• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.32-35
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• 2007

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is an enzymatic ribonucleoprotein that prolongs the replicative life span of cells by maintaining protective structures at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. Telomerase activity is highly up-regulated in 85-90% of human cancers, and is predominately regulated by hTERT expression. In contrast, most normal somatic tissues in humans express low or undetectable levels of telomerase activity. This expression profile identifies TERT as a potential anticancer target. By using an RNA mapping strategy based on a trans-splicing ribozyme library, we identified the regions of mouse TERT (mTERT) RNA that were accessible to ribozymes. We found that particularly accessible sites were present downstream of the AUG start codon. This mTERTspecific ribozyme will be useful for validation of the RNA replacement as cancer gene therapy approach in mouse model with syngeneic tumors.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.181-186
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• 2009

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), which is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder, results from a CTG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of the myotonic dystrophy protein kinase (DMPK) gene. Retention of mutant DMPK (mDMPK) transcripts in the nuclei of affected cells has been known to be the main cause of pathogenesis of the disease. Thus, reducing the RNA toxicity through elimination of the mutant RNA has been suggested as one therapeutic strategy against DM1. In this study, we suggested RNA replacement with a trans -splicing ribozyme as an alternate genetic therapeutic approach for amelioration of DM1. To this end, we identified the regions of mDMPK 3'-UTR RNA that were accessible to ribozymes by using an RNA mapping strategy based on a trans-splicing ribozyme library. We found that particularly accessible sites were present not only upstream but also downstream of the expanded repeat sequence. Repair or replacement of the mDMPK transcript with the specific ribozyme will be useful for DM1 treatment through reduction of toxic mutant transcripts and simultaneously restore wild-type DMPK or release nucleus-entrapped mDMPK transcripts to the cytoplasm.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.538-544
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• 2003

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major causative agent of chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The development of alternative antiviral therapies is warranted because current treatments for the HCV infection affect only a limited number of patients and lead to significant toxicities. The HCV genome is exclusively present in the RNA form; therefore, ribozyme strategies to target certain HCV sequences have been proposed as anti-HCV treatments. In this study, we determined which regions of the internal ribosome entry site (IRES) of HCV are accessible to ribozymes by employing an RNA mapping strategy that is based on a trans-splicing ribozyme library. We then discovered that the loop regions of the domain IIIb of HCV IRES appeared to be particularly accessible. Moreover, to verify if the target sites that were predicted to be accessible are truly the most accessible, we assessed the ribozyme activities by comparing not only the trans-splicing activities in vitro but also the trans-cleavage activities in cells of several ribozymes that targeted different sites. The ribozyme that could target the most accessible site identified by mapping studies was then the most active with high fidelity in cells as well as in vitro. These results demonstrate that the RNA mapping strategy represents an effective method to determine the accessible regions of target RNAs and have important implications for the development of various antiviral therapies which are based on RNA such as ribozyme, antisense, or siRNA.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.239-247
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• 2003

