Rational Engineering of a Dynamic,Entropy‐Driven DNA Nanomachine for Intracellular MicroRNA Imaging

We rationally engineered an elegant entropy‐driven DNA nanomachine with three‐dimensional track and applied it for intracellular miRNAs imaging. The proposed nanomachine is activated by target miRNA binding to drive a walking leg tethered to gold nanoparticle with a high density of DNA substrates. The autonomous and progressive walk on the DNA track via the entropy‐driven catalytic reaction of intramolecular toehold‐mediated strand migration leads to continuous disassembly of DNA substrates, accompanied by the recovery of fluorescence signal due to the specific release of a dye‐labeled substrate from DNA track. Our nanomachine outperforms the conventional intermolecular reaction‐based gold nanoparticle design in the context of an improved sensitivity and kinetics, attributed to the enhanced local effective concentrations of working DNA components from the proximity‐induced intramolecular reaction. Moreover, the nanomachine was applied for miRNA imaging inside living cells.     

普鲁士蓝@石墨烯-壳聚糖纳米复合物用于构建microRNA电化学传感器的研究

制备了基于普鲁士蓝(PB)、石墨烯(GN)、壳聚糖(Chi)的纳米复合物(PB@GN-Chi),并将其修饰在玻碳电极表面制得microRNA电化学传感器。实验发现,GN可有效提高敏感膜的导电性能和比表面积,增强PB在电极表面的稳定性和传感器的重现性。通过戊二醛的交联作用,将氨基化的捕获探针(ssDNA)固载在PB@GN-Chi修饰的电极表面,并用于miR-21的检测。以透射电子显微镜对纳米复合物的形态进行表征,采用循环伏安法、示差脉冲伏安法对传感器的电化学特性进行研究。实验结果表明,该传感器具有良好的稳定性和重现性,在2.8~2.8×10~4pmol/L浓度范围内,响应电流与miR-21浓度的对数呈线性关系,检出限为0.87 pmol/L,可用于miR-21的检测。     

水稻低温胁迫响应 ｍｉｃｒｏＲＮＡ 鉴定

水稻是世界三大粮食作物之一,然而低温胁迫会严重抑制水稻的生长发育。为了探究micoRNA在水稻低温胁迫中的作用,采用低温处理前,5℃低温处理24h和5℃低温处理48h的2~3叶期水稻整株,构建9个小RNA文库。通过高通量测序后,对9个小RNA文库的microRNA进行差异表达分析,一共筛选出21个与冷胁迫相关的microRNA,其中16个在冷胁迫下上调,5个在冷胁迫下下调。通过对这21个microRNA靶基因的CO富集结果表明,其靶基因广泛富集在包括信号转导,免疫系统和物质合成等细胞内过程中。这表明水稻可能通过多种micoRNA 介导,从各个方面来协同抵御低温胁迫。本研究为进一步阐明microRNA响应低温胁迫的分子机制提供了基础,且本研究所鉴定的microRNA为增强水稻对低温耐受性遗传改良提供了优异的miRNA资源。     

[Ru(dcbpy)2dppz]2+/Fullerene Cosensitized PTB7-Th for Ultrasensitive Photoelectrochemical MicroRNA Assay

A new cosensitization photoelectrochemical (PEC) strategy was established by using a donor–acceptor-type photoactive material, poly{4,8-bis[5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl-alt-3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophene-4,6-diyl} (PTB7-Th), as a signal indicator, which was cosensitized with bis(4,4′dicarboxyl-2,2′-bipyridyl)(4,5,9,14-tetraazabenzo[b]triphenylene)ruthenium(II) ([Ru(dcbpy)₂dppz]²⁺) embedded in the grooves of the DNA duplex and fullerene (nano-C₆₀) immobilized on the surface of DNA nanoflowers for microRNA assay. [Ru(dcbpy)₂dppz]²⁺ and nano-C₆₀ could effectively enhance the photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of PTB7-Th as a result of well-matched energy levels among nano-C₆₀, [Ru(dcbpy)₂dppz]²⁺ and PTB7-Th, leading to a clearly enhanced photocurrent signal. Meanwhile, a target recycling magnification technique based on duplex-specific nuclease was applied in this work to obtain higher detection sensitivity. The proposed biosensor demonstrated excellent analytical properties within a linear detection range of 2.5 fm to 2.5 nm and a limit of detection down to 0.83 fm . Impressively, this cosensitization PEC strategy offers an effective and convenient avenue to significantly improve the PCE of a photoactive material, resulting in a remarkably improved photocurrent signal for ultrasensitive and highly accurate detection of various targets.     

