Development of functional RNA whose activity of trapping a protein switches on/off for intra- and extracellular conditions

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K14678
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Structural biochemistry
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Katahira Masato 京都大学, エネルギー理工学研究所, 教授 (70211844)
• Research Collaborator: NAGATA Takashi 京都大学, エネルギー理工学研究所, 准教授 (10415250) ; YAMAOKI Yudai 京都大学, エネルギー理工学研究所, 博士研究員 (00778095)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: RNAアプタマー / Tat蛋白質 / スイッチング / NMR / 4重鎖 / カリウムイオン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

By utilizing an r(GGAGGAGGAGGA) molecule, whose structure drastically changes in response to K+, as a switching unit, we successfully developed the RNA aptamer whose activity of trapping the Tat protein switches on in response to K+. In response to the repeat of the increase and decrease of the K+ concentration, the activity repeatedly switches on and off. We also succeeded in observing NMR signals of nucleic acids in living human cells for the first time, which opened the way to explore the structures of nucleic acids in living human cells.

Free Research Field

構造生命科学