along the in vivo journey is contextualized to demonstrate how morphological features of NANs influence their biological fates. We envision that this summary will aid researchers in the designing novel NAN morphologies, guide characterization efforts, and design of experiments and spark interdisciplinary collaborations to fuel advancements in programmable platforms for biological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole I. Langlois
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Kristine Y. Ma
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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10
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Krüger A, Watkins AM, Wellington-Oguri R, Romano J, Kofman C, DeFoe A, Kim Y, Anderson-Lee J, Fisker E, Townley J, d'Aquino AE, Das R, Jewett MC. Community science designed ribosomes with beneficial phenotypes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:961. [PMID: 36810740 PMCID: PMC9944925 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35827-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional design of ribosomes with mutant ribosomal RNA (rRNA) can expand opportunities for understanding molecular translation, building cells from the bottom-up, and engineering ribosomes with altered capabilities. However, such efforts are hampered by cell viability constraints, an enormous combinatorial sequence space, and limitations on large-scale, 3D design of RNA structures and functions. To address these challenges, we develop an integrated community science and experimental screening approach for rational design of ribosomes. This approach couples Eterna, an online video game that crowdsources RNA sequence design to community scientists in the form of puzzles, with in vitro ribosome synthesis, assembly, and translation in multiple design-build-test-learn cycles. We apply our framework to discover mutant rRNA sequences that improve protein synthesis in vitro and cell growth in vivo, relative to wild type ribosomes, under diverse environmental conditions. This work provides insights into rRNA sequence-function relationships and has implications for synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antje Krüger
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, and Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.,Resilience US Inc, 9310 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Andrew M Watkins
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Prescient Design, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | | | - Jonathan Romano
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Eterna Massive Open Laboratory, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Department of Computer Science and Engineering, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Camila Kofman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, and Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Alysse DeFoe
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, and Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Yejun Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, and Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | | | - Eli Fisker
- Eterna Massive Open Laboratory, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Jill Townley
- Eterna Massive Open Laboratory, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | | | - Anne E d'Aquino
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, and Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Rhiju Das
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Michael C Jewett
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, and Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA. .,Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center and Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
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11
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Lee K, Willi JA, Cho N, Kim I, Jewett MC, Lee J. Cell-free Biosynthesis of Peptidomimetics. BIOTECHNOL BIOPROC E 2023; 28:1-17. [PMID: 36778039 PMCID: PMC9896473 DOI: 10.1007/s12257-022-0268-5] [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: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
A wide variety of peptidomimetics (peptide analogs) possessing innovative biological functions have been brought forth as therapeutic candidates through cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) systems. A key feature of these peptidomimetic drugs is the use of non-canonical amino acid building blocks with diverse biochemical properties that expand functional diversity. Here, we summarize recent technologies leveraging CFPS platforms to expand the reach of peptidomimetics drugs. We also offer perspectives on engineering the translational machinery that may open new opportunities for expanding genetically encoded chemistry to transform drug discovery practice beyond traditional boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanghun Lee
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I-Bio), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673 Korea
| | - Jessica A. Willi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 USA
| | - Namjin Cho
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673 Korea
| | - Inseon Kim
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I-Bio), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673 Korea
| | - Michael C. Jewett
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 USA
| | - Joongoo Lee
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I-Bio), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673 Korea
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673 Korea
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12
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Jurich CP, Yesselman JD. Automated 3D Design and Evaluation of RNA Nanostructures with RNAMake. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2586:251-261. [PMID: 36705909 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2768-6_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Despite growing interest in applying RNA's unique structural characteristics to solve diverse biotechnology and nanotechnology problems, there are few computational tools for targeted tertiary design. As a result, RNA 3D design is traditionally slow, resource-consuming, and dependent on expert modeling. In this chapter, we discuss our recently developed software package: RNAMake, a set of applications capable of designing RNA tertiary structures to solve various relevant nanotechnology problems and provide basic thermodynamic calculations for the generated designs. We provide in-depth examples and instructions for designing example RNA nanostructures such as minimal RNA sequences containing a single tertiary contact, generating RNAs that stabilize small-molecule ligands, and building tethers that link ribosomal subunits together. We also highlight the addition of a new Monte Carlo design algorithm and the ability to estimate the thermodynamic contribution of helical elements in RNA 3D structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris P Jurich
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Joseph D Yesselman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
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13
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Moussa S, Kilgour M, Jans C, Hernandez-Garcia A, Cuperlovic-Culf M, Bengio Y, Simine L. Diversifying Design of Nucleic Acid Aptamers Using Unsupervised Machine Learning. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:62-68. [PMID: 36574492 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Inverse design of short single-stranded RNA and DNA sequences (aptamers) is the task of finding sequences that satisfy a set of desired criteria. Relevant criteria may be, for example, the presence of specific folding motifs, binding to molecular ligands, sensing properties, and so on. Most practical approaches to aptamer design identify a small set of promising candidate sequences using high-throughput experiments (e.g., SELEX) and then optimize performance by introducing only minor modifications to the empirically found candidates. Sequences that possess the desired properties but differ drastically in chemical composition will add diversity to the search space and facilitate the discovery of useful nucleic acid aptamers. Systematic diversification protocols are needed. Here we propose to use an unsupervised machine learning model known as the Potts model to discover new, useful sequences with controllable sequence diversity. We start by training a Potts model using the maximum entropy principle on a small set of empirically identified sequences unified by a common feature. To generate new candidate sequences with a controllable degree of diversity, we take advantage of the model's spectral feature: an "energy" bandgap separating sequences that are similar to the training set from those that are distinct. By controlling the Potts energy range that is sampled, we generate sequences that are distinct from the training set yet still likely to have the encoded features. To demonstrate performance, we apply our approach to design diverse pools of sequences with specified secondary structure motifs in 30-mer RNA and DNA aptamers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siba Moussa
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QuebecH3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Michael Kilgour
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QuebecH3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Clara Jans
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QuebecH3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Alex Hernandez-Garcia
- Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms, 6666 St. Urbain, #200, Montreal, QuebecH2S 3H1, Canada
| | - Miroslava Cuperlovic-Culf
- Digital Technologies Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, OntarioK1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Yoshua Bengio
- Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms, 6666 St. Urbain, #200, Montreal, QuebecH2S 3H1, Canada
| | - Lena Simine
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QuebecH3A 0B8, Canada
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14
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Non-viral nucleic acid delivery approach: A boon for state-of-the-art gene delivery. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2023.104152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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15
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Poppleton E, Urbanek N, Chakraborty T, Griffo A, Monari L, Göpfrich K. RNA origami: design, simulation and application. RNA Biol 2023; 20:510-524. [PMID: 37498217 PMCID: PMC10376919 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2023.2237719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Design strategies for DNA and RNA nanostructures have developed along parallel lines for the past 30 years, from small structural motifs derived from biology to large 'origami' structures with thousands to tens of thousands of bases. With the recent publication of numerous RNA origami structures and improved design methods-even permitting co-transcriptional folding of kilobase-sized structures - the RNA nanotechnolgy field is at an inflection point. Here, we review the key achievements which inspired and enabled RNA origami design and draw comparisons with the development and applications of DNA origami structures. We further present the available computational tools for the design and the simulation, which will be key to the growth of the RNA origami community. Finally, we portray the transition from RNA origami structure to function. Several functional RNA origami structures exist already, their expression in cells has been demonstrated and first applications in cell biology have already been realized. Overall, we foresee that the fast-paced RNA origami field will provide new molecular hardware for biophysics, synthetic biology and biomedicine, complementing the DNA origami toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Poppleton
- Biophysical Engineering Group, Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Biophysical Engineering Group, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
- Molecular Biomechanics, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Niklas Urbanek
- Biophysical Engineering Group, Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Biophysical Engineering Group, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Taniya Chakraborty
- Biophysical Engineering Group, Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Biophysical Engineering Group, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alessandra Griffo
- Biophysical Engineering Group, Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Biophysical Engineering Group, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Luca Monari
- Biophysical Engineering Group, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institut de Science Et D’ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Kerstin Göpfrich
- Biophysical Engineering Group, Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Biophysical Engineering Group, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
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16
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Biomotors, viral assembly, and RNA nanobiotechnology: Current achievements and future directions. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:6120-6137. [PMID: 36420155 PMCID: PMC9672130 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The International Society of RNA Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine (ISRNN) serves to further the development of a wide variety of functional nucleic acids and other related nanotechnology platforms. To aid in the dissemination of the most recent advancements, a biennial discussion focused on biomotors, viral assembly, and RNA nanobiotechnology has been established where international experts in interdisciplinary fields such as structural biology, biophysical chemistry, nanotechnology, cell and cancer biology, and pharmacology share their latest accomplishments and future perspectives. The results summarized here highlight advancements in our understanding of viral biology and the structure-function relationship of frame-shifting elements in genomic viral RNA, improvements in the predictions of SHAPE analysis of 3D RNA structures, and the understanding of dynamic RNA structures through a variety of experimental and computational means. Additionally, recent advances in the drug delivery, vaccine design, nanopore technologies, biomotor and biomachine development, DNA packaging, RNA nanotechnology, and drug delivery are included in this critical review. We emphasize some of the novel accomplishments, major discussion topics, and present current challenges and perspectives of these emerging fields.
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17
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Gowland S, Jewett MC. Mobile Translation Systems Generate Genomically Engineered Escherichia coli Cells with Improved Growth Phenotypes. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:2969-2978. [PMID: 35951371 PMCID: PMC9990117 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Cellular translation is responsible for the synthesis of proteins, a highly diverse class of macromolecules that form the basis of biological function. In Escherichia coli, harnessing and engineering of the biomolecular components of translation, such as ribosomes, transfer RNAs (tRNAs), and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, has led to both biotechnology products and an expanded genetic code. However, the engineering potential of molecular translation is hampered by the limited capabilities for rapidly sampling the large genomic space necessary to evolve well-coordinated synthetic translation networks inside cells. To address this limitation, we developed a genome engineering method inspired by the action of mobile genetic elements termed mobilization. Mobilization utilizes the stochastic action of the recombinase flippase (FLP) to generate up to ∼400 million genomic insertions, deletions, or rearrangements at flippase recognition target sites per milliliter of culture per OD in living E. coli cells. As a model, we applied our approach to evolve faster-growing E. coli strains living exclusively off genomically expressed tethered ribosomes. In an iterative "pulse-passaging scheme," we generated genomic libraries of cells via induction of FLP recombinase (pulse) followed by passaging the population without induction of FLP to enrich the resulting population for cells with higher fitness. We observed large structural genomic diversity across these cells, with the fastest growing strains exhibiting a 71% increase in growth rate compared to the ancestral strain. We anticipate that both these strains and the mobilization method will be useful tools for synthetic biology efforts to engineer translation systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Gowland
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States.,Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Michael C Jewett
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States.,Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States.,Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States.,Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States
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18
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Jurich CP, Brivanlou A, Rouskin S, Yesselman JD. Web-based platform for analysis of RNA folding from high throughput chemical probing data. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:W266-W271. [PMID: 35657086 PMCID: PMC9252807 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA structures play critical roles in regulating gene expression across all domains of life and viruses. Chemical probing methods coupled with massively parallel sequencing have revolutionized the RNA structure field by enabling the assessment of many structures in their native, physiological context. Previously, we developed Dimethyl-Sulfate-based Mutational Profiling and Sequencing (DMS-MaPseq), which uses DMS to label the Watson-Crick face of open and accessible adenine and cytosine bases in the RNA. We used this approach to determine the genome-wide structures of HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 in infected cells, which permitted uncovering new biology and identifying therapeutic targets. Due to the simplicity and ease of the experimental procedure, DMS-MaPseq has been adopted by labs worldwide. However, bioinformatic analysis remains a substantial hurdle for labs that often lack the necessary infrastructure and computational expertise. Here we present a modern web-based interface that automates the analysis of chemical probing profiles from raw sequencing files (http://rnadreem.org). The availability of a simple web-based platform for DMS-MaPseq analysis will dramatically expand studies of RNA structure and aid in the design of structure-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amir Brivanlou
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Silvi Rouskin
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Joseph D Yesselman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
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19
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Mendes BB, Conniot J, Avital A, Yao D, Jiang X, Zhou X, Sharf-Pauker N, Xiao Y, Adir O, Liang H, Shi J, Schroeder A, Conde J. Nanodelivery of nucleic acids. NATURE REVIEWS. METHODS PRIMERS 2022; 2:24. [PMID: 35480987 PMCID: PMC9038125 DOI: 10.1038/s43586-022-00104-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 81.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
