Caged nucleobases for optochemical control of DNA functions
Caged molecular probes, or light-sensitive oligonucleotide based probes, enable the rapid release of biologically active molecules. Caging technology can provide results that cannot be obtained by other means. Adding photolabile caging groups into oligonucleotides has become a method or strategy to conditionally control oligonucleotide activities with the help of light. Hence, caged molecules are useful photolabile and light-sensitive molecular tools. Synthetic oligonucleotides can be designed as probes for the study of modulations of genes as well as to investigate gene functions.
Usually, caging moieties are designed to interfere maximally with the binding and activity of target molecules, as well as their interactions with other molecules. Flash photolysis, the activation of the caged molecule, using light pulses at ≤360 nm, releases the active molecule as a pulse of the active compound. The uncaging reaction can be accomplished using UV light in a fluorescence microscope, with a UV laser or a UV flashlamp.
Regulation of translation
Regulation of translation is possible with the
1. use of light-activated antisense agents,
2. use of small interfering RNAs (siRNA),
3. use of antagomirs.
Antagomirs are also known as anti-miRs or blockmirs. They are a class of engineered synthetic oligonucleotides that are complementary to specific microRNA (miRNA) target sequences and can be used to block this miRNA target and/or silence endogenous miRNA.
Regulation of transcription
Regulation of transcription is possible with the
1. use of caged triplex forming oligonucleotides,
2. use of DNA decoys,
3. use of light-controlled aptamers.
Reference
Qingyang Liu and Alexander Deiters; Optochemical Control of Deoxyoligonucleotide Function Via a Nucleobase-Caging Approach. Acc Chem Res. 2014 January 21; 47(1): 45–55. doi:10.1021/ar400036a.