Isolation of inhibitory RNA aptamers against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus NTPase/Helicase

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008 Feb 15;366(3):738-44. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.12.020. Epub 2007 Dec 17.

Abstract

Recent outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that caused almost 800 victims requires a development of efficient inhibitor against SARS coronavirus (SCV). In this study, RNA aptamers against SCV NTPase/Helicase (nsP10) were isolated from RNA library containing random sequences of 40 nts using in vitro selection technique. Nucleotide sequences of enriched RNA aptamer pool (ES15 RNA) contain AG-rich conserved sequence of 10-11 nucleotides [AAAGGR(G)GAAG; R, purine base] and/or additional sequence of 5 nucleotides [GAAAG], which mainly reside at the loop region in all the predicted secondary structures. Isolated RNAs were observed to efficiently inhibit double-stranded DNA unwinding activity of the helicase by up to approximately 85% with an IC(50) value of 1.2nM but show a slight effect on ATPase activity of the protein in the presence of cofactor, poly (rU). These results suggest that the pool of selected aptamers might be potentially useful as anti-SCV agents.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aptamers, Nucleotide / administration & dosage
  • Aptamers, Nucleotide / genetics*
  • Gene Silencing
  • Nucleoside-Triphosphatase / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Nucleoside-Triphosphatase / genetics*
  • RNA Helicases / genetics*
  • Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / genetics*
  • Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / physiology*

Substances

  • Aptamers, Nucleotide
  • Nucleoside-Triphosphatase
  • RNA Helicases