Featured Publications
Discovering riboswitches: the past and the future
Kavita K, Breaker RR. Discovering riboswitches: the past and the future. Trends In Biochemical Sciences 2022, 48: 119-141. PMID: 36150954, PMCID: PMC10043782, DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.08.009.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2024
Engineered Branaplam Aptamers Exploit Structural Elements from Natural Riboswitches
Mohsen M, Midy M, Balaji A, Breaker R. Engineered Branaplam Aptamers Exploit Structural Elements from Natural Riboswitches. ACS Chemical Biology 2024, 19: 1447-1452. PMID: 38954594, PMCID: PMC11267568, DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.4c00358.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRNA poolRiboswitch aptamerAptamer candidatesPaired elementsIn vitro selectionNatural riboswitchesHuntington's diseaseThiamine pyrophosphateAptamer developmentRiboswitchDrug candidatesAptamerStructural scaffoldBranaplamRNASpinal muscular atrophyImproved bindingTreat spinal muscular atrophySmall moleculesBioavailability characteristicsDissociation constantPseudoknotMuscular atrophyStructural elementsPool
2023
Screening for small molecule inhibitors of SAH nucleosidase using an SAH riboswitch
Sadeeshkumar H, Balaji A, Sutherland A, Mootien S, Anthony K, Breaker R. Screening for small molecule inhibitors of SAH nucleosidase using an SAH riboswitch. Analytical Biochemistry 2023, 666: 115047. PMID: 36682579, PMCID: PMC11149561, DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2023.115047.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHigh-throughput screenAutoinducer-2Reporter geneBacterial processesEssential bacterial processesGram-negative bacterial cellsQuorum sensing signalsΒ-galactosidase reporter geneSmall molecule inhibitorsAntibiotic drug discoveryNatural riboswitchesAntimicrobial drug developmentRNA elementsPhysiological signalingRiboswitchBacterial cellsMolecule inhibitorsS-adenosylmethionineEscherichia coliCritical functionsNew targetsGenesDrug discoverySmall moleculesPromising targetExploiting natural riboswitches for aptamer engineering and validation
Mohsen M, Midy M, Balaji A, Breaker R. Exploiting natural riboswitches for aptamer engineering and validation. Nucleic Acids Research 2023, 51: 966-981. PMID: 36617976, PMCID: PMC9881172, DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1218.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNatural riboswitchesRiboswitch aptamerReporter gene expressionSecondary structure featuresRNA poolExpression platformVivo functionGene expressionSurvival mechanismRNA sequencesStructural featuresRiboswitchAptamer selectionSmall moleculesSequenceAptamerCellsGuanineTest tubeFuture effortsSelectionSelection strategyExpressionPoolAptamer engineering