Method for suppressing cell growth

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for suppressing the growth of a target cell, which is not limited in the type of a target cell and the type of a protein to be expressed in the target cell and needs not any preparatory experiment for determining a codon to be contained in a protein to be expressed in a target cell. Specifically disclosed is a method for suppressing the growth of a target cell, which comprises the steps of: incorporating DNA containing a region encoding a protein into the target cell, and allowing a protein encoded by the DNA to be expressed in the target cell into which the DNA has been incorporated. The region contained in the DNA comprises a tri-nucleotide sequence. The tri-nucleotide sequence is selected from codons that define at least some amino acid species constituting the protein, and is complementary to at least some codons that are used in the target cell at a frequency of 0.2 or less.

1 . A vector containing DNA coding for an arbitrary protein in a state that can be expressed,
 wherein the DNA contains an effective number of nucleotide triplets, each of which is complementary to a codon coding one of the amino acid consisting the arbitrary protein, and having a use frequency of 0.2 or lower in a target cell, and   the effective number is a number effective for suppressing the growth of the target cell, when the DNA contained in the vector is expressed in the target cell, by suppressing the expression of a protein that is essential for the growth of the target cell via employing tRNA which corresponds to the codon with the use frequency of 0.2 or lower and is necessary for expression of the essential protein.   
     
     
         2 . The vector according to  claim 1 , wherein the use frequency is 0.15 or lower. 
     
     
         3 . The vector according to  claim 1 , wherein the codon comprised of a three-nucleotide chain is a single type of codon for a single type of amino acid. 
     
     
         4 . The vector according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least a portion of the amino acids is at least three members selected from the group consisting of: alanine, arginine, glycine, isoleucine, leucine, proline, serine, threonine, and valine. 
     
     
         5 . The vector according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least a portion of the amino acids is arginine, leucine, and valine. 
     
     
         6 . The vector according to  claim 1 , wherein the effective number is 80 or more. 
     
     
         7 . A target cell growth-suppressing agent comprising the vector according to  claim 1  as an active component. 
     
     
         8 . The vector according to  claim 1 , wherein the vector contains a promoter of an interferon regulatory factor gene, an interferon gene promoter, an interferon-stimulated response promoter, or a phage shock protein (psp) promoter with which the DNA is functionally linked with DNA. 
     
     
         9 . A virus growth-suppressing agent or growth-preventing agent comprising the vector according to  claim 8  as an active component. 
     
     
         10 . A method of preparing a target cell the growth of which is surpassed, comprising the step of:
 preparing the vector according to  claim 1 ; and   introducing the vector into the target cell to obtain the cell in which the codon with the use frequency of 0.2 or lower employs tRNA which corresponds to the codon and is necessary for expression of a protein that is essential for the growth of the target cell to suppress the expression of the essential protein, and the suppression of the essential protein suppresses the growth of the target cell.