There is growing need for a safe, efficient, specific and non-pathogenic means for delivery of gene therapy materials. Nanomaterials for nucleic acid delivery offer an unprecedented opportunity to overcome these drawbacks; owing to their tunability with diverse physico-chemical properties, they can readily be functionalized with any type of biomolecules/moieties for selective targeting. Nucleic acid therapeutics such as antisense DNA, mRNA, small interfering RNA (siRNA) or microRNA (miRNA) have been widely explored to modulate DNA or RNA expression Strikingly, gene therapies combined with nanoscale delivery systems have broadened the therapeutic and biomedical applications of these molecules, such as bioanalysis, gene silencing, protein replacement and vaccines. Here, we overview how to design smart nucleic acid delivery methods, which provide functionality and efficacy in the layout of molecular diagnostics and therapeutic systems. It is crucial to outline some of the general design considerations of nucleic acid delivery nanoparticles, their extraordinary properties and the structure-function relationships of these nanomaterials with biological systems and diseased cells and tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara B. Mendes
- NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Centre for Toxicogenomics and Human Health, Genetics, Oncology and Human Toxicology, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- These authors contributed equally: Bárbara B. Mendes, João Conniot, Aviram Avital, Dongbao Yao, Xingya Jiang, Xiang Zhou, Noga Sharf-Pauker, Yuling Xiao, Omer Adir
| | - João Conniot
- NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Centre for Toxicogenomics and Human Health, Genetics, Oncology and Human Toxicology, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- These authors contributed equally: Bárbara B. Mendes, João Conniot, Aviram Avital, Dongbao Yao, Xingya Jiang, Xiang Zhou, Noga Sharf-Pauker, Yuling Xiao, Omer Adir
| | - Aviram Avital
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion — Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- The Norman Seiden Multidisciplinary Program for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Technion — Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- These authors contributed equally: Bárbara B. Mendes, João Conniot, Aviram Avital, Dongbao Yao, Xingya Jiang, Xiang Zhou, Noga Sharf-Pauker, Yuling Xiao, Omer Adir
| | - Dongbao Yao
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China
- These authors contributed equally: Bárbara B. Mendes, João Conniot, Aviram Avital, Dongbao Yao, Xingya Jiang, Xiang Zhou, Noga Sharf-Pauker, Yuling Xiao, Omer Adir
| | - Xingya Jiang
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Bárbara B. Mendes, João Conniot, Aviram Avital, Dongbao Yao, Xingya Jiang, Xiang Zhou, Noga Sharf-Pauker, Yuling Xiao, Omer Adir
| | - Xiang Zhou
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China
- These authors contributed equally: Bárbara B. Mendes, João Conniot, Aviram Avital, Dongbao Yao, Xingya Jiang, Xiang Zhou, Noga Sharf-Pauker, Yuling Xiao, Omer Adir
| | - Noga Sharf-Pauker
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion — Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- The Norman Seiden Multidisciplinary Program for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Technion — Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- These authors contributed equally: Bárbara B. Mendes, João Conniot, Aviram Avital, Dongbao Yao, Xingya Jiang, Xiang Zhou, Noga Sharf-Pauker, Yuling Xiao, Omer Adir
| | - Yuling Xiao
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Bárbara B. Mendes, João Conniot, Aviram Avital, Dongbao Yao, Xingya Jiang, Xiang Zhou, Noga Sharf-Pauker, Yuling Xiao, Omer Adir
| | - Omer Adir
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion — Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- The Norman Seiden Multidisciplinary Program for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Technion — Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- These authors contributed equally: Bárbara B. Mendes, João Conniot, Aviram Avital, Dongbao Yao, Xingya Jiang, Xiang Zhou, Noga Sharf-Pauker, Yuling Xiao, Omer Adir
| | - Haojun Liang
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jinjun Shi
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Avi Schroeder
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion — Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - João Conde
- NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Centre for Toxicogenomics and Human Health, Genetics, Oncology and Human Toxicology, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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20
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Perez JG, Carlson ED, Weisser O, Kofman C, Seki K, Des Soye BJ, Karim AS, Jewett MC. Improving genomically recoded Escherichia coli to produce proteins containing non-canonical amino acids. Biotechnol J 2022; 17:e2100330. [PMID: 34894206 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202100330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A genomically recoded Escherichia coli strain that lacks all amber codons and release factor 1 (C321.∆A) enables efficient genetic encoding of chemically diverse non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins. While C321.∆A has opened new opportunities in chemical and synthetic biology, this strain has not been optimized for protein production, limiting its utility in widespread industrial and academic applications. To address this limitation, the construction of a series of genomically recoded organisms that are optimized for cellular protein production is described. It is demonstrated that the functional deactivation of nucleases (e.g., rne, endA) and proteases (e.g., lon) increases production of wild-type superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP) and sfGFP containing two ncAAs up to ≈5-fold. Additionally, a genomic IPTG-inducible T7 RNA polymerase (T7RNAP) cassette into these strains is introduced. Using an optimized platform, the ability to introduce two identical N6 -(propargyloxycarbonyl)-L -Lysine residues site specifically into sfGFP with a 17-fold improvement in production relative to the parent strain is demonstrated. The authors envision that their library of organisms will provide the community with multiple options for increased expression of proteins with new and diverse chemistries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica G Perez
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Erik D Carlson
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Oliver Weisser
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Camila Kofman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Kosuke Seki
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Benjamin J Des Soye
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Ashty S Karim
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Michael C Jewett
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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21
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Dykstra PB, Kaplan M, Smolke CD. Engineering synthetic RNA devices for cell control. Nat Rev Genet 2022; 23:215-228. [PMID: 34983970 PMCID: PMC9554294 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-021-00436-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The versatility of RNA in sensing and interacting with small molecules, proteins and other nucleic acids while encoding genetic instructions for protein translation makes it a powerful substrate for engineering biological systems. RNA devices integrate cellular information sensing, processing and actuation of specific signals into defined functions and have yielded programmable biological systems and novel therapeutics of increasing sophistication. However, challenges centred on expanding the range of analytes that can be sensed and adding new mechanisms of action have hindered the full realization of the field's promise. Here, we describe recent advances that address these limitations and point to a significant maturation of synthetic RNA-based devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter B. Dykstra
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Matias Kaplan
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Christina D. Smolke
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA.,
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22
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Skeparnias I, Zhang J. Cooperativity and Interdependency between RNA Structure and RNA-RNA Interactions. Noncoding RNA 2021; 7:ncrna7040081. [PMID: 34940761 PMCID: PMC8704770 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna7040081] [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: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex RNA–RNA interactions are increasingly known to play key roles in numerous biological processes from gene expression control to ribonucleoprotein granule formation. By contrast, the nature of these interactions and characteristics of their interfaces, especially those that involve partially or wholly structured RNAs, remain elusive. Herein, we discuss different modalities of RNA–RNA interactions with an emphasis on those that depend on secondary, tertiary, or quaternary structure. We dissect recently structurally elucidated RNA–RNA complexes including RNA triplexes, riboswitches, ribozymes, and reverse transcription complexes. These analyses highlight a reciprocal relationship that intimately links RNA structure formation with RNA–RNA interactions. The interactions not only shape and sculpt RNA structures but also are enabled and modulated by the structures they create. Understanding this two-way relationship between RNA structure and interactions provides mechanistic insights into the expanding repertoire of noncoding RNA functions, and may inform the design of novel therapeutics that target RNA structures or interactions.
