Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 17, 2026

Development of Cell-type specific anti-HIV gp120 aptamers for siRNA delivery
13:47

Development of Cell-type specific anti-HIV gp120 aptamers for siRNA delivery

Published on: June 23, 2011

20.0K

Inhibition of DNA replication by an anti-PCNA aptamer/PCNA complex

Ewa Kowalska1, Filip Bartnicki1, Ryo Fujisawa2

  • 1Department of Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, Krakow 30-387, Poland.

Nucleic Acids Research
|November 30, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Researchers developed a DNA aptamer targeting proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a key protein in DNA replication and repair. This aptamer inhibits DNA polymerase activity, offering potential for novel anti-cancer therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is crucial for DNA replication and repair in eukaryotic cells.
  • PCNA is recognized as a potential therapeutic target for anti-cancer strategies.
  • Understanding PCNA's role is vital for developing targeted cancer treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a DNA aptamer that specifically binds to human PCNA.
  • To investigate the inhibitory effects of the anti-PCNA aptamer on DNA replication.
  • To elucidate the mechanism by which the aptamer inhibits DNA polymerase activity.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment (SELEX) was employed to generate the DNA aptamer.
  • In vitro assays were conducted to assess the aptamer's binding affinity and inhibitory activity.
  • Biochemical experiments were performed to study the interaction between the aptamer, PCNA, and DNA polymerases.

Main Results:

  • A novel DNA aptamer targeting human PCNA was successfully developed using SELEX.
  • The anti-PCNA aptamer demonstrated potent inhibition of human DNA polymerase δ and ϵ activity at nanomolar concentrations.
  • The aptamer was found to protect PCNA from exonucleolytic degradation by DNA polymerases.
  • Mechanism studies revealed the aptamer integrates into PCNA/DNA polymerase complexes and competes with DNA for binding.

Conclusions:

  • The developed DNA aptamer effectively targets PCNA and inhibits DNA replication.
  • The aptamer's mechanism involves interference with PCNA/DNA polymerase complex formation and function.
  • This aptamer represents a promising tool for exploring PCNA as a non-oncogenic target in cancer therapy.

More Related Videos

A Quantitative Assay to Study Protein:DNA Interactions, Discover Transcriptional Regulators of Gene Expression, and Identify Novel Anti-tumor Agents06:43

A Quantitative Assay to Study Protein:DNA Interactions, Discover Transcriptional Regulators of Gene Expression, and Identify Novel Anti-tumor Agents

Published on: August 31, 2013

19.2K
Sequence-specific and Selective Recognition of Double-stranded RNAs over Single-stranded RNAs by Chemically Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids09:04

Sequence-specific and Selective Recognition of Double-stranded RNAs over Single-stranded RNAs by Chemically Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids

Published on: September 21, 2017

10.0K

Related Concept Videos

Restarting Stalled Replication Forks02:37

Restarting Stalled Replication Forks

DNA replication is initiated at sites containing predefined DNA sequences known as origins of replication. DNA is unwound at these sites by the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) helicase and other factors such as Cdc45 and the associated GINS complex.The unwound single strands are protected by replication protein A (RPA) until DNA polymerase starts synthesizing DNA at the 5’ end of the strand in the same direction as the replication fork. To prevent the replication fork from falling apart,...
6.4K
DNA Damage can Stall the Cell Cycle02:36

DNA Damage can Stall the Cell Cycle

In response to DNA damage, cells can pause the cell cycle to assess and repair the breaks. However, the cell must check the DNA at certain critical stages during the cell cycle. If the cell cycle pauses before DNA replication, the cells will contain twice the amount of DNA. On the other hand, if cells arrest after DNA replication but before mitosis, they will contain four times the normal amount of DNA. With a host of specialized proteins at their disposal,cells must use the right protein at...
10.2K
DNA Damage Can Stall the Cell Cycle02:36

DNA Damage Can Stall the Cell Cycle

In response to DNA damage, cells can pause the cell cycle to assess and repair the breaks. However, the cell must check the DNA at certain critical stages during the cell cycle. If the cell cycle pauses before DNA replication, the cells will contain twice the amount of DNA. On the other hand, if cells arrest after DNA replication but before mitosis, they will contain four times the normal amount of DNA. With a host of specialized proteins at their disposal,cells must use the right protein at...
3.2K
Negative Regulator Molecules01:23

Negative Regulator Molecules

Positive regulators allow a cell to advance through cell cycle checkpoints. Negative regulators have an equally important role as they terminate a cell’s progression through the cell cycle—or pause it—until the cell meets specific criteria.
38.6K
Eukaryotic Transcription Inhibitors01:52

Eukaryotic Transcription Inhibitors

Certain biochemical processes, such as embryonic development and cell growth regulation, depend on the repression of specific genes. DNA binding proteins known as eukaryotic transcription inhibitors regulate the repression of gene expression in eukaryotes. The presence of these inhibitors at the required location and time in the cell is triggered by the presence of hormones and additional signals from other cells.
Eukaryotic transcription inhibitors usually contain two distinct domains, a...
11.1K
Experimental RNAi02:15

Experimental RNAi

RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular mechanism that inhibits gene expression by suppressing its transcription or activating the RNA degradation process. The mechanism was discovered by Andrew Fire and Craig Mello in 1998 in plants. Today, it is observed in almost all eukaryotes, including protozoa, flies, nematodes, insects, parasites, and mammals. This precise cellular mechanism of gene silencing has been developed into a technique that provides an efficient way to identify and determine the...
7.8K