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Effects of single nucleotide changes on the binding and activity of RNA aptamers to human papillomavirus 16 E7

Clare Nicol1, David H J Bunka, G Eric Blair

  • 1Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
|January 18, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Researchers developed RNA aptamers targeting the human papillomavirus 16 E7 oncoprotein. One aptamer inhibited E7

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Virology
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) oncoprotein E7 is crucial for cell transformation.
  • Targeting viral oncoproteins is a strategy for antiviral therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop RNA aptamers against the HPV16 E7 oncoprotein.
  • To investigate the specificity and functional activity of these aptamers.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) was used for aptamer development.
  • Functional assays were performed to assess aptamer inhibition of E7-pRb interaction.

Main Results:

  • Several RNA aptamers targeting HPV16 E7 were identified.
  • One aptamer demonstrated significant inhibition of the E7-pRb binding interaction.
  • Aptamers with >92% sequence similarity in random regions showed varied functional activity, highlighting specificity.

Conclusions:

  • RNA aptamers can be specifically developed to target viral oncoproteins like HPV16 E7.
  • Subtle sequence variations in aptamers can lead to significant differences in functional activity.
  • Aptamers show potential as specific inhibitors of viral oncoprotein interactions.

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