NEUROPROTECTIVE MOLECULES AND METHODS OF TREATING NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND INDUCING STRESS GRANULES

摘要

Provided herein are neuroprotective molecules containing a sequence of 25-35 contiguous nucleotides that is at least 80% identical to a contiguous sequence between nucleotide 1 and nucleotide 50 of a mature human tRNA and at least four contiguous guanosine-containing nucleotides, where the sequence of 25-35 contiguous nucleotides contains a D-loop stem structure, the at least four contiguous guanosine-containing nucleotides are located at the 5' end of the neuroprotective molecule, and the neuroprotective molecule contains at least one deoxyribonucleotide. Also provided are molecules containing a sequence of 25-35 contiguous nucleotides that is at least 80% identical to a contiguous sequence between nucleotide 1 and nucleotide 50 of a mature human tRNA selected from the group of tRAArg, tRNAAsp, tRNAGln, tRNAGlu, tRNAGly, tRNAHis, tRNAIle, tRNALeu, tRNALys, tRNAMet, tRNAPro, tRNASeC, tRNASer, tRNASup, tRNAThr, tRNATrp, tRNATyr, tRNAVal, tRNAAsn, and tRNAPhe; and at least four contiguous guanosine-containing nucleotides, where the sequence of 25-35 contiguous nucleotides contains a D-loop stem structure and the at least four contiguous guanosine-containing nucleotides are located at the 5' end of the neuroprotective molecule. Also provided are methods of inducing or increasing stress granule formation in a cell, decreasing protein translation in a cell, decrease stress-induced cell death, or treating a neurological disorder associated with neuron death in a subject using at least one of these neuroprotective molecules or a C-myc oligonucleotide. Also provided are methods of identifying a candidate translation inhibitory nucleic acid.