Cascaded strand displacement for non-enzymatic target recycling amplification and label-free electronic detection of microRNA from tumor cells

The monitoring of microRNA (miRNA) expression levels is of great importance in cancer diagnosis. In the present work, based on two cascaded toehold-mediated strand displacement reactions (TSDRs), we have developed a label- and enzyme-free target recycling signal amplification approach for sensitive electronic detection of miRNA-21 from human breast cancer cells. The junction probes containing the locked G-quadruplex forming sequences are self-assembled on the senor surface. The presence of the target miRNA-21 initiates the first TSDR and results in the disassembly of the junction probes and the release of the active G-quadruplex forming sequences. Subsequently, the DNA fuel strand triggers the second TSDR and leads to cyclic reuse of the target miRNA-21. The cascaded TSDRs thus generate many active G-quadruplex forming sequences on the sensor surface, which associate with hemin to produce significantly amplified current response for sensitive detection of miRNA-21 at 1.15 fM. The sensor is also selective and can be employed to monitor miRNA-21 from human breast cancer cells.     

基于电化学技术的microRNA生物传感器

MicroRNA(miRNA)是一种内源性的非编码单链RNA,通过与mRNA的3'端非翻译区(UTR)的不完全互补或完全互补结合抑制靶mRNA的翻译或促使靶mRNA的降解来调控基因的表达,参与细胞的增殖、凋亡、分化和代谢等重要过程。MiRNA表达的变化可以起到癌基因和抑癌基因的作用,是一种潜在的肿瘤标志物,因此,miRNA的检测技术引起了人们的关注。由于电化学检测方法具有灵敏、快速、低成本和低能耗等特点,研究者广泛开展了应用电化学技术来发展miRNA检测的研究。本文将对基于电化学技术的miRNA检测方法进行综述。     

MicroRNA及其靶基因在糖尿病肾病小鼠肾脏的表达

 验证与糖尿病肾病小鼠肾脏相关的microRNAs的表达并运用实时荧光定量PCR分析靶基因与糖尿病肾病的关系。以db/db小鼠为模型组（DN组）,db/m小鼠为正常组（NC组）,定期测量小鼠的体重、血糖、甘油三酯、总胆固醇及24 h尿蛋白排泄率。留取DN小鼠与NC小鼠肾脏组织,检测肾脏组织形态学染色及实时荧光定量PCR（qRT-PCR）。qRT-PCR验证差异表达的microRNAs及其靶基因的mRNA表达水平。血糖、24 h尿蛋白排泄率结果表明糖尿病肾病动物模型构建成功。与NC小鼠相比,DN小鼠肾脏miR-196a、miR-21、miR-200b表达明显升高,且差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。miR-196a、miR-200b、miR-21的表达水平与血糖、甘油三酯、总胆固醇、24 h尿蛋白排泄率存在正相关关系（P<0.05）。利用miRNAs数据库预测miR-196a的靶基因有ANX1、HOXB7、PTEN、FOXO1、HOXB8、HOXA5等。与NC组比较,DN组ANX1、FOXO1的mRNA表达水平降低,且差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。同时ANX1、FOXO1与24 h尿蛋白排泄率存在正相关（P<0.05）。MiR-196a可能通过调节ANX1、FOXO1的表达水平来参与糖尿病肾病的发生发展。     

壳聚糖及其衍生物递送miRNA/siRNA的研究进展

微小RNA(microRNA,miRNA)和短链干扰RNA (small interfering RNA,siRNA)是两类具有调节基因表达功能的内源性非编码性小RNA分子.它们已成为多种疾病的潜在治疗药物,逐渐被应用于基因治疗中,而将小RNA应用于基因治疗亟需一种安全高效的递送载体.壳聚糖及其衍生物作为一种可降解、低...     

Early Diagnostic Value of Circulating MiRNA-21 in Lung Cancer： A Meta-Analysis

To evaluate the early diagnostic value of circulating miRNA-21 in diagnosis of lung cancer, databases such as Wan Fang, VIP, PubMed, and Elsevier were systematically searched from 2005 to 2013 to collect relevant references in which the diagnostic value had been evaluated. The statistics were consolidated and the qualities of the studies were classified. The data were analyzed using Meta Disc1.4 software. The diagnostic value of circulating miRNA-21 in lung cancer was assessed by pooling sensitivity, specificity, the likelihood ratio, and the Summary Receiver Operating Characteristic(SROC) curve. Publication biases of the studies involved were analyzed using Stata 11.0 software. A total of 143 papers were collected of which 8 were included, which contained 600 cases and440 controls. A heterogeneity test proved the existence of homogeneity in this study. Upon analysis using random effects models, the weighted sensitivity was 0.68, the specificity 0.77, the positive likelihood ratio 2.84, the negative likelihood ratio 0.40, and the SROC Area Under the Curve(AUC) was 0.8133. Further analysis by subgroup showed that the 5 indicators mentioned above were 0.72, 0.84, 4.50, 0.27, and 0.8987, respectively, for the serum group and 0.63, 0.70, 1.95, 0.53, and 0.7318, respectively, for the plasma group. We conclude that circulating miRNA-21can be regarded a valuable reference in diagnosis of lung cancer. This research showed that in lung cancer the early diagnostic value of miRNA-21 in serum was better than that in plasma.