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23
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Liu J, Yan L, He S, Hu J. Engineering DNA quadruplexes in DNA nanostructures for biosensor construction. NANO RESEARCH 2021; 15:3504-3513. [PMID: 35401944 PMCID: PMC8983328 DOI: 10.1007/s12274-021-3869-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
DNA quadruplexes are nucleic acid conformations comprised of four strands. They are prevalent in human genomes and increasing efforts are being directed toward their engineering. Taking advantage of the programmability of Watson-Crick base-pairing and conjugation methodology of DNA with other molecules, DNA nanostructures of increasing complexity and diversified geometries have been artificially constructed since 1980s. In this review, we investigate the interweaving of natural DNA quadruplexes and artificial DNA nanostructures in the development of the ever-prosperous field of biosensing, highlighting their specific roles in the construction of biosensor, including recognition probe, signal probe, signal amplifier and support platform. Their implementation in various sensing scenes was surveyed. And finally, general conclusion and future perspective are discussed for further developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxin Liu
- College of Health Science and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118 China
| | - Li Yan
- College of Health Science and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118 China
| | - Shiliang He
- College of Health Science and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118 China
| | - Junqing Hu
- College of Health Science and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118 China
- Shenzhen Bey Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132 China
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24
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Wu R, Zheng R, You M. ROAD paved for the custom design of genetically encodable RNA nanodevices. TRENDS IN CHEMISTRY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trechm.2021.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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25
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Zhang K, Zheludev IN, Hagey RJ, Haslecker R, Hou YJ, Kretsch R, Pintilie GD, Rangan R, Kladwang W, Li S, Wu MTP, Pham EA, Bernardin-Souibgui C, Baric RS, Sheahan TP, D'Souza V, Glenn JS, Chiu W, Das R. Cryo-EM and antisense targeting of the 28-kDa frameshift stimulation element from the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2021; 28:747-754. [PMID: 34426697 PMCID: PMC8848339 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-021-00653-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Drug discovery campaigns against COVID-19 are beginning to target the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome. The highly conserved frameshift stimulation element (FSE), required for balanced expression of viral proteins, is a particularly attractive SARS-CoV-2 RNA target. Here we present a 6.9 Å resolution cryo-EM structure of the FSE (88 nucleotides, ~28 kDa), validated through an RNA nanostructure tagging method. The tertiary structure presents a topologically complex fold in which the 5' end is threaded through a ring formed inside a three-stem pseudoknot. Guided by this structure, we develop antisense oligonucleotides that impair FSE function in frameshifting assays and knock down SARS-CoV-2 virus replication in A549-ACE2 cells at 100 nM concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiming Zhang
- Departments of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- MOE Key Laboratory for Membraneless Organelles and Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Ivan N Zheludev
- Department of Biochemistry Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Rachel J Hagey
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology) and Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Raphael Haslecker
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yixuan J Hou
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Grigore D Pintilie
- Departments of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ramya Rangan
- Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Wipapat Kladwang
- Department of Biochemistry Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Shanshan Li
- Departments of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- MOE Key Laboratory for Membraneless Organelles and Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Marie Teng-Pei Wu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Edward A Pham
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology) and Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Claire Bernardin-Souibgui
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology) and Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ralph S Baric
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Timothy P Sheahan
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Victoria D'Souza
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Glenn
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology) and Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Palo Alto Veterans Administration, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
| | - Wah Chiu
- Departments of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- CryoEM and Bioimaging Division, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA, USA.
| | - Rhiju Das
- Department of Biochemistry Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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26
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High-throughput dissection of the thermodynamic and conformational properties of a ubiquitous class of RNA tertiary contact motifs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2109085118. [PMID: 34373334 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2109085118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite RNA's diverse secondary and tertiary structures and its complex conformational changes, nature utilizes a limited set of structural "motifs"-helices, junctions, and tertiary contact modules-to build diverse functional RNAs. Thus, in-depth descriptions of a relatively small universe of RNA motifs may lead to predictive models of RNA tertiary conformational landscapes. Motifs may have different properties depending on sequence and secondary structure, giving rise to subclasses that expand the universe of RNA building blocks. Yet we know very little about motif subclasses, given the challenges in mapping conformational properties in high throughput. Previously, we used "RNA on a massively parallel array" (RNA-MaP), a quantitative, high-throughput technique, to study thousands of helices and two-way junctions. Here, we adapt RNA-MaP to study the thermodynamic and conformational properties of tetraloop/tetraloop receptor (TL/TLR) tertiary contact motifs, analyzing 1,493 TLR sequences from different classes. Clustering analyses revealed variability in TL specificity, stability, and conformational behavior. Nevertheless, natural GAAA/11ntR TL/TLRs, while varying in tertiary stability by ∼2.5 kcal/mol, exhibited conserved TL specificity and conformational properties. Thus, RNAs may tune stability without altering the overall structure of these TL/TLRs. Furthermore, their stability correlated with natural frequency, suggesting thermodynamics as the dominant selection pressure. In contrast, other TL/TLRs displayed heterogenous conformational behavior and appear to not be under strong thermodynamic selection. Our results build toward a generalizable model of RNA-folding thermodynamics based on the properties of isolated motifs, and our characterized TL/TLR library can be used to engineer RNAs with predictable thermodynamic and conformational behavior.
