Aptamer: Difference between revisions
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<p>An aptamer is | <p>An aptamer is a [[What is RNA|nucleic acid]] that binds a target molecule.</p> | ||
<p> </p> | <p> </p> | ||
<h2>Comparison to Antibodies</h2> | <h2>Comparison to Antibodies</h2> | ||
Revision as of 20:43, 16 April 2013
An aptamer is a nucleic acid that binds a target molecule.
Comparison to Antibodies
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Like antibodies, RNA aptamers can be extremely specific to a target and are capable of discriminating between closely related molecules. RNA aptamers and antibodies can be generated to bind a similarly diverse array of targets. Antibodies, however, are composed of protein and must be produced by the immune cells of a living organism. Novel aptamers can be selected quicky in vitro and amplified by PCR. |
Selection of Aptamers
<tbody> </tbody>| RNA aptamers are generated by selection. The selection process begins with a large library of random sequences and removes RNAs that do not bind the target or bind nonspecifically. The selected RNAs are isolated, reverse-transcribed, amplified, and the process is repeated. |
