Many RNAs are processed
into biologically active transcripts, the
aberrant expression of which can contribute to disease phenotypes.
For example, the primary microRNA-17-92 (pri-miR-17-92) cluster contains
six microRNAs (miRNAs) that collectively act in several disease settings.
Herein, we used sequence-based design of structure-specific ligands
to target a common structure in the Dicer processing sites of three
miRNAs in the cluster, miR-17, miR-18a, and miR-20a, thereby inhibiting
their biogenesis. The compound was optimized to afford a dimeric molecule
that binds the Dicer processing site and an adjacent bulge, affording
a 100-fold increase in potency. The dimer’s mode of action
was then extended from simple binding to direct cleavage by conjugation
to bleomycin A5 in a manner that imparts RNA-selective cleavage or
to indirect cleavage by recruiting an endogenous nuclease, or a ribonuclease
targeting chimera (RIBOTAC). Interestingly, the dimer-bleomycin conjugate
cleaves the entire pri-miR-17-92 cluster and hence functionally inhibits
all six miRNAs emanating from it. The compound selectively reduced
levels of the cluster in three disease models: polycystic kidney disease,
prostate cancer, and breast cancer, rescuing disease-associated phenotypes
in the latter two. Further, the bleomycin conjugate exerted selective
effects on the miRNome and proteome in prostate cancer cells. In contrast,
the RIBOTAC only depleted levels of pre- and mature miR-17, -18a,
and 20a, with no effect on the primary transcript, in accordance with
the cocellular localization of RNase L, the pre-miRNA targets, and
the compound. These studies demonstrate a strategy to tune RNA structure-targeting
compounds to the cellular localization of the target.