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27
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Nanotechnology-Based Strategies to Overcome Current Barriers in Gene Delivery. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168537. [PMID: 34445243 PMCID: PMC8395193 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanomaterials are currently being developed for the specific cell/tissue/organ delivery of genetic material. Nanomaterials are considered as non-viral vectors for gene therapy use. However, there are several requirements for developing a device small enough to become an efficient gene-delivery tool. Considering that the non-viral vectors tested so far show very low efficiency of gene delivery, there is a need to develop nanotechnology-based strategies to overcome current barriers in gene delivery. Selected nanostructures can incorporate several genetic materials, such as plasmid DNA, mRNA, and siRNA. In the field of nanotechnologies, there are still some limitations yet to be resolved for their use as gene delivery systems, such as potential toxicity and low transfection efficiency. Undeniably, novel properties at the nanoscale are essential to overcome these limitations. In this paper, we will explore the latest advances in nanotechnology in the gene delivery field.
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28
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Islam S, Rahaman MM, Zhang S. RNAMotifContrast: a method to discover and visualize RNA structural motif subfamilies. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:e61. [PMID: 33693841 PMCID: PMC8216276 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the 3D structural properties of RNAs will play a critical role in identifying their functional characteristics and designing new RNAs for RNA-based therapeutics and nanotechnology. While several existing computational methods can help in the analysis of RNA properties by recognizing structural motifs, they do not provide the means to compare and contrast those motifs extensively. We have developed a new method, RNAMotifContrast, which focuses on analyzing the similarities and variations of RNA structural motif characteristics. In this method, a graph is formed to represent the similarities among motifs, and a new traversal algorithm is applied to generate visualizations of their structural properties. Analyzing the structural features among motifs, we have recognized and generalized the concept of motif subfamilies. To asses its effectiveness, we have applied RNAMotifContrast on a dataset of known RNA structural motif families. From the results, we observed that the derived subfamilies possess unique structural variations while holding standard features of the families. Overall, the visualization approach of this method presents a new perspective to observe the relation among motifs more closely, and the discovered subfamilies provide opportunities to achieve valuable insights into RNA’s diverse roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahidul Islam
- Department of Computer Science, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
| | - Md Mahfuzur Rahaman
- Department of Computer Science, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
| | - Shaojie Zhang
- Department of Computer Science, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
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29
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Kofman C, Lee J, Jewett MC. Engineering molecular translation systems. Cell Syst 2021; 12:593-607. [PMID: 34139167 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2021.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Molecular translation systems provide a genetically encoded framework for protein synthesis, which is essential for all life. Engineering these systems to incorporate non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) into peptides and proteins has opened many exciting opportunities in chemical and synthetic biology. Here, we review recent advances that are transforming our ability to engineer molecular translation systems. In cell-based systems, new processes to synthesize recoded genomes, tether ribosomal subunits, and engineer orthogonality with high-throughput workflows have emerged. In cell-free systems, adoption of flexizyme technology and cell-free ribosome synthesis and evolution platforms are expanding the limits of chemistry at the ribosome's RNA-based active site. Looking forward, innovations will deepen understanding of molecular translation and provide a path to polymers with previously unimaginable structures and functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Kofman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Joongoo Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Michael C Jewett
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Interdisplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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30
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RNA origami design tools enable cotranscriptional folding of kilobase-sized nanoscaffolds. Nat Chem 2021; 13:549-558. [PMID: 33972754 PMCID: PMC7610888 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-021-00679-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
RNA origami is a framework for the modular design of nanoscaffolds that can be folded from a single strand of RNA, and used to organize molecular components with nanoscale precision. Design of genetically expressible RNA origami, which must cotranscriptionally fold, requires modeling and design tools that simultaneously consider thermodynamics, folding pathway, sequence constraints, and pseudoknot optimization. Here, we describe RNA Origami Automated Design software (ROAD), which builds origami models from a library of structural modules, identifies potential folding barriers, and designs optimized sequences. Using ROAD, we extend the scale and functional diversity of RNA scaffolds, creating 32 designs of up to 2360 nucleotides, five that scaffold two proteins, and seven that scaffold two small molecules at precise distances. Micrographic and chromatographic comparison of optimized and nonoptimized structures validates that our principles for strand routing and sequence design substantially improve yield. By providing efficient design of RNA origami, ROAD may simplify construction of custom RNA scaffolds for nanomedicine and synthetic biology.
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31
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Thavarajah W, Hertz LM, Bushhouse DZ, Archuleta CM, Lucks JB. RNA Engineering for Public Health: Innovations in RNA-Based Diagnostics and Therapeutics. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2021; 12:263-286. [PMID: 33900805 PMCID: PMC9714562 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-101420-014055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
RNA is essential for cellular function: From sensing intra- and extracellular signals to controlling gene expression, RNA mediates a diverse and expansive list of molecular processes. A long-standing goal of synthetic biology has been to develop RNA engineering principles that can be used to harness and reprogram these RNA-mediated processes to engineer biological systems to solve pressing global challenges. Recent advances in the field of RNA engineering are bringing this to fruition, enabling the creation of RNA-based tools to combat some of the most urgent public health crises. Specifically, new diagnostics using engineered RNAs are able to detect both pathogens and chemicals while generating an easily detectable fluorescent signal as an indicator. New classes of vaccines and therapeutics are also using engineered RNAs to target a wide range of genetic and pathogenic diseases. Here, we discuss the recent breakthroughs in RNA engineering enabling these innovations and examine how advances in RNA design promise to accelerate the impact of engineered RNA systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Thavarajah
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA; .,Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.,Center for Water Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Laura M Hertz
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.,Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - David Z Bushhouse
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.,Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Chloé M Archuleta
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA; .,Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.,Center for Water Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Julius B Lucks
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA; .,Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.,Center for Water Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.,Center for Engineering Sustainability and Resilience, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
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32
