Modulating gene expression by RNA-targeting chimeras

项目摘要 RNA结合的小分子具有调节基因表达的潜力，所述基因的蛋白质 这些产品以前被认为是“不可用药的”。针对前体mRNA的Risdiplam最近被 批准用于治疗脊髓性肌萎缩症（SMA），并证明了其特异性和安全性 通过这种方法可以实现。尽管已经发现了多种小分子支架可以与RNA结合， 配体，它们的使用受到（1）缺乏特异性和（2）不可预测的功能的阻碍。我们提出一项研究 该计划将提供RNA靶向化学探针，以避免这些缺点。灵感来自蛋白质水解 靶向嵌合体（PROTAC）技术，我们正在设计嵌合分子，将靶向RNA特异性 并以高度可预测的方式携带（递送）诱导RNA降解或抑制RNA翻译的能力。 我们对RNA靶向嵌合体平台的初步努力使用了新发现的RNA结合蛋白， 香豆素衍生物作为模型，并通过化学修饰微调其优先结合性能。 通过结构优化，包括使用“双齿”RNA配体策略，我们期望实现 RNA结合选择性等于或大于寡核苷酸。同时，我们建议发展 并优化了三种新型效应子，用于精确降解RNA靶标或抑制靶RNA翻译。这些 新的效应物在抑制寨卡病毒（一种RNA病毒）基因表达方面显示出有希望的结果。最后， 我们提出的工作将产生一种自上而下的方法来设计选择性基因表达抑制剂， 独立于基因的蛋白质产物。 我们实验室的长期目标是建立一个药物化学平台， 使用RNA结合小分子的患者特异性疗法。在这个过程中，我们不仅会产生各种 用于研究重要的疾病修饰基因的工具化合物，而且联合收割机结合了计算和 实验技术，以了解RNA-小分子识别的详细机制。

PROJECT SUMMARY RNA-binding small molecules have the potential to modulate the expression of genes whose protein products were previously considered “undruggable.” Risdiplam, targeting a precursor mRNA, was recently approved for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and demonstrates the specificity and safety attainable by this approach. Although a variety of small-molecule scaffolds have been uncovered as RNA-binding ligands, their use is hampered by (1) lack of specificity and (2) unpredictable function. We propose a research program that will provide RNA-targeting chemical probes that will avoid these drawbacks. Inspired by Proteolysis Targeting Chimera (PROTAC) technology, we are designing chimeric molecules that will target RNA specifically and carry (deliver) the ability to induce RNA degradation or inhibit RNA translation, in a highly predictable manner. Our initial efforts towards an RNA-targeting chimera platform use a newly discovered RNA-binding coumarin derivative as a model and fine-tune its preferential binding properties through chemical modification. Through structural optimization, which includes using a “bidentate” RNA ligand strategy, we expect to achieve RNA-binding selectivity equal to or greater than that of oligonucleotides. At the same time, we propose to develop and optimize three novel effectors to precisely degrade RNA targets or inhibit the target RNA translation. These new effectors have shown promising results in inhibiting Zika virus (an RNA virus) gene expression. Ultimately, our proposed work will generate a top-down method for designing selective gene expression inhibitors that are independent of the gene's protein product. The long-term goal of our lab is to build a medicinal chemistry platform for making gene-specific and patient-specific therapies using RNA-binding small molecules. In this process, we will not only generate various tool compounds for studying important disease-modifying genes, but also combine computational and experimental technologies to understand the detailed mechanism of RNA-small molecule recognition.