A novel therapeutic approach for genetic diseases by introduction of suppressor tRNA

Nucleic Acids Symp Ser (Oxf). 2006:(50):239-40. doi: 10.1093/nass/nrl119.

Abstract

The appearance of the premature translation termination codons (PTCs) in the transcript is the major cause of human genetic diseases. PTC-containing transcripts are rapidly degraded through nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) pathway. If such mRNA transcripts were translated in frame like normal transcripts, it would afford not only restoration of the level of full-length protein but also prevention of mRNA degradation by the NMD pathway. Here we describe a novel approach to read through PTC-containing mRNAs using suppressor tRNA that is introduced to cells by transfection. Luciferase reporter gene assay showed that nonsense and four-base codons were suppressed by the corresponding suppressor tRNAs derived from human tRNA(Ser). We also demonstrated that transfection of the suppressor tRNA to Ullrich disease fibroblasts, possessing a frameshift mutation in the collagen VI alpha2 gene, induced the upregulation of the collagen VI alpha2 mRNA and accumulation of the collagen VI protein. PTC suppression potentially provides a novel therapeutic means to rescue various PTC-related diseases.

MeSH terms

  • Anticodon / chemistry
  • Codon, Nonsense*
  • Collagen Type VI / biosynthesis
  • Collagen Type VI / genetics*
  • Frameshift Mutation
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Humans
  • Muscular Dystrophies / genetics
  • Muscular Dystrophies / therapy
  • Peptide Chain Termination, Translational
  • RNA, Messenger / biosynthesis
  • RNA, Transfer / chemistry*
  • RNA, Transfer, Ser / chemistry
  • Suppression, Genetic*

Substances

  • Anticodon
  • Codon, Nonsense
  • Collagen Type VI
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Transfer, Ser
  • RNA, Transfer