The LRV1-4 capsid protein possesses an endoribonuclease activity that is responsible for the single site-specific cleavage in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of its own viral RNA genome and the formation of a conserved stem-loop structure (stem-loop IV) in the UTR is essential for the accurate RNA cleavage by the capsid protein. To delineate the nucleotide sequences, which are essential for the correct formation of the stem-loop structure for the accurate RNA cleavage by the viral capsid protein, a wildtype minimal RNA transcript (RNA 5' 249-342) and several synthetic RNA transcripts encoding point-mutations in the stem-loop region were generated in an in vitro transcription system, and used as substrates for the RNA cleavage assay and RNase mapping studies. When the RNA 5' 249-342 transcript was subjected to RNase T1 and A mapping studies, the results showed that the predicted RNA secondary structure in the stem-loop region using FOLD analysis only existed in the presence of Mg$\^$2＋/ ions, suggesting that the metal ion stabilizes the stem-loop structure of the substrate RNA in solution. When point-mutated RNA substrates were used in the RNA cleavage assay and RNase T1 mapping study, the specific nucleotide sequences in the stem-loop region were not required for the accurate RNA cleavage by the viral capsid protein, but the formation of a stem-loop like structure in a region (nucleotides from 267 to 287) stabilized by Mg$\^$2＋/ ions was critical for the accurate RNA cleavage. The RNase T1 mapping and EMSA studies revealed that the Ca$\^$2＋/ and Mn$\^$2＋/ ions, among the reagents tested, could change the mobility of the substrate RNA 5' 249-342 on a gel similarly to that of Mg$\^$2＋/ ions, but only Ca$\^$2＋/ ions identically showed the stabilizing effect of Mg$\^$2＋/ ions on the stem-loop structure, suggesting that binding of the metal ions (Mg$\^$2＋/ or Ca$\^$2＋/) onto the RNA substrate in solution causes change and stabilization of the RNA stem-loop structure, and only the substrate RNA with a rigid stem-loop structure in the essential region can be accurately cleaved by the LRV1-4 viral capsid protein.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.228-234
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• 1994

Genomic RNA was extracted from Cy strain of odontoglossum ringspot tobamovirus (ORSV-Cy) isolated from infected leaves of tobacco cv. Samsun. Size of the genomic RNA was about 6.6 kb in length. The genomic RNA was fractionated using Sephadex G-50 column chromatography into 2 fractions. They were polyadenylated at their 3'-end using E. coli poly(A) polymerase. Polyadenylated viral RNA was recovered by oligo (dT) primer adapter containing NotI restriction site and Moloney murine leukemia virus SuperScript reverse transcriptase (RNase H-). Second-strand cDNA was synthesized by using E. coli DNA ligase, E. coli DNA polymerase I and E. coli RNase H. Recombinant plasmids containing cDNAs for ORSV-Cy RNA ranged from about 800 bp to 3,000 bp. Among the selected 238 recombinants, pORCY-124 clone was the largest one covering 3'-terminal half of the viral RNA. This clone contained two restriction sites for EcoRI and XbaI and one site for AccI, AvaI, BglII, BstXI, HindIII, PstI, and TthIII 1. respectively. The clone contained partial viral replicase, a full-length movement protein and a complete coat protein genes followed by a 3' untranslated region of 414 nucleotides based on restriction mapping and nucleotide sequencing analyses. Clones pORCY-028, -068, -072, -187 and -224 were overlapped with the pORCY-124. Clones pORCY-014 and -095 covered 5' half upstream from the middle region of the viral RNA, which was estimated based on restriction mapping and partial sequence analysis. Constructed cDNA library covered more than 90% of the viral genome.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.235-239
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• 1994

Viral RNA was extracted from purified Chinese cabbage strain of turnip mosaic virus (TuMV-Ca) from infected leaves of turnip. Polyadenylated genomic viral RNA was recovered by oligo (dT) cellulose column chromatography and used as a template for the synthesis of complementary DNA (cDNA). Recombinant plasmids contained cDNA ranged from about 900 bp to 2, 450 bp were synthesized. Among the selected 41 transformants, pTUCA31 and pTUCA35 had over 2 Kbp cDNA insert. Restriction endonuclease patterns of the clones examined were very similar among them. Clones pTUCA23 and pTUCA31 were overlapped with pTUA35. The longest clone pTUCA35, encoding 3'-end, showed that it contained two sites for EcoRI, and one site for BamHI, ClaI, HincII, SacI and XbaI, respectively. The restriction mapping indicated that the clone pTUCA35 contained partial nuclear inclusion body gene, complete coding region of the coat protein and 3' untranslated region of TuMV-Ca genomic RNA.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.340-344
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• 2003

