• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.59 no.1
• /
• pp.93-96
• /
• 2015

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.77-80
• /
• 2005

Targeting of complex system such as human cells rather than biochemically pure molecules will be a useful approach to massively identify ligands specific for the markers associated with human disease such as cancer and simultaneously discover the specific molecular markers. In this study, we developed in vitro selection method to identify nuclease-resistant nucleic acid ligands called RNA aptamers that are specific for human cancer cells. This method is based on the combination of the cell-based selection and subtractive systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) method. These aptamers will be useful for cancer-specific ligands for proteomic research to identify cancer-specific molecular markers as well as tumor diagnosis and therapy.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.423-434
• /
• 2013

The adoption of oligonucleotide aptamer is well on the rise, serving an ever increasing demand for versatility in biomedical field. Through the SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment), aptamer that can bind to specific target with high affinity and specificity can be obtained. Aptamers are single-stranded nucleic acid molecules that can fold into complex three-dimensional structures, forming binding pockets and clefts for the specific recognition and tight binding of any given molecular target. Recently, aptamers have attracted much attention because they not only have all of the advantages of antibodies, but also have unique merits such as thermal stability, ease of synthesis, reversibility, and little immunogenicity. The advent of novel technologies is revolutionizing aptamer applications. Aptamers can be easily modified by various chemical reactions to introduce functional groups and/or nucleotide extensions. They can also be conjugated to therapeutic molecules such as drugs, drug containing carriers, toxins, or photosensitizers. Here, we discuss new SELEX strategies and stabilization methods as well as applications in drug delivery and molecular imaging.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.42 no.10
• /
• pp.721-728
• /
• 2019

Non-structural protein 1 (NS1) of influenza virus has been shown to inhibit the innate immune response by blocking the induction of interferon (IFN). In this study, we isolated two single-stranded RNA aptamers specific to NS1 with $K_d$ values of $1.62{\pm}0.30nM$ and $1.97{\pm}0.27nM$, respectively, using a systematic evolution of ligand by exponential enrichment (SELEX) procedure. The selected aptamers were able to inhibit the interaction of NS1 with tripartite motif-containing protein 25 (TRIM25), and suppression of NS1 enabled retinoic acid inducible gene I (RIG-I) to be ubiquitinated regularly by TRIM25. Additional luciferase reporter assay and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR) experiments demonstrated that suppression of NS1 by the selected aptamers induced IFN production. It is noted that viral replication was also inhibited through IFN induction in the presence of the selected aptamers. These results suggest that the isolated aptamers are strongly expected to be new therapeutic agents against influenza infection.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.111-114
• /
• 2014

Purpose: This review aims to introduce aptamers and the methods of its development to improve the sensitivity and selectivity to target bacteria. In this review, we have highlighted current developments and directions in the pathogen detection based on aptamers. Background: Aptamers, the specific nucleic acid sequences, can bind to targets with high affinity and specificity. Some of researches on the use of aptamers for the detection of pathogen have been reported in recent years. Aptamers have more applicability than antibodies for the development of pathogen detection using biosensor; such as easy to synthesis and labeling, lack of immunogenicity, and a low cost of production. However, only few reports on the development and use of aptamers for the detection of pathogen have been published. Review: Aptamers specific to pathogen are obtained by whole-cell systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) process. SELEX process is composed of screening random oligonucleotide bound with target cells, multiple separation and amplification of nucleic acids, final identification of the best sequences. For improving those affinity and selectivity to target bacteria, optimization of multiple separating process to remove unbounded oligonucleotides from aptamer candidates and sorting process by flow cytometry are required.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.26 no.12
• /
• pp.2033-2037
• /
• 2005

In vitro selection was used to isolate $Mg^{2+}$-dependent self-cleaving ribozymes with cis-cleavage activity from a pre-tRNA library having 40-mer random sequences attached to 5'-end of E. coli $tRNA^{Phe}$. After 8 rounds of SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment), RNA molecules which can self-cleave at the high concentration of $Mg^{2+}$ were isolated. The selected ribozymes can carry out the self-cleavage reaction in the presence of 100 mM $Mg^{2+}$ but not in 10 mM $Mg^{2+}$. The cleavage sites of the ribozymes are located at +3 and +4 of $tRNA^{Phe}$, compared with +1 position of 5'-end cleavage site of pre-tRNA by RNase P. New RNA constructs deprived of its D stem-loop, anticodon stem-loop, variable loop and T stem-loop, respectively showed the cleavage specificity identical to a ribozyme having the intact tRNA structure. Also, the new ribozyme fused with both a ribozyme and $tRNA^{Leu}$ showed the cleavage activities at the various sites within its sequences, different from two sites of position +3 and +4 observed in the ribozyme with $tRNA^{Phe}$. Our results suggest that the selected ribozyme is not structural-specific for tRNA.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.20 no.11
• /
• pp.1335-1339
• /
• 1999

