Single nucleotide RNA choreography.
New structural analysis methods, and a tree formalism re-define and expand the RNA motif concept, unifying what previously appeared to be disparate groups of structures. We find RNA tetraloops at high frequencies, in new contexts, with unexpected lengths, and in novel topologies. The results, with broad implications for RNA structure in general, show that even at this most elementary level of organization, RNA tolerates astounding variation in conformation, length, sequence and context. However the variation is not random; it is well-described by four distinct modes, which are 3-2 switches (backbone topology variations), insertions, deletions and strand clips.
School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, USA.
Chiaolong
C
Hsiao
Srividya
S
Mohan
Eli
E
Hershkovitz
Allen
A
Tannenbaum
Loren Dean
LD
Williams
D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000737:chemistry; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S / Q000737:chemistry*
D009711:Nucleotides; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S; D012313:RNA