title: Take your vitamins with a pinch of RNA.
abstract: RNA "aptamers" capable of binding and discriminating among structurally related small molecules can be concocted in the laboratory. Two groups have now discovered that conserved domains in the 5' ends of some mRNAs bind specific metabolites and respond by changing their shape in biologically useful ways, demonstrating that aptamers also are present in the natural world.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Weisberg
authors.forename: Gisela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Storz
mesh_terms: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics; D001665:Binding Sites; D005486:Flavin Mononucleotide / Q000378:metabolism; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014815:Vitamins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014815:Vitamins; D005486:Flavin Mononucleotide