title: Ro's role in RNA reconnaissance.
abstract: The Ro 60 kDa autoantigen binds misfolded RNAs and likely functions in small RNA quality control. In this issue of Cell, Stein et al. (2005) present crystal structures of Ro alone and bound to both double- and single-stranded RNA, revealing two distinct RNA binding sites that suggest how Ro may distinguish between native and misfolded small RNAs.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular & Cell Biology  and Department of Chemistry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720; Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720.
authors.forename: Ian J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: MacRae
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular & Cell Biology  and Department of Chemistry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720; Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720. Electronic address: doudna@uclink.berkeley.edu.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Doudna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000502:physiology; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020733:RNA, Small Cytoplasmic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012342:RNA, Small Nuclear / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099207:SS-A Antigen
chemical_list: D012313:RNA; D020733:RNA, Small Cytoplasmic; D012342:RNA, Small Nuclear; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D000099207:SS-A Antigen