Issue 38, 2018

RNA: packaged and protected by VLPs

Abstract

Virus Like Particles (VLPs) are devices for RNA packaging, protection and delivery, with utility in fundamental research, drug discovery, and disease treatment. Using E. coli for combined expression and packaging of non-viral RNAs into Qβ VLPs, we investigated the extent of chemical protection conferred by packaging of RNA in VLPs. We also probed relationships between packaging efficiency and RNA size, sequence and intrinsic compaction. We observe that VLP packaging protects RNA against assault by small diffusible damaging agents such as hydroxyl radicals and divalent cations. By contrast, the extent of unmediated cleavage, in the absence of reactive species, is the same for RNA that is free or packaged within VLPs, and is very slow. In vivo packaging of RNA within VLPs appears to be more efficient for intrinsically compact RNAs, such as rRNA, and less efficient for unstructured, elongated RNA such as mRNA. Packaging efficiency is reduced by addition of the ribosome binding site to a target RNA. The Qβ hairpin is necessary but not sufficient for efficient packaging.

Graphical abstract: RNA: packaged and protected by VLPs

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
08 Mar 2018
Accepted
04 Jun 2018
First published
12 Jun 2018
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Adv., 2018,8, 21399-21406

RNA: packaged and protected by VLPs

P. Fang, J. C. Bowman, Lizzette M. Gómez Ramos, C. Hsiao and L. D. Williams, RSC Adv., 2018, 8, 21399 DOI: 10.1039/C8RA02084A

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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