申请人:Yale University
公开号:EP2233494A1
公开(公告)日:2010-09-29
It has been discovered that certain natural mRNAs serve as metabolite-sensitive genetic switches wherein the RNA directly binds a small organic molecule. This binding process changes the conformation of the mRNA, which causes a change in gene expression by a variety of different mechanisms. Modified versions of these natural "riboswitches" (created by using various nucleic acid engineering strategies) can be employed as designer genetic switches that are controlled by specific effector compounds. Such effector compounds that activate a riboswitch are referred to herein as trigger molecules. The natural switches are targets for antibiotics and other small molecule therapies. In addition, the architecture of riboswitches allows actual pieces of the natural switches to be used to construct new nonimmunogenic genetic control elements, for example the aptamer (molecular recognition) domain can be swapped with other non-natural aptamers (or otherwise modified) such that the new recognition domain causes genetic modulation with user-defined effector compounds. The changed switches become part of a therapy regimen-turning on, or off, or regulating protein synthesis. Newly constructed genetic regulation networks can be applied in such areas as living biosensors, metabolic engineering of organisms, and in advanced forms of gene therapy treatments.
研究发现,某些天然 mRNA 可作为代谢物敏感的基因开关,其中的 RNA 可直接与一种小的有机分子结合。这种结合过程会改变 mRNA 的构象,从而通过各种不同的机制改变基因的表达。这些天然 "核糖开关 "的改良版(通过使用各种核酸工程策略创建)可用作由特定效应化合物控制的设计基因开关。这种激活核糖开关的效应化合物在本文中被称为触发分子。天然开关是抗生素和其他小分子疗法的目标。此外,核糖开关的结构允许使用天然开关的实际片段来构建新的非免疫原性基因控制元件,例如,可以将适配体(分子识别)结构域与其他非天然适配体进行交换(或以其他方式进行修改),从而使新的识别结构域能够使用用户定义的效应化合物进行基因调控。改变后的开关将成为治疗方案的一部分--开启、关闭或调节蛋白质合成。新构建的基因调控网络可应用于活体生物传感器、生物体代谢工程和先进的基因疗法等领域。