Surface plasmon resonance investigation of RNA aptamer-RNA ligand interactions

Instruments based on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) principle allow label-free detection of interactions between targets immobilized at a solid-liquid interface and partners in solution. This method is well suited to determine the kinetic parameters, the equilibrium constant and the stoichiometry of a reaction. Aptamers are ligands identified from random libraries of RNA, DNA or chemically modified oligonucleotides by in vitro selection (SELEX). Aptamers can be raised against a great variety of targets (small molecules, proteins, nucleic acids, cells, viruses, bacteria). SPR is routinely used in our laboratory for the analysis of RNA aptamer-RNA target complexes. To illustrate SPR investigation of such complexes, we describe here methods that were successfully used to monitor the interaction between the trans-activating responsive element of HIV-1 and an RNA aptamer.