98%
921
2 minutes
20
Argonaute 2 (Ago2) is a crucial enzyme in the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway, essential for gene silencing via the cleavage of target messenger RNA (mRNA) mediated by microRNA (miRNA) or small interfering RNA (siRNA). The activity of Ago2 is a significant biomarker for various diseases, including cancer and viral infections, necessitating precise monitoring techniques. Traditional methods for detecting Ago2 activity are often cumbersome and lack the necessary sensitivity and specificity for low-abundance targets in complex samples. This study presents an innovative biosensor utilizing electrochemiluminescence (ECL) technology combined with the SAHARA (Split Activator for Highly Accessible RNA Analysis) CRISPR-Cas12a system to detect Ago2 activity with high sensitivity and specificity. The introduction of Blocker RNA in the activation mechanism enhances the specificity of CRISPR-Cas12a, ensuring accurate signal generation. The dual signal amplification strategy, combining RISC-assisted and CRISPR-Cas12a-mediated cleavage, enhances the biosensor's sensitivity. The developed ECL biosensor demonstrated a remarkable limit of detection (LOD) of 0.145 aM, along with excellent precision, stability, and specificity. These attributes make it a powerful tool for detecting Ago2 activity in clinical diagnostics and research settings.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bioelechem.2024.108896 | DOI Listing |
Adv Sci (Weinh)
August 2025
Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center and Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Cancer Metastasis Institute and Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) systematically orchestrate multiple biological processes via gene regulation in various organisms. Conventionally, miRNAs bind to untranslated regions of mRNAs to modulate gene silencing in the cytoplasm. Recent studies have revealed that a subset of miRNAs located in the nucleus can efficiently activate gene transcription by targeting enhancers, named as Nuclear Activating miRNAs (NamiRNAs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Biol Chem
August 2025
Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, Paris F-75014, France. Electronic address:
HIV-1 latency remains a major barrier to viral eradication, and the mechanisms underlying the maintenance of proviral transcriptional silencing are not yet fully understood. Argonaute (Ago) proteins are well known for their roles in post-transcriptional gene silencing through microRNA-mediated pathways, but their involvement in transcriptional regulation, particularly in the context of HIV-1 infection, remains poorly characterized. Here, we demonstrate that Ago1 represses HIV-1 promoter activity across diverse latency models, independently of microRNA biogenesis pathways.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNucleic Acids Res
August 2025
Laboratory of RNA Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Dojazd 11, 60-632 Poznan, Poland.
Functional depletion of Muscleblind-like (MBNL) proteins is a key trigger of myotonic dystrophy (DM)-associated alternative splicing (AltS) defects. To overcome MBNL insufficiency in DM cell models, we harnessed a conserved endogenous mechanism of RNA activation (RNAa) via rationally designed small activating RNA (saRNA) targeted to the most active promoter of MBNL1 gene. We report on two lead saRNA duplexes that stimulated MBNL1 transcription via an on-site mechanism that involves AGO2-mediated loading of the antisense strand onto target sequence, followed by recruitment of RNAPII and auxiliary RNAa pathway components.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS Pathog
August 2025
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America.
The intricate interplay between +RNA viruses and their hosts involves the exploitation of host resources to build virus-induced membranous replication organelles (VROs) in cytosol of infected cells. Previous genome- and proteome-wide approaches have identified numerous nuclear proteins, including restriction factors that affect replication of tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV). However, it is currently unknown how cells mobilize nuclear antiviral proteins and how tombusviruses manipulate nuclear-cytoplasmic communication.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Pharmacol
July 2025
Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
Background: Pancreatic cancer (PC) has been one of the most severe digestive system malignant tumor with poor prognosis that threatens human health. Chemotherapy is essential for patients with advanced PC, but unfortunately the curative effect is limited by chemoresistance. CircTNPO3, a recently discovered circular RNA (circRNA), has been indicated to be associated with multi-types of tumors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF