“Hairpin” and “hammerhead” ribozymes directed towards the Mumps virus nucleocapsid RNA: Specific cleavage of a small synthetic RNA substrate and full-length mRNA

In an attempt to develop efficient antiviral agents against Mumps virus, we designed ribozymes targeting the nucleocapsid (NP) mRNA. Transacting catalytic RNAs of the hammerhead and hairpin types were synthesized; they contained specific motifs, shared similar flanking regions and were directed against a 5GUC3 target immediately downstream to the initiation codon of NP mRNA. Both ribozymes were first assayed on a synthetic 16 bases target RNA and found to catalytically and efficiently cleave the substrate in a sequence specific way. No cleavage, however, occurred when mutated forms of the ribozymes were used. In addition, both ribozyme types, when tested on the full length NP mRNA, were also able to cleave the substrate although turnover could not be demonstrated. As a rule, the hammerhead ribozyme proved more efficient than its hairpin counterpart, as well on the synthetic RNA substrate as on the full length NP mRNA target.     

Marfan syndrome, magnesium status and medical prevention of cardiovascular complications by hemodynamic treatments and antisense gene therapy.

The medical management of Marfan Syndrome (MFS) mainly relies on early prevention of the aortic complications. Hemodynamic treatments try to diminish the forcefulness of cardiac contractions and to reduce blood pressure: for example long term administration of propranolol may significantly reduce the rate of increase in aortic ratio (aortic diameter/expected aortic diameter). Retardation of aortic dilatation may be most often observed by early treatment started when the baseline end-diastolic aortic root diameter is < 40 mm. It seems better to use beta-blockers without intrinsic sympathomimetic activity. Successful acceptance of beta-blockers may be limited by side-effects, but the efficiency of alternative hypotensive agents (calcium channel inhibitors, ACE inhibitors) is not yet validated. Gene therapy might constitute an etiologic specific treatment of MFS. FBN1-RZ1 hammerhead antisense ribozyme is able to suppress expression of the mutant FBN1 allele. The use of ribozymes as systemic therapeutic agents will depend on efficient delivery to its target, but the various proposed vectors raise yet unsolved problems. A hydrogel angioplasty balloon might be a possible vector for delivering an antisense ribozyme in the aortic wall specifically. Ribozymes--as deoxyribonucleotides--may be taken up by tissue upon local application. Further research should study ex vivo local application of antisense ribozyme on human aortic wall, before assessing in vivo efficiency and tolerance of this aortic local vectorisation. It is always necessary to maintain a balanced magnesium intake in patients with MFS. Firstly to prevent the multiple noxious effects of magnesium deficiency on cardiovascular targets. Secondly to ensure the best efficiency and the least toxicity of the hemodynamic drugs used as long term prophylactic treatment for cardiovascular complications and of the etiologic antisense magnesium-dependent gene therapy, in the future.     

Targeted cleavage of hepatitis E virus 3' end RNA mediated by hammerhead ribozymes inhibits viral RNA replication

The 3' end of hepatitis E virus (HEV) contains cis-acting regulatory element, which plays an important role in viral replication. To develop specific replication inhibitor at the molecular level, mono- and di-hammerhead ribozymes (Rz) were designed and synthesized against the conserved 3' end sequences of HEV, which cleave at nucleotide positions 7125 and 7112/7125, respectively. Di-hammerhead ribozyme with two catalytic motifs in tandem was designed to cleave simultaneously at two sites spaced 13 nucleotides apart, which increases the overall cleavage efficiency and prevents the development of escape mutants. Specific cleavage products were obtained with both the ribozymes in vitro at physiological conditions. The inactive control ribozymes showed no cleavage. The ribozymes showed specific inhibition of HEV 3' end fused-luciferase reporter gene expression by approximately 37 and approximately 60%, respectively in HepG2 cells. These results demonstrate a feasible approach to inhibit the HEV replication to a limited extent by targeting the cis-acting 3' end of HEV with hammerhead ribozymes.     

Hammerhead ribozymes reduce central nervous system (CNS)-derived neuronal nitric oxide synthase messenger RNA in a human cell line

Catalytic RNA molecules (ribozymes) have been widely used specifically to suppress gene expression. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is an important molecule involved in normal central nervous system function (e.g. vasodilation, neurotransmission.) and disease (e.g. oxidative stress). This report is an investigation of the hammerhead ribozyme function and potential in the central nervous system using nNOS as a model. Two antisense hammerhead ribozymes, nNOS-RZ1 and nNOS-RZ2, were designed and constructed against nNOS messenger RNA (mRNA). In vitro (cell-free) experiments demonstrated the ability of both ribozymes to cleave nNOS RNA targets. Ribozyme-mediated reduction of the endogenous nNOS mRNA in human TGW-I-nu neuroblastoma cells was demonstrated by plasmid- and adenovirus-mediated transfections. These results may form the basis for studying neuronal gene expression and for designing RNA-directed therapeutic strategies for neurological diseases that involve oxidative stress.     