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Singh J, Paliwal K, Zhang T, Singh J, Litfin T, Zhou Y. Improved RNA Secondary Structure and Tertiary Base-pairing Prediction Using Evolutionary Profile, Mutational Coupling and Two-dimensional Transfer Learning. Bioinformatics 2021; 37:2589-2600. [PMID: 33704363 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btab165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION The recent discovery of numerous non-coding RNAs (long non-coding RNAs, in particular) has transformed our perception about the roles of RNAs in living organisms. Our ability to understand them, however, is hampered by our inability to solve their secondary and tertiary structures in high resolution efficiently by existing experimental techniques. Computational prediction of RNA secondary structure, on the other hand, has received much-needed improvement, recently, through deep learning of a large approximate data, followed by transfer learning with gold-standard base-pairing structures from high-resolution 3-D structures. Here, we expand this single-sequence-based learning to the use of evolutionary profiles and mutational coupling. RESULTS The new method allows large improvement not only in canonical base-pairs (RNA secondary structures) but more so in base-pairing associated with tertiary interactions such as pseudoknots, noncanonical and lone base-pairs. In particular, it is highly accurate for those RNAs of more than 1000 homologous sequences by achieving >0.8 F1-score (harmonic mean of sensitivity and precision) for 14/16 RNAs tested. The method can also significantly improve base-pairing prediction by incorporating artificial but functional homologous sequences generated from deep mutational scanning without any modification. The fully automatic method (publicly available as server and standalone software) should provide the scientific community a new powerful tool to capture not only the secondary structure but also tertiary base-pairing information for building three-dimensional models. It also highlights the future of accurately solving the base-pairing structure by using a large number of natural and/or artificial homologous sequences. AVAILABILITY Standalone-version of SPOT-RNA2 is available at https://github.com/jaswindersingh2/SPOT-RNA2. Direct prediction can also be made at https://sparks-lab.org/server/spot-rna2/. The datasets used in this research can also be downloaded from the GITHUB and the webserver mentioned above.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaswinder Singh
- Signal Processing Laboratory, School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Kuldip Paliwal
- Signal Processing Laboratory, School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Tongchuan Zhang
- Institute for Glycomics and School of Information and Communication Technology, Griffith University, Parklands Dr. Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Jaspreet Singh
- Signal Processing Laboratory, School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Thomas Litfin
- Institute for Glycomics and School of Information and Communication Technology, Griffith University, Parklands Dr. Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Yaoqi Zhou
- Institute for Glycomics and School of Information and Communication Technology, Griffith University, Parklands Dr. Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
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33
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Alenaizan A, Barnett JL, Hud NV, Sherrill CD, Petrov AS. The proto-Nucleic Acid Builder: a software tool for constructing nucleic acid analogs. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:79-89. [PMID: 33300028 PMCID: PMC7797056 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The helical structures of DNA and RNA were originally revealed by experimental data. Likewise, the development of programs for modeling these natural polymers was guided by known structures. These nucleic acid polymers represent only two members of a potentially vast class of polymers with similar structural features, but that differ from DNA and RNA in the backbone or nucleobases. Xeno nucleic acids (XNAs) incorporate alternative backbones that affect the conformational, chemical, and thermodynamic properties of XNAs. Given the vast chemical space of possible XNAs, computational modeling of alternative nucleic acids can accelerate the search for plausible nucleic acid analogs and guide their rational design. Additionally, a tool for the modeling of nucleic acids could help reveal what nucleic acid polymers may have existed before RNA in the early evolution of life. To aid the development of novel XNA polymers and the search for possible pre-RNA candidates, this article presents the proto-Nucleic Acid Builder (https://github.com/GT-NucleicAcids/pnab), an open-source program for modeling nucleic acid analogs with alternative backbones and nucleobases. The torsion-driven conformation search procedure implemented here predicts structures with good accuracy compared to experimental structures, and correctly demonstrates the correlation between the helical structure and the backbone conformation in DNA and RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asem Alenaizan
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, USA.,Center for Computational Molecular Science and Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, USA
| | - Joshua L Barnett
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0430, USA
| | - Nicholas V Hud
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, USA
| | - C David Sherrill
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, USA.,Center for Computational Molecular Science and Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, USA.,School of Computational Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0765, USA
| | - Anton S Petrov
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, USA
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34
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Passalacqua LFM, Dingilian AI, Lupták A. Single-pass transcription by T7 RNA polymerase. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 26:2062-2071. [PMID: 32958559 PMCID: PMC7668259 DOI: 10.1261/rna.076778.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
RNA molecules can be conveniently synthesized in vitro by the T7 RNA polymerase (T7 RNAP). In some experiments, such as cotranscriptional biochemical analyses, continuous synthesis of RNA is not desired. Here, we propose a method for a single-pass transcription that yields a single transcript per template DNA molecule using the T7 RNAP system. We hypothesized that stalling the polymerase downstream from the promoter region and subsequent cleavage of the promoter by a restriction enzyme (to prevent promoter binding by another polymerase) would allow synchronized production of a single transcript per template. The single-pass transcription was verified in two different scenarios: a short self-cleaving ribozyme and a long mRNA. The results show that a controlled single-pass transcription using T7 RNAP allows precise measurement of cotranscriptional ribozyme activity, and this approach will facilitate the study of other kinetic events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz F M Passalacqua
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Armine I Dingilian
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Andrej Lupták
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
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35
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Chillón I, Marcia M. The molecular structure of long non-coding RNAs: emerging patterns and functional implications. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2020; 55:662-690. [PMID: 33043695 DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2020.1828259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are recently-discovered transcripts that regulate vital cellular processes and are crucially connected to diseases. Despite their unprecedented molecular complexity, it is emerging that lncRNAs possess distinct structural motifs. Remarkably, the 3D shape and topology of full-length, native lncRNAs have been visualized for the first time in the last year. These studies reveal that lncRNA structures dictate lncRNA functions. Here, we review experimentally determined lncRNA structures and emphasize that lncRNA structural characterization requires synergistic integration of computational, biochemical and biophysical approaches. Based on these emerging paradigms, we discuss how to overcome the challenges posed by the complex molecular architecture of lncRNAs, with the goal of obtaining a detailed understanding of lncRNA functions and molecular mechanisms in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Chillón
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - Marco Marcia
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Grenoble, Grenoble, France
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Micura R, Höbartner C. Fundamental studies of functional nucleic acids: aptamers, riboswitches, ribozymes and DNAzymes. Chem Soc Rev 2020; 49:7331-7353. [PMID: 32944725 DOI: 10.1039/d0cs00617c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
This review aims at juxtaposing common versus distinct structural and functional strategies that are applied by aptamers, riboswitches, and ribozymes/DNAzymes. Focusing on recently discovered systems, we begin our analysis with small-molecule binding aptamers, with emphasis on in vitro-selected fluorogenic RNA aptamers and their different modes of ligand binding and fluorescence activation. Fundamental insights are much needed to advance RNA imaging probes for detection of exo- and endogenous RNA and for RNA process tracking. Secondly, we discuss the latest gene expression-regulating mRNA riboswitches that respond to the alarmone ppGpp, to PRPP, to NAD+, to adenosine and cytidine diphosphates, and to precursors of thiamine biosynthesis (HMP-PP), and we outline new subclasses of SAM and tetrahydrofolate-binding RNA regulators. Many riboswitches bind protein enzyme cofactors that, in principle, can catalyse a chemical reaction. For RNA, however, only one system (glmS ribozyme) has been identified in Nature thus far that utilizes a small molecule - glucosamine-6-phosphate - to participate directly in reaction catalysis (phosphodiester cleavage). We wonder why that is the case and what is to be done to reveal such likely existing cellular activities that could be more diverse than currently imagined. Thirdly, this brings us to the four latest small nucleolytic ribozymes termed twister, twister-sister, pistol, and hatchet as well as to in vitro selected DNA and RNA enzymes that promote new chemistry, mainly by exploiting their ability for RNA labelling and nucleoside modification recognition. Enormous progress in understanding the strategies of nucleic acids catalysts has been made by providing thorough structural fundaments (e.g. first structure of a DNAzyme, structures of ribozyme transition state mimics) in combination with functional assays and atomic mutagenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Micura
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck CMBI, Leopold-Franzens University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
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Badu S, Melnik R, Singh S. Mathematical and computational models of RNA nanoclusters and their applications in data-driven environments. MOLECULAR SIMULATION 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/08927022.2020.1804564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shyam Badu
- MS2Discovery Interdisciplinary Research Institute, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Roderick Melnik
- MS2Discovery Interdisciplinary Research Institute, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- BCAM-Basque Center for Applied Mathematics, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Sundeep Singh
- MS2Discovery Interdisciplinary Research Institute, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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38
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Mao X, Liu M, Yan L, Deng M, Li F, Li M, Wang F, Li J, Wang L, Tian Y, Fan C, Zuo X. Programming Biomimetically Confined Aptamers with DNA Frameworks. ACS NANO 2020; 14:8776-8783. [PMID: 32484652 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c03362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Active sites of proteins are generally encapsulated within three-dimensional peptide scaffolds that provide the molecular-scale confinement microenvironment. Nevertheless, the ability to tune thermodynamic stability in biomimetic molecular confinement relies on the macromolecular crowding effect of lack of stoichiometry and reconfigurability. Here, we report a framework nucleic acid (FNA)-based strategy to increase thermodynamic stability of aptamers. We demonstrate that the molecular-scale confinement increases the thermodynamic stability of aptamers via facilitated folding kinetics, which is confirmed by the single-molecule FRET (smFRET). Unfavorable conformations of aptamers are restricted as revealed by the Monte Carlo simulation. The binding affinity of the DNA framework-confined aptamer is improved by ∼3-fold. With a similar strategy we improve the catalytic activity of hemin-binding aptamer. Our approach thus shows high potential for designing protein-mimicking DNA nanostructures with enhanced binding affinity and catalytic activity for biosensing and biomedical engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuhai Mao
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Nanomedicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Mengmeng Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, Department of Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Lei Yan
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Nanomedicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Mengying Deng
- Division of Physical Biology, CAS Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
- Bioimaging Center, Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Zhangjiang Laboratory, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Fan Li
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Nanomedicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Min Li
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Nanomedicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Joint Research Center for Precision Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital South Campus, Southern Medical University Affiliated Fengxian Hospital, Shanghai 201499, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University,, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jiang Li
- Division of Physical Biology, CAS Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
- Bioimaging Center, Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Zhangjiang Laboratory, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Lihua Wang
- Division of Physical Biology, CAS Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
- Bioimaging Center, Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Zhangjiang Laboratory, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yang Tian
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, Department of Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Chunhai Fan
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Nanomedicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University,, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiaolei Zuo
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Nanomedicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University,, Shanghai 200240, China
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39
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Lu XJ. DSSR-enabled innovative schematics of 3D nucleic acid structures with PyMOL. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:e74. [PMID: 32442277 PMCID: PMC7367123 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Sophisticated analysis and simplified visualization are crucial for understanding complicated structures of biomacromolecules. DSSR (Dissecting the Spatial Structure of RNA) is an integrated computational tool that has streamlined the analysis and annotation of 3D nucleic acid structures. The program creates schematic block representations in diverse styles that can be seamlessly integrated into PyMOL and complement its other popular visualization options. In addition to portraying individual base blocks, DSSR can draw Watson-Crick pairs as long blocks and highlight the minor-groove edges. Notably, DSSR can dramatically simplify the depiction of G-quadruplexes by automatically detecting G-tetrads and treating them as large square blocks. The DSSR-enabled innovative schematics with PyMOL are aesthetically pleasing and highly informative: the base identity, pairing geometry, stacking interactions, double-helical stems, and G-quadruplexes are immediately obvious. These features can be accessed via four interfaces: the command-line interface, the DSSR plugin for PyMOL, the web application, and the web application programming interface. The supplemental PDF serves as a practical guide, with complete and reproducible examples. Thus, even beginners or occasional users can get started quickly, especially via the web application at http://skmatic.x3dna.org.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Jun Lu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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40
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Zhang K, Zheludev IN, Hagey RJ, Wu MTP, Haslecker R, Hou YJ, Kretsch R, Pintilie GD, Rangan R, Kladwang W, Li S, Pham EA, Bernardin-Souibgui C, Baric RS, Sheahan TP, D Souza V, Glenn JS, Chiu W, Das R. Cryo-electron Microscopy and Exploratory Antisense Targeting of the 28-kDa Frameshift Stimulation Element from the SARS-CoV-2 RNA Genome. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2020. [PMID: 32743589 DOI: 10.1101/2020.07.18.209270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Drug discovery campaigns against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are beginning to target the viral RNA genome 1, 2 . The frameshift stimulation element (FSE) of the SARS-CoV-2 genome is required for balanced expression of essential viral proteins and is highly conserved, making it a potential candidate for antiviral targeting by small molecules and oligonucleotides 3-6 . To aid global efforts focusing on SARS-CoV-2 frameshifting, we report exploratory results from frameshifting and cellular replication experiments with locked nucleic acid (LNA) antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), which support the FSE as a therapeutic target but highlight difficulties in achieving strong inactivation. To understand current limitations, we applied cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and the Ribosolve 7 pipeline to determine a three-dimensional structure of the SARS-CoV-2 FSE, validated through an RNA nanostructure tagging method. This is the smallest macromolecule (88 nt; 28 kDa) resolved by single-particle cryo-EM at subnanometer resolution to date. The tertiary structure model, defined to an estimated accuracy of 5.9 Å, presents a topologically complex fold in which the 5' end threads through a ring formed inside a three-stem pseudoknot. Our results suggest an updated model for SARS-CoV-2 frameshifting as well as binding sites that may be targeted by next generation ASOs and small molecules.
