Trends in Pharmacological Sciences ( IF 13.8 ) Pub Date : 2017-07-17 , DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2017.06.007 Robert J. Trachman , Lynda Truong , Adrian R. Ferré-D'Amaré
Several aptamer RNAs have been selected in vitro that bind to otherwise weakly fluorescent small molecules and enhance their fluorescence several thousand-fold. By genetically tagging cellular RNAs of interest with these aptamers and soaking cells in their cell-permeable cognate small-molecule fluorophores, it is possible to use them to study RNA localization and trafficking. These aptamers have also been fused to metabolite-binding RNAs to generate fluorescent biosensors. The 3D structures of three unrelated fluorogenic RNAs have been determined, and reveal a shared reliance on base quadruples (tetrads) to constrain the photo-excited chromophore. The structural diversity of fluorogenic RNAs and the chemical diversity of potential fluorophores to be activated are likely to yield a variety of future fluorogenic RNA tags that are optimized for different applications in RNA imaging and in the design of fluorescent RNA biosensors.
中文翻译:
荧光RNA适体的结构原理
已在体外选择了几种适体RNA与原本弱荧光的小分子结合并增强其荧光数千倍。通过用这些适体基因标记感兴趣的细胞RNA,并将细胞浸入其可渗透细胞的同源小分子荧光团中,可以将它们用于研究RNA的定位和运输。这些适体也已与结合代谢物的RNA融合,以产生荧光生物传感器。已经确定了三个不相关的荧光RNA的3D结构,并揭示了它们对碱基四倍体(tetrads)的共同依赖,以约束光激发发色团。