In vitro catalytic activities of DNA/RNA chimeric hammerhead ribozymes against AML1-MTG8 mRNA, a fused gene transcript in acute myeloid leukemia with t(8;21)

Abstract

In order to design the best construct for therapeutic hammerhead ribozymes against AML1-MTG8, the t(8;21)-associated fusion mRNA of acute myeloid leukemia, we synthesized DNA/RNA chimeric ribozymes directed to the area adjacent to the fusion point between AML1 and MTG8. Catalytic efficiency and fusion gene specificity of ribozymes were examined by kinetic studies of the cleavage reactions of AML1-MTG8, AML1, and MTG8 RNAs transcribed in vitro. Ribozyme 2 (Rz2) specifically cleaved AML1-MTG8 RNA at three nucleotides downstream of the fusion junction with high efficiency. The highest cleavage efficiency was achieved by Rz4.3, which targeted non-contiguous sequences and cleaved at 19 nucleotides downstream of the fusion junction. Rz4.3 also cleaved MTG8 RNA but the cleavage efficiency was three orders of magnitude lower than that for AML1-MTG8 RNA. Therefore, Rz4.3 and Rz2 are the proper ribozymes for in vivo application to modulate gene expression of the AML1-MTG8.