Characterization of group I introns in generating circular RNAs as vaccines.

ABSTRACT: Circular RNAs are an increasingly important class of RNA molecules that can be engineered as RNA vaccines and therapeutics. Here, we screened eight different group I introns for their ability to circularize and delineated different features that are important for their function. First, we identified the Scytalidium dimidiatum group I intron as causing minimal innate immune activation inside cells, underscoring its potential to serve as an effective RNA vaccine without triggering unwanted reactogenicity. Additionally, mechanistic RNA structure analysis was used to identify the P9 domain as important for circularization, showing that swapping sequences can restore pairing to improve the circularization of poor circularizers. We also determined the diversity of sequence requirements for the e

SUBMITTER: Liao KC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11879131 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature