1
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Hu Y, Li CY, Lu Q, Kuang Y. Multiplex miRNA reporting platform for real-time profiling of living cells. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:150-162.e7. [PMID: 38035883 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Accurately characterizing cell types within complex cell structures provides invaluable information for comprehending the cellular status during biological processes. In this study, we have developed an miRNA-switch cocktail platform capable of reporting and tracking the activities of multiple miRNAs (microRNAs) at the single-cell level, while minimizing disruption to the cell culture. Drawing on the principles of traditional miRNA-sensing mRNA switches, our platform incorporates subcellular tags and employs intelligent engineering to segment three subcellular regions using two fluorescent proteins. These designs enable the quantification of multiple miRNAs within the same cell. Through our experiments, we have demonstrated the platform's ability to track marker miRNA levels during cell differentiation and provide spatial information of heterogeneity on outlier cells exhibiting extreme miRNA levels. Importantly, this platform offers real-time and in situ miRNA reporting, allowing for multidimensional evaluation of cell profile and paving the way for a comprehensive understanding of cellular events during biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaxin Hu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Cheuk Yin Li
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Qiuyu Lu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yi Kuang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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2
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Ohno H, Akamine S, Mochizuki M, Hayashi K, Akichika S, Suzuki T, Saito H. Versatile strategy using vaccinia virus-capping enzyme to synthesize functional 5' cap-modified mRNAs. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:e34. [PMID: 36731515 PMCID: PMC10085709 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The potential of synthetic mRNA as a genetic carrier has increased its application in scientific fields. Because the 5' cap regulates the stability and translational activity of mRNAs, there are concerted efforts to search for and synthesize chemically-modified 5' caps that improve the functionality of mRNA. Here, we report an easy and efficient method to synthesize functional mRNAs by modifying multiple 5' cap analogs using a vaccinia virus-capping enzyme. We show that this enzyme can introduce a variety of GTP analogs to the 5' end of RNA to generate 5' cap-modified mRNAs that exhibit different translation levels. Notably, some of these modified mRNAs improve translation efficiency and can be conjugated to chemical structures, further increasing their functionality. Our versatile method to generate 5' cap-modified mRNAs will provide useful tools for RNA therapeutics and biological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirohisa Ohno
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Sae Akamine
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.,Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Megumi Mochizuki
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Karin Hayashi
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Akichika
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Suzuki
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Hirohide Saito
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
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3
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Ono H, Saito H. Sensing intracellular signatures with synthetic mRNAs. RNA Biol 2023; 20:588-602. [PMID: 37582192 PMCID: PMC10431736 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2023.2244791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The bottom-up assembly of biological components in synthetic biology has contributed to a better understanding of natural phenomena and the development of new technologies for practical applications. Over the past few decades, basic RNA research has unveiled the regulatory roles of RNAs underlying gene regulatory networks; while advances in RNA biology, in turn, have highlighted the potential of a wide variety of RNA elements as building blocks to construct artificial systems. In particular, synthetic mRNA-based translational regulators, which respond to signals in cells and regulate the production of encoded output proteins, are gaining attention with the recent rise of mRNA therapeutics. In this Review, we discuss recent progress in RNA synthetic biology, mainly focusing on emerging technologies for sensing intracellular protein and RNA molecules and controlling translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Ono
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Sakyo-Ku, Japan
| | - Hirohide Saito
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Sakyo-Ku, Japan
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4
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Tsujisaka Y, Hatani T, Okubo C, Ito R, Kimura A, Narita M, Chonabayashi K, Funakoshi S, Lucena-Cacace A, Toyoda T, Osafune K, Kimura T, Saito H, Yoshida Y. Purification of human iPSC-derived cells at large scale using microRNA switch and magnetic-activated cell sorting. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:1772-1785. [PMID: 35688152 PMCID: PMC9287667 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
For regenerative cell therapies using pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived cells, large quantities of purified cells are required. Magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) is a powerful approach to collect target antigen-positive cells; however, it remains a challenge to purify various cell types efficiently at large scale without using antibodies specific to the desired cell type. Here we develop a technology that combines microRNA (miRNA)-responsive mRNA switch (miR-switch) with MACS (miR-switch-MACS) to purify large amounts of PSC-derived cells rapidly and effectively. We designed miR-switches that detect specific miRNAs expressed in target cells and controlled the translation of a CD4-coding transgene as a selection marker for MACS. For the large-scale purification of induced PSC-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs), we transferred miR-208a-CD4 switch-MACS and obtained purified iPSC-CMs efficiently. Moreover, miR-375-CD4 switch-MACS highly purified pancreatic insulin-producing cells and their progenitors expressing Chromogranin A. Overall, the miR-switch-MACS method can efficiently purify target PSC-derived cells for cell replacement therapy. MiR-208a-CD4 switch-MACS can purify a large amount of iPSC-CMs in a short time MiR-208a switch can purify iPSC-CMs in each subtype-specific protocol MiR-375-CD4 switch-MACS can be applied to pancreatic endocrine precursor cells MiR-switch-MACS method can be efficient for large-scale target cell purification
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Tsujisaka
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Takeshi Hatani
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Chikako Okubo
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Ryo Ito
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Azuma Kimura
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Megumi Narita
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Kazuhisa Chonabayashi
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Hematology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Funakoshi
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Takeda-CiRA Joint Program (T-CiRA), Fujisawa 251-0012, Japan
| | - Antonio Lucena-Cacace
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Taro Toyoda
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Kenji Osafune
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kimura
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hirohide Saito
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
| | - Yoshinori Yoshida
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Takeda-CiRA Joint Program (T-CiRA), Fujisawa 251-0012, Japan.
