Patent ID: 6355426
Filing Date: 2002-03-12
Classification: A61K,A61P,C12N

Abstract:
A method for identifying an RNA fragment that mimics the structure of a binding site of a defined target RNA molecule, the method comprising the steps of:(a) providing a defined DNA fragment; (b) cloning said DNA fragment into a plasmid which under suitable conditions permits synthesis of said RNA fragment encoded by said DNA fragment, (c) transfecting said plasmid into a host cell which contains said target RNA molecule; (d) culturing an untransfected host cell in the presence of a compound, which compound binds the binding site of said target RNA molecule inside the host cell, resulting in inhibition or cessation of cell growth; (e) culturing said transfected host cells in the presence of said compound and determining cells transfected with the plasmid which permit the synthesis of an RNA fragment that mimics said target molecule, thereby conferring resistance to said compound to the transfected cells; and (f) isolating and characterizing the DNA fragment in the plasmid which encodes an RNA fragment thereby identifying an RNA fragment which mimics the structure of the binding site of said target molecule.