Modulating aptamer function by copper(II)-mediated base pair formation

Area of Science:

• Oligonucleotide chemistry
• Molecular recognition
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Aptamers are DNA or RNA molecules that bind to specific targets.
• Modulating aptamer function is crucial for developing biosensors and therapeutics.
• Existing methods for aptamer control can be complex or limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for controlling aptamer function using a synthetic nucleoside.
• To investigate the use of copper(II) ions for modulating aptamer folding and binding.
• To demonstrate the versatility of this approach with different aptamers and targets.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a 2'-deoxyribonucleoside surrogate, imidazole-4-carboxylate.
• Modification of ATP and arginine aptamers with the synthetic nucleoside.
• Characterization of aptamer folding and target binding in the presence and absence of Cu(II).

Main Results:

• The synthetic nucleoside does not form standard hydrogen bonds but mediates Cu(II)-dependent base pairing.
• Addition of Cu(II) ions modulated the folding and binding affinity of the modified aptamers.
• The degree of modulation varied based on aptamer sequence and the position of the synthetic nucleoside.

Conclusions:

• A novel strategy for aptamer functional control was established using a Cu(II)-responsive synthetic nucleoside.
• This method provides a new tool for tuning aptamer performance in molecular recognition applications.
• The findings open avenues for developing advanced aptamer-based devices and therapies.