Target-specific arrest of mRNA tranlation by antisense 2′-O-alkyloligoribonucleotides

Abstract

We describe a novel experimental approach to investigate mRNA translation. Antisense 2′-O-allyl oligoribonucleotides (oligos) efficiently arrest translation of targeted mRNAs in rabbit reticulocyte lysate and wheat germ extract while displaying minimal non-specific effects on translation. Oligo/mRNAhybrids positioned anywhere within the 5′ UTR or the first ∼20 nucleotides of the open reading frame block cap-dependent translation initiation with high specificity. The thermodynamic stability of hybrids between 2′-O-alkyl oligos and RNA permits translational inhibition with oligos as short as 10 nucleotides. This inhibition is independent of RNase H cleavage or modifications which render the mRNA untranslatable. We show that 2′-O-alkyl oligos can also be employed to interfere with cap-independent internal initiation of translation and to arrest translation elongation. The latter is accomplished by UV-crosslinking of psoralentagged 2′-O-methyloligoribonucleotides to the mRNA within the open reading frame. The utility of 2′-0- alkyloligoribonucleotides to arrest translation from defined positions within an mRNA provides new approaches to investigate mRNA translation.