Molecules (Aug 2010)

Development of a Sphingosylphosphorylcholine Detection System Using RNA Aptamers

  • Iwao Waga,
  • Tetsuji Tanimoto,
  • Makio Furuichi,
  • Asako Oka,
  • Hiromi Masuda,
  • Nobuya Sakai,
  • Yuka Imai,
  • Katsunori Horii,
  • Kazuya Omi,
  • Yoshihito Yoshida

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules15085742
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 8
pp. 5742 – 5755

Abstract

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Sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC) is a lysosphingolipid that exerts multiple functions, including acting as a spasmogen, as a mitogenic factor for various types of cells, and sometimes as an inflammatory mediator. Currently, liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) is used for the quantitation of SPC. However, because of the complicated procedures required it may not be cost effective, hampering its regular usage in a routine practical SPC monitoring. In this report, we have generated RNA aptamers that bind to SPC with high affinity using an in vitro selection procedure and developed an enzyme-linked aptamer assay system using the minimized SPC aptamer that can successfully distinguish SPC from the structurally related sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P). This is the first case of the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment (SELEX) process being performed with a lysosphingolipid. The SPC aptamers would be valuable tools for the development of aptamer-based medical diagnosis and for elucidating the biological role of SPC.

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