A High-Throughput Kinetic Assay for RNA-Cleaving Deoxyribozymes

PLoS One. 2015 Aug 26;10(8):e0135984. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135984. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Determining kinetic constants is important in the field of RNA-cleaving deoxyribozymes (DNAzymes). Using todays conventional gel assays for DNAzyme assays is time-consuming and laborious. There have been previous attempts at producing new and improved assays; however these have drawbacks such as incompatibility with structured DNAzymes, enzyme or substrate modifications and increased cost. Here we present a new method for determining single-turnover kinetics of RNA-cleaving DNAzymes in real-time and in a high-throughput fashion. The assay is based on an intercalating fluorescent dye, PicoGreen, with high specificity for double-stranded DNA and heteroduplex DNA-RNA in this case formed between the DNAzyme and the target RNA. The fluorescence decreases as substrate is converted to product and is released from the enzyme. Using a Flexstation II multimode plate reader with built in liquid handling we could automate parts of the assay. This assay gives the possibility to determine single-turnover kinetics for up to 48 DNAzymes simultaneously. As the fluorescent probe is extrinsic there is no need for enzyme or substrate modifications, making this method less costly compared to other methods. The main novelty of this assay is the possibility of using full-length mRNA as the DNAzyme target.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • DNA, Catalytic / chemistry*
  • DNA, Catalytic / genetics
  • DNA, Single-Stranded / chemistry
  • DNA, Single-Stranded / genetics
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays / methods*
  • Kinetics
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Organic Chemicals / chemistry
  • RNA / chemistry*
  • RNA Cleavage*

Substances

  • DNA, Catalytic
  • DNA, Single-Stranded
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Organic Chemicals
  • PicoGreen
  • RNA

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Swedish Research Council for Natural Sciences [621-2011-5902]; Swedish Research Council for Medical Research [K2012-66X-21148-04-5]; and the Swedish Cancer Society [CAN 2012/251]. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.