title: Crystal structures of a series of RNA aptamers complexed to the same protein target.
abstract: We have determined the crystal structures, at 2.8 A resolution, of two different RNA aptamers, each bound to MS2 coat protein. One of the aptamers contains a non-Watson-Crick base pair, while the other is missing one of the unpaired adenines that make sequence-specific contacts in the wild-type complex. Despite these differences, the RNA aptamers bind in the same location on the protein as the wild-type translational operator. Comparison of these new structures with other MS2-RNA complexes allows us to refine further the definition of the minimal recognition elements and suggests a possible application of the MS2 system for routine structure determination of small nucleic acid motifs.
authors.affiliation: School of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and North of England Structural Biology Centre, University of Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rowsell
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Stonehouse
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Convery
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Ellington
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hirao
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Peabody
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Stockley
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D020029:Base Pairing; D002213:Capsid / Q000737:chemistry*; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D012313:RNA