title: Anti-innexin 2 aptamers specifically inhibit the heterologous interaction of the innexin 2 and innexin 3 carboxyl-termini in vitro.
abstract: We recently demonstrated that heteromerization of innexins 2 and 3 from Drosophila melanogaster (Dm) is crucial for epithelial organization and polarity of the embryonic epidermis. Both innexins are thought to interact via their C-terminal cytoplasmic domains during the assembly of heteromeric gap junction channels. However, the mechanisms that control heteromeric versus homomeric channel formation are still largely unknown. Here we report the isolation of both non-modified and 2'-fluoro-2'-deoxy-modified RNA anti-innexin 2 aptamers by in vitro selection. The aptamers bind to a proximal epitope on the carboxyl-tail of Dm innexin 2 protein and specifically inhibit the heterologous interaction of innexin 2 and innexin 3 carboxyl-termini in vitro. These domain-specific inhibitors represent the first step towards functional studies focusing on the activity of these domains in vivo.
authors.affiliation: LIMES Institute, Program Unit Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, c/o Kekulé Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Strasse 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knieps
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: Corinna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lehmann
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Löer
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoch
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Famulok
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017630:Connexins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011485:Protein Binding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
chemical_list: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D017630:Connexins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C438564:INX3 protein, Drosophila; C120024:inx2 protein, Drosophila