Figure 4. gp120 aptamer-RNA conjugates.
(A) First-generation HIV gp120 aptamer conjugated to 27mer Dicer substrates to tat/rev [20]. A 4-nucleotide linker connects the aptamer and siRNA. (B) Second-generation gp120 aptamer–tet/rev 27mer Dicer substrate conjugates were developed by a ‘sticky bridge’ approach by base-paring linker sequences engineered at the 3′-end of the aptamer to complementary sequences engineered at the 3′-end of the Dicer substrate sense strand [20]. (C) HIV gp120 (or CD4) aptamer was used to deliver AS OGN to carry out transcriptional gene silencing. A nuclear targeting sequence was appended to the 3′-end of the AS OGN to enable proper nuclear delivery.
AS OGN: Antisense oligonucleotide.