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Current advances in Phi29 pRNA biology and its application in drug delivery
Author(s) -
Ye Xin,
Hemida Maged,
Zhang Huifang M.,
Hanson Paul,
Ye Qiu,
Yang Decheng
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
wiley interdisciplinary reviews: rna
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.225
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1757-7012
pISSN - 1757-7004
DOI - 10.1002/wrna.1111
Subject(s) - dna , bacteriophage , rna , computational biology , biology , drug delivery , small molecule , aptamer , flexibility (engineering) , biophysics , nucleic acid , antiviral drug , drug , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , nanotechnology , biochemistry , gene , genetics , materials science , statistics , mathematics , escherichia coli , pharmacology
Bacteriophage 29 (Phi29) packaging RNA (pRNA) is one of the key components in the viral DNA‐packaging motor. It contains two functional domains facilitating the translocation of DNA into the viral capsid by interacting with other elements in the motor and promoting adenosine triphosphates hydrolysis. Through the connection between interlocking loops in adjacent pRNA monomers, pRNA functions in the form of multimer ring in the motor. Previous studies have addressed the unique structure and conformation of pRNA. However, there are different DNA‐packaging models proposed for the viral genome transportation mechanism. The DNA‐packaging ability and the unique features of pRNA have been attracting efforts to study its potential applications in nanotechnology. The pRNA has been proved to be a promising tool for delivering nucleic acid‐based therapeutic molecules by covalent linkage with ribozymes, small interfering RNAs, aptamers, and artificial microRNAs. The flexibility in constructing dimers, trimers, and hexamers enables the assembly of polyvalent nanoparticles to carry drug molecules for therapeutic purposes, cell ligands for target delivery, image detector for drug entry monitoring, and endosome disrupter for drug release. Besides these fascinating pharmacological advantages, pRNA‐based drug delivery has also been demonstrated to prolong the drug half life with minimal induction of immune response and toxicity. WIREs RNA 2012, 3:469–481. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1111 This article is categorized under: RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics, and Chemistry RNA Structure and Dynamics > Influence of RNA Structure in Biological Systems RNA Processing > RNA Editing and Modification RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease