An RNA motif that binds ATP.
RNAs that contain specific high-affinity binding sites for small molecule ligands immobilized on a solid support are present at a frequency of roughly one in 10(10)-10(11) in pools of random sequence RNA molecules. Here we describe a new in vitro selection procedure designed to ensure the isolation of RNAs that bind the ligand of interest in solution as well as on a solid support. We have used this method to isolate a remarkably small RNA motif that binds ATP, a substrate in numerous biological reactions and the universal biological high-energy intermediate. The selected ATP-binding RNAs contain a consensus sequence, embedded in a common secondary structure. The binding properties of ATP analogues and modified RNAs show that the binding interaction is characterized by a large number of close contacts between the ATP and RNA, and by a change in the conformation of the RNA.
Sassanfar
M
M
Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Szostak
J W
JW
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002845:Chromatography; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D004247:DNA; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*
D012313:RNA; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D004247:DNA