Features
Exiqon offers full fledged microRNA libraries for convenient high-throughput antisense inhibition of mouse and human microRNAs. By using LNA™-based microRNA inhibitors, the affinity of the oligonucleotides for their target microRNAs is greatly increased and the resistance to enzymatic degradation is improved (Figure 1). Furthermore, by optimizing the LNA™ content and positioning, the potency of the oligonucleotides is markedly increased. The high potency of the inhibitors means that smaller concentrations can be used, which minimizes the risk of negative side effects. This risk is further reduced by the high purity offered by the HPLC purified and desalted oligonucleotides.
In addition to the high specificity of the LNA™ microRNA inhibitors for their target microRNAs, the use of LNA™ in the inhibitors ensures that potential mRNA-inhibitor duplexes are not recognized as RNase H targets. This minimizes any potential off-target effects and reduces the risk that any observed biological phenotype is caused by factors other than the antisense activity of the inhibitors.
When performing large screening projects, it is for reasons of practicality not feasible to optimize the transfection conditions for each of the >900 microRNA inhibitors. For this reason, the miRCURY LNA™ microRNA Inhibitor Libraries have been specifically designed to have high uniform potency. This was achieved by varying the length and the LNA™ content of the individual oligonucleotides, which results in Tm-normalized antisense inhibitors with minimal self-annealing. These microRNA inhibitors can be conveniently transfected using the same conditions. Importantly, this also results in antisense inhibitors with similar potencies for their microRNA targets. The potencies of traditional microRNA inhibitors such as 2’-O-Me inhibitors, on the other hand, are largely dictated by the GC-content of the targeted microRNA.
By using sophisticated algorithms in the design of the inhibitors, the problem of self-annealing oligonucleotides can be kept at a minimum. In addition, the high affinity of LNA™ inhibitors for their target microRNAs means that shorter oligonucleotides can be designed without compromising the efficacy of the inhibitor. This is important because many microRNAs have autocomplementary end sequences that make full-length antisense inhibitors targeting these sequences prone to self annealing.
LNA™ antisense inhibitors are very stable, which means that they in addition to offering unrivaled specificity and potency, also offer long lasting antisense activity.
Coverage
The miRCURY LNA™ microRNA Inhibitor Libraries are available in three different versions:
- A human library covering 954 mature microRNAs in miRBase v.16 and an additional 40 proprietary miRPlus™ sequences.
- A mouse library covering 739 mature microRNAs in miRBase v.16.
- A combined human and mouse library. In this library, the 316 microRNA inhibitors present in both libraries above, are supplied on separate plates. This means that customers who already own one of the libraries, can purchase the other library without having to pay for the overlapping sequences.
Libraries targeting viral microRNAs and more of Exiqon’s proprietary miRPlus™ microRNA sequences are also available. Please contact us for further information. The plate layout files contain lists of all microRNAs covered by the libraries.
All libraries are delivered in 96-well plates containing 0.25 nmol, HPLC purified and desalted, dried-down miRCURY LNA™ microRNA Inhibitor per well.