Session: Current Topics in Biological Chemistry:

Aptamers are short sequences of amino acids or nucleotides that display affinity towards molecules or ions. These oligopeptides or oligonucleotides are obtained through a process known as Systemic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment (SELEX). SELEX can be seen as evolution in a test tube.
Small molecules and ions have been notoriously difficult to capture using aptamer-based systems. The lack of functional groups on small molecules and ions often prevents bonds from forming between the aptamer and the molecules. Alternative methods have to be devised to counter this problem.
We hypothesized that modified and fragmented DNA from Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1, a halophile, will display affinity towards nickel ions. H. salinarum DNA contains high-percentages of guanine, which has been shown to demonstrate affinity towards a wide variety of metals. We proposed using SELEX as the vehicle to explore the feasibility of the hypothesis. Our results suggest that the H. salinarum DNA-based aptamers do display affinity for nickel. Future work involves the characterization of the aptamers through Next Generation Sequencing and computer molecular modeling.

Lorenzo Vega-Montoto

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