The group I intron from Tetrahymena thermophila has been demonstrated to employ splicing reactions with its substrate RNA in the trans configuration. Moreover, we have recently shown that the transsplicing group I ribozyme can replace HCV-specific transcripts with a new RNA that exerts anti-viral activity. In this study, we explored the potential use of RNA replacement for cancer treatment by developing trans-splicing group I ribozymes, which could replace tumor-associated RNAs with the RNA sequence attached to the 3' end of the ribozymes. Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) RNA was chosen as a target RNA because it is known as a valid cancer prognostic factor. By performing an RNA mapping strategy that is based on a trans-splicing ribozyme library, we first determined which regions of the TP RNA are accessible to ribozymes, and found that the leader sequences upstream of the AUG start codon appeared to be particularly accessible. Next, we assessed the ribozyme activities by comparing trans-splicing activities of several ribozymes that targeted different regions of the TP RNA. This assessment was performed to verify if the target site predicted to be accessible is truly the most accessible. The ribozyme that could target the most accessible site, identified by mapping studies, was the most active with high fidelity in vitro. Moreover, the specific trans-splicing ribozyme reacted with and altered the TP transcripts by transferring an intended 3' exon tag sequence onto the targeted TP RNA in mammalian cells with high fidelity. These results suggest that the Tetrahymena ribozyme can be utilized to replace TP RNAs in tumors with a new RNA harboring anti-cancer activity, which would revert the malignant phenotype.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.361-364
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• 2004

Internal ribosome entry site (IRES) of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is known to be essential for HCV replication and most conserved among HCV variants. Hence, IRES RNA is a good therapeutic target for RNA-based inhibitors, such as ribozymes. We previously proposed a new anti-HCV modulation strategy based on trans-splicing ribozymes, which can selectively replace HCV transcripts with a new RNA that exerts anti-HCV activity. To explore this procedure, sites which are accessible to ribozymes in HCV IRES were previously determined by employing an RNA mapping method in vitro. In this study, we evaluate the intracellular accessibility of the ribozymes by comparing the trans-splicing activ­ities in cells of several ribozymes targeting different sites of the HCV IRES RNA. We assessed the intra­cellular activities of the ribozymes by monitoring their target-specific induction degree of both reporter gene activity and cytotoxin expression. The ribozyme capable of targeting the most accessible site iden­tified by the mapping studies then harbored the most active trans-splicing activity in cells. These results suggest that the target sites predicted to be accessible are truly the most accessible in the cells, and thus, could be applied to the development of various RNA-based anti-HCV therapies.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.7
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• pp.591-599
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• 2020

Complex cell-to-cell communication underlies the basic processes essential for homeostasis in the given tissue architecture. Obtaining quantitative gene-expression of cells in their native context has significantly advanced through single-cell RNA sequencing technologies along with mechanical and enzymatic tissue manipulation. This approach, however, is largely reliant on the physical dissociation of individual cells from the tissue, thus, resulting in a library with unaccounted positional information. To overcome this, positional information can be obtained by integrating imaging and positional barcoding. Collectively, spatial transcriptomics strategies provide tissue architecture-dependent as well as position-dependent cellular functions. This review discusses the current technologies for spatial transcriptomics ranging from the methods combining mechanical dissociation and single-cell RNA sequencing to computational spatial re-mapping.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.106-112
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• 1988

We have examined the structures and cellular distributions of the SV40 late RNAs present in monkey cells at late times after infection. One particular RNA species, spliced at residue 373(373-RNA), was found to be as abundant as the major late 16S RNAs. This result was unexpected since previous reports showed that the molecular ratio of the 373-spliced 19S RNA to 16S RNA is approximately 0.1 among either cytoplasmic polyadenylated or polysomal viral RNAs. Both sedimentation and electrophoretic analysis indicated that the 373-RNA was approximately 16S to 19S in size. Therefore, it was not a splicing intermediate or the product of premature termination of transcription within the late leader region. Whereas most SV40 late 16S RNA is polyadenylated and located in the cytoplasm, the majority of 373-RNA was found to lack poly A, and be located in the nucleus.