In vitro SELEX has been used to discover high affinity RNA aptamers interacting with the tetracycline repressor protein in a tetracycline-dependent manner. Using in silico RNA folding predictions to guide the design of both aptamer truncations and mutants, minimized tetracycline repressor protein high affinity binding aptamers have been defined. Using one such aptamer, inducible post-transcriptional regulation in vivo has been demonstrated that is predicated on a direct interaction between a tetracycline repressor protein and a RNA aptamer element. These aptamer components can be integrated in any organism to inducibly regulate RN A translation of a gene of interest.
POST-TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATION OF RNA-RELATED PROCESSES USING ENCODED PROTEIN-BINDING RNA APTAMERS