The function of 5S rRNA, a constituent of a large subunit of ribosome, is not clearly known yet. To identify RNA motifs interacting with 5S rRNA, and thereby to get an insight into the function of 5S rRNA in the ribosome, a SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment) experiment was performed. RNA molecules binding to Escherichia coli 5S rRNA were selected from a 48-mer random sequence library through 12 rounds of selection, cloned, and sequenced. Two groups of the selected RNA molecules had the consensus sequences GCGG and GUGAAA, respectively, which are present in the segment, G688 through A696, of E. coli 16S rRNA. The gel mobility shift assay showed that 5S rRNA interacted with the 16S rRNA fragment containing the GCGG and GUGAAA sequences. The enzymatic protection experiment shows that the A29CCUGA34 and G51AAGUG56 sequences of 5S rRNA and the C680AGG683 and G688CGG691 sequences of the 16S rRNA fragment are involved in the interaction between the two RNA molecules. On the basis of this observation, we suggest that 5S rRNA and 16S rRNA play a role for the association of two ribosomal subunits.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.37 no.10
• /
• pp.742-746
• /
• 2014

The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM, also known as CD326) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is specifically detected in most adenocarcinomas and cancer stem cells. In this study, we performed a Cell systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) experiment to isolate the aptamers against EpCAM. After seven round of Cell SELEX, we identified several aptamer candidates. Among the selected aptamers, EP166 specifically binds to cells expressing EpCAM with an equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) in a micromolar range. On the other hand, it did not bind to negative control cells. Moreover, EP166 binds to J1ES cells, a mouse embryonic stem cell line. Therefore, the isolated aptamers against EpCAM could be used as a stem cell marker or in other applications in both stem cell and cancer studies.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.157-163
• /
• 2002

To identify RNA motifs interacting with $tRNA^{Val}$, a SELEX(Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment) was applied. Random DNA library which contains a region of ran-domized 48-mer oligonucleotide flanked by conserved sequ ence primers was transcribed into RNA pool using T7 RNA polymerase and RNA aptamers were selected with $tRNA^{Val}$ -immobilized affinity column through 14 rounds of SELEX. Some of the resulting aptamers contained a consensus sequence similar to the sequence in the loop regions of three rRNAs; C43GAAC47 sequence of 5S rRNA, G1491AAGU1495, G1379UUCC1383 sequence of 16S rRNA and C1064UUAG1068, G2110UGUA2114, C2480GACGG2485, A2600CAGU2604 sequence of 23S rRNA. These results suggest that $tRNA^{Val}$ can interact with 5S rRNA, 16S rRNA and 23S rRNA with variety in ribosome.

• Animal Bioscience
• /
• v.34 no.10
• /
• pp.1579-1589
• /
• 2021

Objective: This study was conducted to generate single stranded DNA oligonucleotides with selective affinity to bovine spermatozoa, assess its binding potential and explore its potential utility in trapping spermatozoa from suspensions. Methods: A combinatorial library of 94 mer long oligonucleotide was used for systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) with bovine spermatozoa. The amplicons from sixth and seventh rounds of SELEX were sequenced, and the reads were clustered employing cluster database at high identity with tolerance (CD-HIT) and FASTAptamer. The enriched nucleotides were predicted for secondary structures by Mfold, motifs by Multiple Em for Motif Elicitation and 5' labelled with biotin/6-FAM to determine the binding potential and binding pattern. Results: We generated 14.1 and 17.7 million reads from sixth and seventh rounds of SELEX respectively to bovine spermatozoa. The CD-HIT clustered 78,098 and 21,196 reads in the top ten clusters and FASTAptamer identified 2,195 and 4,405 unique sequences in the top three clusters from the sixth and seventh rounds, respectively. The identified oligonucleotides formed secondary structures with delta G values between -1.17 to -26.18 kcal/mol indicating varied stability. Confocal imaging with the oligonucleotides from the seventh round revealed different patterns of binding to bovine spermatozoa (fluorescence of the whole head, spot of fluorescence in head and mid- piece and tail). Use of a 5'-biotin tagged oligonucleotide from the sixth round at 100 pmol with 4×10⁶ spermatozoa could trap almost 80% from the suspension. Conclusion: The binding patterns and ability of the identified oligonucleotides confirms successful optimization of the SELEX process and generation of aptamers to bovine spermatozoa. These oligonucleotides provide a quick approach for selective capture of spermatozoa from complex samples. Future SELEX rounds with X- or Y- enriched sperm suspension will be used to generate oligonucleotides that bind to spermatozoa of a specific sex type.