Selection and characterization of single stranded DNA aptamers for the hormone abscisic Acid

Nucleic Acid Ther. 2013 Oct;23(5):322-31. doi: 10.1089/nat.2013.0418. Epub 2013 Aug 24.

Abstract

The hormone abscisic acid (ABA) is a small molecule involved in pivotal physiological functions in higher plants. Recently, ABA has been also identified as an endogenous hormone in mammals, regulating different cell functions including inflammatory processes, stem cell expansion, insulin release, and glucose uptake. Aptamers are short, single-stranded (ss) oligonucleotidesable to recognize target molecules with high affinity. The small size of the ABA molecule represented a challenge for aptamer development and the aim of this study was to develop specific anti-ABA DNA aptamers. Biotinylated abscisic acid (bio-ABA) was immobilized on streptavidin-coated magnetic beads. DNA aptamers against bio-ABA were selected with 7 iterative rounds of the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment method (SELEX), each round comprising incubation of the ABA-binding beads with the ssDNA sequences, DNA elution, electrophoresis, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. The PCR product was cloned and sequenced. The binding affinity of several clones was determined using bio-ABA immobilized on streptavidin-coated plates. Aptamer 2 and aptamer 9 showed the highest binding affinity, with dissociation constants values of 0.98 ± 0.14 μM and 0.80 ± 0.07 μM, respectively. Aptamers 2 and 9 were also able to bind free, unmodified ABA and to discriminate between different ABA enantiomers and isomers. Our findings indicate that ssDNA aptamers can selectively bind ABA and could be used for the development of ABA quantitation assays.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abscisic Acid / analysis
  • Abscisic Acid / chemistry*
  • Abscisic Acid / metabolism
  • Aptamers, Nucleotide / chemistry*
  • Aptamers, Nucleotide / genetics
  • Base Sequence
  • Biotin / chemistry
  • Biotinylation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Cyclic AMP / metabolism
  • DNA, Single-Stranded / chemistry*
  • DNA, Single-Stranded / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Granulocytes / cytology
  • Granulocytes / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Ligands
  • Magnets
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • SELEX Aptamer Technique
  • Streptavidin / chemistry

Substances

  • Aptamers, Nucleotide
  • DNA, Single-Stranded
  • Ligands
  • Biotin
  • Abscisic Acid
  • Streptavidin
  • Cyclic AMP