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Kappel K, Zhang K, Su Z, Watkins AM, Kladwang W, Li S, Pintilie G, Topkar VV, Rangan R, Zheludev IN, Yesselman JD, Chiu W, Das R. Accelerated cryo-EM-guided determination of three-dimensional RNA-only structures. Nat Methods 2020; 17:699-707. [PMID: 32616928 PMCID: PMC7386730 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-020-0878-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The discovery and design of biologically important RNA molecules is outpacing three-dimensional structural characterization. Here, we demonstrate that cryo-electron microscopy can routinely resolve maps of RNA-only systems and that these maps enable subnanometer-resolution coordinate estimation when complemented with multidimensional chemical mapping and Rosetta DRRAFTER computational modeling. This hybrid 'Ribosolve' pipeline detects and falsifies homologies and conformational rearrangements in 11 previously unknown 119- to 338-nucleotide protein-free RNA structures: full-length Tetrahymena ribozyme, hc16 ligase with and without substrate, full-length Vibrio cholerae and Fusobacterium nucleatum glycine riboswitch aptamers with and without glycine, Mycobacterium SAM-IV riboswitch with and without S-adenosylmethionine, and the computer-designed ATP-TTR-3 aptamer with and without AMP. Simulation benchmarks, blind challenges, compensatory mutagenesis, cross-RNA homologies and internal controls demonstrate that Ribosolve can accurately resolve the global architectures of RNA molecules but does not resolve atomic details. These tests offer guidelines for making inferences in future RNA structural studies with similarly accelerated throughput.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalli Kappel
- Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kaiming Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Zhaoming Su
- Department of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China
| | - Andrew M Watkins
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Wipapat Kladwang
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Shanshan Li
- Department of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Grigore Pintilie
- Department of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ved V Topkar
- Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ramya Rangan
- Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ivan N Zheludev
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Joseph D Yesselman
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Wah Chiu
- Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA, USA.
| | - Rhiju Das
- Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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42
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Structural Insights into RNA Dimerization: Motifs, Interfaces and Functions. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25122881. [PMID: 32585844 PMCID: PMC7357161 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25122881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In comparison with the pervasive use of protein dimers and multimers in all domains of life, functional RNA oligomers have so far rarely been observed in nature. Their diminished occurrence contrasts starkly with the robust intrinsic potential of RNA to multimerize through long-range base-pairing ("kissing") interactions, self-annealing of palindromic or complementary sequences, and stable tertiary contact motifs, such as the GNRA tetraloop-receptors. To explore the general mechanics of RNA dimerization, we performed a meta-analysis of a collection of exemplary RNA homodimer structures consisting of viral genomic elements, ribozymes, riboswitches, etc., encompassing both functional and fortuitous dimers. Globally, we found that domain-swapped dimers and antiparallel, head-to-tail arrangements are predominant architectural themes. Locally, we observed that the same structural motifs, interfaces and forces that enable tertiary RNA folding also drive their higher-order assemblies. These feature prominently long-range kissing loops, pseudoknots, reciprocal base intercalations and A-minor interactions. We postulate that the scarcity of functional RNA multimers and limited diversity in multimerization motifs may reflect evolutionary constraints imposed by host antiviral immune surveillance and stress sensing. A deepening mechanistic understanding of RNA multimerization is expected to facilitate investigations into RNA and RNP assemblies, condensates, and granules and enable their potential therapeutical targeting.
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43
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Kasprzak WK, Ahmed NA, Shapiro BA. Modeling ligand docking to RNA in the design of RNA-based nanostructures. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 63:16-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Singh J, Hanson J, Paliwal K, Zhou Y. RNA secondary structure prediction using an ensemble of two-dimensional deep neural networks and transfer learning. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5407. [PMID: 31776342 PMCID: PMC6881452 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13395-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The majority of our human genome transcribes into noncoding RNAs with unknown structures and functions. Obtaining functional clues for noncoding RNAs requires accurate base-pairing or secondary-structure prediction. However, the performance of such predictions by current folding-based algorithms has been stagnated for more than a decade. Here, we propose the use of deep contextual learning for base-pair prediction including those noncanonical and non-nested (pseudoknot) base pairs stabilized by tertiary interactions. Since only [Formula: see text]250 nonredundant, high-resolution RNA structures are available for model training, we utilize transfer learning from a model initially trained with a recent high-quality bpRNA dataset of [Formula: see text]10,000 nonredundant RNAs made available through comparative analysis. The resulting method achieves large, statistically significant improvement in predicting all base pairs, noncanonical and non-nested base pairs in particular. The proposed method (SPOT-RNA), with a freely available server and standalone software, should be useful for improving RNA structure modeling, sequence alignment, and functional annotations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaswinder Singh
- Signal Processing Laboratory, School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Jack Hanson
- Signal Processing Laboratory, School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Kuldip Paliwal
- Signal Processing Laboratory, School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, 4111, Australia.
| | - Yaoqi Zhou
- Institute for Glycomics and School of Information and Communication Technology, Griffith University, Parklands Dr., Southport, QLD, 4222, Australia.
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Synthetic bionanotechnology: synthetic biology finds a toehold in nanotechnology. Emerg Top Life Sci 2019; 3:507-516. [PMID: 33523177 PMCID: PMC7288988 DOI: 10.1042/etls20190100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Enabled by its central role in the molecular networks that govern cell function, RNA has been widely used for constructing components used in biological circuits for synthetic biology. Nucleic acid nanotechnology, which exploits predictable nucleic acid interactions to implement programmable molecular systems, has seen remarkable advances in in vitro nanoscale self-assembly and molecular computation, enabling the production of complex nanostructures and DNA-based neural networks. Living cells genetically engineered to execute nucleic acid nanotechnology programs thus have outstanding potential to significantly extend the current limits of synthetic biology. This perspective discusses the recent developments and future challenges in the field of synthetic bionanotechnology. Thus far, researchers in this emerging area have implemented dozens of programmable RNA nanodevices that provide precise control over gene expression at the transcriptional and translational levels and through CRISPR/Cas effectors. Moreover, they have employed synthetic self-assembling RNA networks in engineered bacteria to carry out computations featuring up to a dozen inputs and to substantially enhance the rate of chemical synthesis. Continued advancement of the field will benefit from improved in vivo strategies for streamlining nucleic acid network synthesis and new approaches for enhancing network function. As the field matures and the complexity gap between in vitro and in vivo systems narrows, synthetic bionanotechnology promises to have diverse potential applications ranging from intracellular circuits that detect and treat disease to synthetic enzymatic pathways that efficiently produce novel drug molecules.
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