Ribozyme mediated destruction of influenza A virus in vitro and in vivo

Short catalytic RNAs with inherent, specific endoribonuclease activity, called ribozymes, have recently been shown to exist in nature. According to the structural models artificial ribozymes have been designed that can potentially hydrolyse any chosen target RNA sequence in trans at a specific site. We have constructed and characterized in vitro hammerhead and hairpin ribozymes designed to cleave viral RNA segment 5 of influenza A virus. Both ribozymes were functional under optimal in vitro conditions, but quantitative measurements indicate that the hammerhead ribozyme is considerably more efficient at this target site than the hairpin ribozyme. Mg²⁺ dependent hammerhead ribozyme-mediated cleavage reactions were enhanced at higher temperature and in presence of spermidine, but catalytic activities were retained also in cellular extract S-100 or nuclear extracts at physiological temperatures. Recombinant plasmids derived from transfection vector pSV2-neo were engineered to allow the expression of specific ribozymes under the control of SV40 early promoter or SV40 early+ late promoters. These plasmids were introduced by transfection into COS cells, and their expression and enzymatic activities were analyzed in stable cell lines after selection of neomycin-re-sistance. Several permanent ribozyme-express-ing clones were established and characterized: ribozyme coding DNA sequences and synthesis of ribozyme RNA molecules in the transfected cells were determined and monitored by polymerase chain reactions. It was found that the highest levels (up to 70-80%) of resistance to influenza A virus strain X-31 super-infection was observed in COS cells transfected with plasmids containing SV40 early or SV40 early+late promoters coinciding with relatively high and constitutive rates of ribozyme expression. These results suggest the feasibility of developing ribozymes designed against influenza virus to achieve therapeutic value. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, inc.     

Ribozymes as therapeutic tools for genetic disease

The discovery that RNA can act as a biological catalyst, as well as a genetic molecule, indicated that there was a time when biological reactions were catalysed in the absence of protein-based enzymes. It also provided the platform to develop those catalytic RNA molecules, called ribozymes, as trans -acting tools for RNA manipulation. Viral diseases or diseases due to genetic lesions could be targeted therapeutically through ribozymes, provided that the sequence of the genetic information involved in the disease is known. The hammerhead ribozyme, one of the smallest ribozymes identified, is able to induce site-specific cleavage of RNA, with ribozyme and substrate being two different oligoribonucleotides with regions of complementarity. Its ability to down-regulate gene expression through RNA cleavage makes the hammerhead ribozyme a candidate for genetic therapy. This could be particularly useful for dominant genetic diseases by down-regulating the expression of mutant alleles. The group I intron ribozyme, on the other hand, is capable of site-specific RNA trans -splicing. It can be engineered to replace part of an RNA with sequence attached to its 3' end. Such application may have importance in the repair of mutant mRNA molecules giving rise to genetic diseases. However, to achieve successful ribozyme-mediated RNA-directed therapy, several parameters including ribozyme stability, activity and efficient delivery must be considered. Ribozymes are promising genetic therapy agents and should, in the future, play an important role in designing strategies for the therapy of genetic diseases.      

A possible advance in arterial gene therapy for aortic complications in the Marfan syndrome by local transfer of an antisense Mg-dependent hammerhead ribozyme.

Aortic dissection and rupture make the Marfan Syndrome (MFS), one of the most highly lethal genetic condition, but these events are preceded by simple aortic root dilatation over a long period. A hydrogel coated angioplasty balloon might constitute a possible aortic vector to locally deliver an antisense Mg-dependent hammerhead ribozyme capable to control specifically the genetic alteration of fibrillin 1 responsible for the connective tissue disorder of MFS.     

