Aptamers are short RNA ⁄ DNA sequences that are identified through the process of systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment and that bind to diverse biomolecular targets. Aptamers have strong and specific binding through molecular recognition and are promising tools in studying molecular biology. They are recognized as having potential therapeutic and diagnostic clinical applications. The success of the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment process requires that the RNA ⁄ DNA pools used in the process have a sufficient level of sequence diversity and structural complexity. While the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment technology is well developed, it remains a challenge in the efficient identification of correct aptamers. In this article, we propose a novel information-driven approach to a theoretical design of aptamer templates based solely on the knowledge regarding the biomolecular target structures. We have investigated both theoretically and experimentally the applicability of the proposed approach by considering two specific targets: the serum protein thrombin and the cell membrane phospholipid phosphatidylserine. Both of these case studies support our method and indicate a promising advancement in theoretical aptamer design. In unfavorable cases where the designed sequences show weak binding affinity, these template sequences can be still modified to enhance their affinities without going through the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment process.Key words: bioinformatics, mechanism-based drug design, molecular recognition, structure-based drug design Received 18 October 2010, revised 24 February 2011 and accepted for publication 1 April 2011 Aptamers, short RNA ⁄ DNA sequences, are selected through an experimental technique known as systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) to bind to specific biomolecular targets including small molecules, proteins, nucleic acids, phospholipids as well as complex structures such as cells, tissues, bacteria, and other organisms. Aptamers have strong and specific binding through molecular recognition and are promising tools in studying molecular biology with recognized therapeutic and diagnostic clinical applications (1-5). SELEX consists of a number of rounds of in vitro selection in which the RNA ⁄ DNA pool is incubated with the binding target. The non-binding or loosely binding sequences are discarded, while the binding sequences are expanded using the polymerase chain reaction method to provide a pool of sequences for the next round of testing. In practice, multiple rounds of selection and expansion are required before unique tightly binding sequences can be identified. Additionally, isolated aptamers will often need to be reengineered to reduce their sequence length and impart additional favorable biological properties. These issues pose a challenge for the efficient identification of correct aptamers.Over the past several years, various research groups have attempted...

We demonstrate the effects on membrane of the tubulin-binding chemotherapy drugs: thiocolchicoside and taxol. Electrophysiology recordings across lipid membranes in aqueous phases containing drugs were used to investigate the drug effects on membrane conductance. Molecular dynamics simulation of the chemotherapy drug-lipid complexes was used to elucidate the mechanism at an atomistic level. Both drugs are observed to induce stable ion-flowing pores across membranes. Discrete pore current-time plots exhibit triangular conductance events in contrast to rectangular ones found for ion channels. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that drugs and lipids experience electrostatic and van der Waals interactions for short periods of time when found within each other's proximity. The energies from these two interactions are found to be similar to the energies derived theoretically using the screened Coulomb and the van der Waals interactions between peptides and lipids due to mainly their charge properties while forming peptide-induced ion channels in lipid bilayers. Experimental and in silico studies together suggest that the chemotherapy drugs induce ion pores inside lipid membranes due to drug-lipid physical interactions. The findings reveal cytotoxic effects of drugs on the cell membrane, which may aid in novel drug development for treatment of cancer and other diseases.

A lightweight electric vehicle equipped with an automatic–manual transmission offers many advantages in terms of the transmission efficiency, the improvement in driveability, and the shift quality. A conventional automatic–manual transmission for a vehicle powered by an internal-combustion engine requires an electronically controlled clutch to isolate and engage the engine power for smooth gear changes, because of the high inertia of the internal-combustion engine. This makes the system complicated and, therefore, more expensive. Hence, a clutchless automatic–manual transmission with the advantages of a high efficiency, a low cost and a simple structure was adopted and developed in this paper. This study is focused on exploring the feasibility of a clutchless automatic–manual transmission adopted in an electric vehicle and proposes a gear-change control technique for a clutchless automatic–manual transmission, which includes identification of the model parameters, control of the synchronization speed during gear engagement, and motion control of the gear-change actuator mechanism. Theoretical analysis, simulation and experiment confirm that the designed control technique is able to achieve smooth gear shifting. Therefore, the feasibility of a clutchless automatic–manual transmission is verified.

The phospholipid phosphatidylserine (PS) is an early marker exploited for detecting apoptosis (PS externalization in the cell membrane bilayer) and one factor that is associated with increased amyloid plaque deposition in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). PS can therefore be considered as a promising target for diagnosis or treatment of diseases. Aptamers (short nucleic acid sequences) are a particularly attractive class of materials among those currently considered for targeting PS. Here we applied an entropy based seed-and-grow strategy to design a DNA aptamer template to bind specifically to PS. The binding properties of designed aptamers were investigated computationally and experimentally. The studies identify the sequence, 5'-AAAGAC-3', as the preferred template for further modifications and studies toward its practical implementations.

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