Determination of In Vitro and Cellular Turn-on Kinetics for Fluorogenic RNA Aptamers

Fluorogenic RNA aptamers have been applied in live cells to tag and visualize RNAs, report on gene expression, and activate fluorescent biosensors that detect levels of metabolites and signaling molecules. In order to study dynamic changes in each of these systems, it is desirable to obtain real-time measurements, but the accuracy of the measurements depends on the kinetics of the fluorogenic reaction being faster than the sampling frequency. Here, we describe methods to determine the in vitro and cellular turn-on kinetics for fluorogenic RNA aptamers using a plate reader equipped with a sample injector and a flow cytometer, respectively. We show that the in vitro kinetics for the fluorescence activation of the Spinach2 and Broccoli aptamers can be modeled as two-phase association reactions and have differing fast phase rate constants of 0.56 s-1 and 0.35 s-1, respectively. In addition, we show that the cellular kinetics for the fluorescence activation of Spinach2 in Escherichia coli, which is further limited by dye diffusion into the Gram-negative bacteria, is still sufficiently rapid to enable accurate sampling frequency on the minute timescale. These methods to analyze fluorescence activation kinetics are applicable to other fluorogenic RNA aptamers that have been developed.

Controlling miRNA-like off-target effects of an siRNA with nucleobase modifications

SiRNAs can cause unintended gene silencing due to miRNA-like effects because of the similarity in function of an siRNA guide strand and a miRNA. Here we evaluate the effect on miRNA-like off targeting of introducing the adenosine derivative 7-EAA and triazoles prepared from 7-EAA at different positions in an siRNA guide strand. We find that a sterically demanding triazole placed in the RNA duplex major groove at position six of the guide strand dramatically reduces miRNA-like off targeting potency. A high-resolution structure of an RNA duplex bearing a novel, major-groove localized triazole is reported, which suggests that modified triazoles could be disrupting the hAgo2-guide-target RNA ternary complex. Five different triazole modifications were tested at the guide strand 6-position for effects on on-target and miRNA-like off target knockdown potency. A 7-EAA triazole bearing a benzylamine substituent displayed on-target knockdown activity as potent as the native siRNA, while having an IC₅₀ against a miRNA-like off target >100-fold higher. Melting temperature studies revealed no obvious correlation between potency in knockdown assays and a modification's effect on duplex stability. These results, along with known structures of hAgo2-guide-target ternary complexes, are used to rationalize the effect of 7-EAA triazoles on miRNA-like off target effects.