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5
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Synthetic RNA-based post-transcriptional expression control methods and genetic circuits. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 184:114196. [PMID: 35288218 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
RNA-based synthetic genetic circuits provide an alternative for traditional transcription-based circuits in applications where genomic integration is to be avoided. Incorporating various post-transcriptional control methods into such circuits allows for controlling the behaviour of the circuit through the detection of certain biomolecular inputs or reconstituting defined circuit behaviours, thus manipulating cellular functions. In this review, recent developments of various types of post-transcriptional control methods in mammalian cells are discussed as well as auxiliary components that allow for the creation and development of mRNA-based switches. How such post-transcriptional switches are combined into synthetic circuits as well as their applications in biomedical and preclinical settings are also described. Finally, we examine the challenges that need to be surmounted before RNA-based synthetic circuits can be reliably deployed into clinical settings.
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6
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van der Linden AJ, Pieters PA, Bartelds MW, Nathalia BL, Yin P, Huck WTS, Kim J, de Greef TFA. DNA Input Classification by a Riboregulator-Based Cell-Free Perceptron. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:1510-1520. [PMID: 35381174 PMCID: PMC9016768 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The ability to recognize molecular patterns is essential for the continued survival of biological organisms, allowing them to sense and respond to their immediate environment. The design of synthetic gene-based classifiers has been explored previously; however, prior strategies have focused primarily on DNA strand-displacement reactions. Here, we present a synthetic in vitro transcription and translation (TXTL)-based perceptron consisting of a weighted sum operation (WSO) coupled to a downstream thresholding function. We demonstrate the application of toehold switch riboregulators to construct a TXTL-based WSO circuit that converts DNA inputs into a GFP output, the concentration of which correlates to the input pattern and the corresponding weights. We exploit the modular nature of the WSO circuit by changing the output protein to the Escherichia coli σ28-factor, facilitating the coupling of the WSO output to a downstream reporter network. The subsequent introduction of a σ28 inhibitor enabled thresholding of the WSO output such that the expression of the downstream reporter protein occurs only when the produced σ28 exceeds this threshold. In this manner, we demonstrate a genetically implemented perceptron capable of binary classification, i.e., the expression of a single output protein only when the desired minimum number of inputs is exceeded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ardjan J. van der Linden
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Computational Biology Group, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Pascal A. Pieters
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Computational Biology Group, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Mart W. Bartelds
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bryan L. Nathalia
- Computational Biology Group, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Peng Yin
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Wilhelm T. S. Huck
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jongmin Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Tom F. A. de Greef
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Computational Biology Group, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Center for Living Technologies, Eindhoven-Wageningen-Utrecht Alliance, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
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7
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Fujita Y, Hirosawa M, Hayashi K, Hatani T, Yoshida Y, Yamamoto T, Saito H. A versatile and robust cell purification system with an RNA-only circuit composed of microRNA-responsive ON and OFF switches. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabj1793. [PMID: 34985961 PMCID: PMC8730616 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj1793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are promising cell resources for cell therapy and drug discovery. However, iPSC-derived differentiated cells are often heterogenous and need purification using a flow cytometer, which has high cost and time consumption for large-scale purification. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can be used as cell selection markers, because their activity differs between cell types. Here, we show miRNA-responsive ON and OFF switch mRNAs for robust cell purification. The ON switch contains a miRNA-target sequence after the polyadenylate tail, triggering translational activation by sensing the target miRNA. By designing RNA-only circuits with miRNA-ON and -OFF switch mRNAs that encode a lethal ribonuclease, Barnase, and its inhibitor, Barstar, we efficiently purified specific cell types, including human iPSCs and differentiated cardiomyocytes, without flow cytometry. Synthetic mRNA circuits composed of ON and OFF switches provide a safe, versatile, and time-saving method to purify various cell types for biological and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiko Fujita
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
- Corresponding author. (H.S.); (Y.F.)
| | - Moe Hirosawa
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Karin Hayashi
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Takeshi Hatani
- Department of Cell Growth and Differentiation, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Yoshida
- Department of Cell Growth and Differentiation, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Takuya Yamamoto
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (WPI-ASHBi), Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501 Japan
- Medical-risk Avoidance based on iPS Cells Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (AIP), Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hirohide Saito
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
- Corresponding author. (H.S.); (Y.F.)
