title: RNA kink turns to the left and to the right.
abstract: A helix-loop-helix within the group I intron has most of the canonical sequence elements of a kink turn (K-turn), yet it bends in the opposite direction. The reverse K-turn kinks toward the major rather than the minor grooves of the flanking helices. This suggests that there are two distinct subclasses of tertiary structures that a K-turn secondary structure can adopt. The final structure may be specified by external factors, such as protein binding or the tertiary structural context, rather than the intrinsic conformation of the RNA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, 260 Whitney Ave., New Haven, CT 06520-8114, USA. strobel@csb.yale.edu
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Strobel
authors.forename: Peter L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Mary R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Stahley
authors.forename: Jimin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D020627:Azoarcus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D007438:Introns; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012313:RNA