Screening of DNA aptamers inhibiting Taq DNA polymerase using algorithm mimicking evolution

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Aptamer screening traditionally focuses on binding affinity.
• Developing DNA aptamers as enzyme inhibitors requires selection based on functional activity.
• Existing screening methods may not be optimal for identifying inhibitory aptamers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel screening method for DNA aptamers based on inhibitory activity.
• To identify DNA aptamers capable of inhibiting Taq DNA polymerase activity.
• To demonstrate the utility of an evolutionary algorithm for aptamer selection.

Main Methods:

• Developed an algorithm that mimics evolutionary processes for aptamer screening.
• Selected DNA aptamers based on their ability to inhibit enzyme activity.
• Validated the inhibitory potential of selected aptamers against Taq DNA polymerase.

Main Results:

• Successfully screened DNA aptamers using the novel evolutionary algorithm.
• Identified DNA aptamers with inhibitory activity against Taq DNA polymerase in the low hundred-nanomolar range.
• Demonstrated that selection by inhibitory activity is feasible and effective.

Conclusions:

• The developed evolutionary screening method is effective for identifying functional DNA aptamers.
• This approach enables the selection of aptamers based on inhibitory capacity, not solely affinity.
• The method shows significant potential for discovering DNA aptamers as enzyme inhibitors.