抗转化生长因子β1的U1 snRNA嵌合型核酶体外剪切作用

目的： 研究抗转化生长因子β₁ U1snRNA嵌合型锤头状核酶的细胞外切割活性。方法： 通过计算机设计针对TGFβ₁的锤头状核酶，然后把合成的核酶片段克隆入含有U1 snRNA启动子/增强子和终止子的U1 snRNA核酶载体中。通过RT-PCR扩增获得TGFβ₁的部分基因片段，将其克隆入T载体中T7启动子的下游，体外转录获得核酶和靶RNA，转录过程中掺入同位素，通过变性的聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳纯化回收。［³²P］标记的核酶与靶RNA在不同条件下进行切割反应，变性PAGE电泳，放射自显影，分析反应结果。结果： 活性的U1 snRNA嵌合型核酶（U1Rz803）在生理温度下具有良好特异的切割活性； 而点突变型核酶U1Rz803m没有切割活性，因此这些结果显示U1Rz803设计是正确的。结论： 本研究中制备的U1Rz803具有良好的特异催化切割活性。U1 snRNA嵌合型核酶U1Rz803有望在胞内抑制TGFβ₁的表达，为研究转化生长因子（TGF）β₁在造血调控中的作用机制提供有效工具。     

CIITA锤头状核酶的克隆及其体外活性

通过CIITA核酶抑制HeLa细胞表面MHCⅡ类分子的表达。设计并合成针对人类CIITA的核酶Rz464,通过体外转录和切割实验鉴定其活性。将Rz464亚克隆到真核表达载体pIRES2-EGFP(pRz464),并稳定转染HeLa细胞株,流式细胞术检测MHCⅡ类抗原表达,RT-PCR检测CIITA mRNA水平。结果表明,Rz464与CIITA靶序列体外切割产物电泳见预期切割条带。pRz464~+HeLa细胞与对照组比较,HLA-DR、DP、DQ抗原诱导型表达分别降低了79.21%、90.31%及48.30%;同时CIITA的诱导型mRNA含量明显减少。Rz464通过切割CIITA mRNA,进而阻止了后者调控的MHCⅡ类分子的表达。     

Efficient In Vitro Cleavage of Mouse Acute Phase Serum Amyloid A mRNA Mediated by a Synthetic Hammerhead Ribozyme

The authors designed a hammerhead ribozyme, mRibSAA2, to cleave the mRNA for mouse acute phase serum amyloid A 2 (A-SAA2), a major acute phase protein that is massively induced during inflammation and that is deposited as fibrils during secondary amyloidosis. Using computer based secondary structure analysis, a GUC triplet (nucleotides 408–410) on a predicted stem loop in A-SAA2 mRNA was chosen as the target site for mRibSAA2. The ribozyme was tested in vitro and gave efficient and specific magnesium-dependent cleavage of mouse A-SAA2 mRNA into the expected fragments of 197 and 425 bases. The authors also demonstrated that the ribozyme retains cleavage activity over several hours. The use of the mRibSAA2 ribozyme as a research tool and possible therapeutic agent in mouse models of amyloidosis is discussed.     

The molecular genetics of Marfan syndrome and related disorders

Marfan syndrome (MFS), a relatively common autosomal dominant hereditary disorder of connective tissue with prominent manifestations in the skeletal, ocular, and cardiovascular systems, is caused by mutations in the gene for fibrillin-1 (FBN1). The leading cause of premature death in untreated individuals with MFS is acute aortic dissection, which often follows a period of progressive dilatation of the ascending aorta. Recent research on the molecular physiology of fibrillin and the pathophysiology of MFS and related disorders has changed our understanding of this disorder by demonstrating changes in growth factor signalling and in matrix-cell interactions. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of recent advances in the molecular biology of fibrillin and fibrillin-rich microfibrils. Mutations in FBN1 and other genes found in MFS and related disorders will be discussed, and novel concepts concerning the complex and multiple mechanisms of the pathogenesis of MFS will be explained.     

Homozygosity for a FBN1 missense mutation: clinical and molecular evidence for recessive Marfan syndrome

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is known as an autosomal-dominant connective tissue disorder (MIM 154,700), involving primarily the skeletal, ocular and cardiovascular systems, and caused by mutations in the gene for fibrillin1 (FBN1). Here, we report on two cousins from a consanguineous family with a homozygous c.1,453C>T FBN1 mutation (p.Arg485Cys) and MFS. All four healthy parents were heterozygous for the c.1,453C>T FBN1 mutation and none fulfilled the Ghent criteria for MFS. This family is the first molecularly confirmed recessive MFS. The demonstration of recessive cases of MFS has obvious implications for genetic counselling as well as for molecular diagnosis.     

