Functional Nucleic Acid Sensors as Screening Tools

Abstract

Functional nucleic acids such as aptamers and allosteric ribozymes can sense their ligands specifically, thereby undergoing structural alterations that can be converted into a detectable signal. The direct coupling of molecular recognition to signal generation in real time allows the generation of versatile reporters that can be applied in high-throughput screening (HTS). In the following chapter we describe different types of nucleic acids that have been applied successfully in screening approaches. We first refer to DNA and RNA aptamers, then consider allosteric ribozymes, and finally present examples of natural nucleic acids that were applied in screening assays.