Multiplex Aptamer Discovery through Apta-Seq and Its Application to ATP Aptamers Derived from Human-Genomic SELEX

ACS Chem Biol. 2017 Aug 18;12(8):2149-2156. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00001. Epub 2017 Jul 11.

Abstract

Laboratory-evolved RNAs bind a wide variety of targets and serve highly diverse functions, including as diagnostic and therapeutic aptamers. The majority of aptamers have been identified using in vitro selection (SELEX), a molecular evolution technique based on selecting target-binding RNAs from highly diverse pools through serial rounds of enrichment and amplification. In vitro selection typically yields multiple distinct motifs of highly variable abundance and target-binding affinities. The discovery of new aptamers is often limited by the difficulty of characterizing the selected motifs, because testing of individual sequences tends to be a tedious process. To facilitate the discovery of new aptamers within in vitro selected pools, we developed Apta-Seq, a multiplex analysis based on quantitative, ligand-dependent 2' acylation of solvent-accessible regions of the selected RNA pools, followed by reverse transcription (SHAPE) and deep sequencing. The method reveals, in a single sequencing experiment, the identity, structural features, and target dissociation constants for aptamers present in the selected pool. Application of Apta-Seq to a human genomic pool enriched for ATP-binding RNAs yielded three new aptamers, which together with previously identified human aptamers suggest that ligand-binding RNAs may be common in mammals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aptamers, Nucleotide / chemistry*
  • Aptamers, Nucleotide / genetics*
  • Base Sequence
  • Binding Sites
  • Cell Line
  • Humans
  • SELEX Aptamer Technique*
  • Sequence Alignment

Substances

  • Aptamers, Nucleotide