Marfan综合征的基因突变及基因诊断

Marfan综合征是常染色体显性遗传性结缔组织疾病,发病率为0.2‰～0.3‰,病变主要涉及骨骼、眼睛、心血管系统,有时也涉及肺部、皮肤和硬脑脊膜等器官.目前研究认为Marfan综合征发病主要原因为原纤维蛋白基因(fibrillin-1,FBN1)的突变.本文主要介绍了与Marfan综合征相关的FBN1基因及突变特点,重点对目前基因诊断研究情况加以概述.     

Synthetic hammerhead ribozymes as therapeutic tools to control disease genes

Ribozymes are RNA molecules that have the ability to catalyse the cleavage and formation of covalent bonds in RNA strands at specific sites. The "hammerhead" motif, approximately 30-nucleotide long, is the smallest endonucleolytic cis-acting ribozyme structure found in natural circular RNAs of some plant viroids. Hammerhead ribozymes became appealing when it was shown that it is possible to produce trans-acting ribozymes directed against RNA sequences of interest. Since then, gene-tailored ribozymes have been designed, produced and given to cells to knock down the expression of specific genes. At present, this technology has advanced so much that many hammerhead ribozymes are being used in clinical trials. With this work we would provide some guidelines to design efficient trans-acting hammerhead ribozymes as well as review the recent results obtained with them as gene therapy tools.     

Mutation screening of complete fibrillin-1 coding sequence: report of five new mutations, including two in 8-cysteine domains

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is an autosomal dominantly inherited connectivetissue disorder characterized by cardiovascular, ocular andskeletal manifestations. Previously, mutations in the fibrillin-1gene on chromosome 15 (FBN1) have been reported to cause MFS.We have now screened 44 probands with MFS or related phenotypesfor alterations in the entire fibrillin coding sequence (9.3kb) by single strand conformation analysis. We report four uniquemutations in the fibrillin gene of unrelated MFS patients. Oneis a 17 bp deletion and three are missense mutations, two ofwhich involve 8-cysteine motifs. Another missense mutation wasfound in two unrelated individuals with annuloaortic ectasiabut was also present in unaffected relatives and controls fromvarious ethnic backgrounds. By using allele-specific ollgonucleotidehybridization, we screened 65 unrelated MFS patients, 29 patientswith related phenotypes and 84 control individuals for thesemutations as well as for a previously reported mutation andtwo polymorphisms. Our results suggest that most MFS familiescarry unique mutations and that the fibrillin genotype is notthe sole determinant of the connective tissue phenotype.     

An FBN1 Deep Intronic Mutation in a Familial Case of Marfan Syndrome: An Explanation for Genetically Unsolved Cases?

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is caused by mutations in the FBN1 (fibrillin‐1) gene, but approximately 10% of MFS cases remain genetically unsolved. Here, we report a new FBN1 mutation in an MFS family that had remained negative after extensive molecular genomic DNA FBN1 testing, including denaturing high‐performance liquid chromatography, Sanger sequencing, and multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification. Linkage analysis in the family and cDNA sequencing of the proband revealed a deep intronic point mutation in intron 56 generating a new splice donor site. This mutation results in the integration of a 90‐bp pseudo‐exon between exons 56 and 57 containing a stop codon, causing nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay. Although more than 90% of FBN1 mutations can be identified with regular molecular testing at the genomic level, deep intronic mutations will be missed and require cDNA sequencing or whole‐genome sequencing.     

Mutant fibrillin-1 monomers lacking EGF-like domains disrupt microfibril assembly and cause severe marfan syndrome

Marfan syndrome (MFS), a heritable connective tissue disorder, is caused by mutations in the gene coding for fibrillin-1 (FBN1), an extracellular matrix protein. One of the three major categories of FBN1 mutations involves exon-skipping. To rapidly detect such mutations, we developed a long RT-PCR method. Either three segments covering the entire FBN1 coding sequence or a single 8.9 kb FBN1 coding segment were amplified from reverse-transcribed total fibroblast RNA. Restriction fragment patterns of these RT-PCR products were compared and abnormal fragments were directly sequenced. Six exon-skipping mutations were identified in a panel of 60 MFS probands. All skipped exons encode calcium binding epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains and maintain the reading frame. In five probands, exon-skipping was due to point mutations in splice site sequences, and one had a 6 bp deletion in a donor splice site. Pulse-chase analysis of labelled fibrillin protein revealed normal levels of synthesis but significantly reduced matrix deposition. This dominant-negative effect of the mutant monomers is considered in the light of current models of fibrillin assembly. Probands with this type of FBN1 mutation include the most severe forms of MFS, such as neonatally lethal presentations.