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8
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Nakanishi H. Protein-Based Systems for Translational Regulation of Synthetic mRNAs in Mammalian Cells. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11111192. [PMID: 34833067 PMCID: PMC8621430 DOI: 10.3390/life11111192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic mRNAs, which are produced by in vitro transcription, have been recently attracting attention because they can express any transgenes without the risk of insertional mutagenesis. Although current synthetic mRNA medicine is not designed for spatiotemporal or cell-selective regulation, many preclinical studies have developed the systems for the translational regulation of synthetic mRNAs. Such translational regulation systems will cope with high efficacy and low adverse effects by producing the appropriate amount of therapeutic proteins, depending on the context. Protein-based regulation is one of the most promising approaches for the translational regulation of synthetic mRNAs. As synthetic mRNAs can encode not only output proteins but also regulator proteins, all components of protein-based regulation systems can be delivered as synthetic mRNAs. In addition, in the protein-based regulation systems, the output protein can be utilized as the input for the subsequent regulation to construct multi-layered gene circuits, which enable complex and sophisticated regulation. In this review, I introduce what types of proteins have been used for translational regulation, how to combine them, and how to design effective gene circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideyuki Nakanishi
- Department of Biofunction Research, Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), 2-3-10 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan
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9
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Purification of Specific Cell Populations Differentiated from Stem Cells Using MicroRNA-Responsive Synthetic Messenger RNAs. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2312:73-86. [PMID: 34228285 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1441-9_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] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells have the potential to differentiate into various cell types that can be used for basic biological studies, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine. To obtain reliable results using the differentiated cells, the contamination of nontarget cells should be avoided. microRNAs (miRNAs) can serve as indicators to distinguish target and nontarget cells, because the activities of miRNAs are different among cell types.In this chapter, we introduce a method to purify target cells using synthetic messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that respond to cell-specific miRNAs. The method is composed of five steps: mRNA sequence design, template DNA preparation by PCR, in vitro mRNA transcription, mRNA transfection into cells, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. This synthetic mRNA-based cell purification method will advance various applications of pluripotent stem cells.
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10
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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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11
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Kawasaki S, Ono H, Hirosawa M, Saito H. RNA and protein-based nanodevices for mammalian post-transcriptional circuits. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 63:99-110. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Revised: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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12
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Ohno H, Akamine S, Saito H. Synthetic mRNA-Based Systems in Mammalian Cells. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 4:e1900247. [PMID: 32402126 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.201900247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Living organisms are programmed to perform multiple functions by sensing intra- and extra-cellular environments and by controlling gene expressions. Synthetic biologists aim to program cells by mimicking, designing, and constructing genetic circuits. Synthetic mRNA-based genetic switches and circuits have attracted attention for future therapeutic applications because of their safety and functional diversity. Here, the mRNA-based switches and circuits that detect specific microRNAs or proteins expressed in a target cell to control transgene expression and cell fate are reviewed. Future perspectives of artificial RNA systems for cell engineering will also be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirohisa Ohno
- 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Sae Akamine
- 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hirohide Saito
- 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
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13
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Ferro E, Enrico Bena C, Grigolon S, Bosia C. From Endogenous to Synthetic microRNA-Mediated Regulatory Circuits: An Overview. Cells 2019; 8:E1540. [PMID: 31795372 PMCID: PMC6952906 DOI: 10.3390/cells8121540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs are short non-coding RNAs that are evolutionarily conserved and are pivotal post-transcriptional mediators of gene regulation. Together with transcription factors and epigenetic regulators, they form a highly interconnected network whose building blocks can be classified depending on the number of molecular species involved and the type of interactions amongst them. Depending on their topology, these molecular circuits may carry out specific functions that years of studies have related to the processing of gene expression noise. In this review, we first present the different over-represented network motifs involving microRNAs and their specific role in implementing relevant biological functions, reviewing both theoretical and experimental studies. We then illustrate the recent advances in synthetic biology, such as the construction of artificially synthesised circuits, which provide a controlled tool to test experimentally the possible microRNA regulatory tasks and constitute a starting point for clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsi Ferro
- IIGM—Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine, c/o IRCCS, 10060 Candiolo (Torino), Italy
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, 10060 Candiolo (Torino), Italy
| | - Chiara Enrico Bena
- IIGM—Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine, c/o IRCCS, 10060 Candiolo (Torino), Italy
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, 10060 Candiolo (Torino), Italy
| | - Silvia Grigolon
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Carla Bosia
- IIGM—Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine, c/o IRCCS, 10060 Candiolo (Torino), Italy
- Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
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