title: NSET molecular beacon analysis of hammerhead RNA substrate binding and catalysis.
abstract: Nanometal surface energy transfer (NSET), which describes an energy transfer event from optically excited organic fluorophores to small metal nanoparticles, may be used as a molecular beacon/ruler similar to FRET, but with advantages over this classical technique. Here we use NSET to measure Mg(2+)-induced conformational changes for a hammerhead ribozyme and confirm these measurements using FRET. These optical experiments enhance our understanding of the different kinetic pathways for this ribozyme.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, 32306-4390, USA.
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Jennings
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Schlatterer
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Greenbaum
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Strouse
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D004735:Energy Transfer; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D008274:Magnesium / Q000737:chemistry; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D011485:Protein Binding; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D016337:RNA, Catalytic; C427204:hammerhead ribozyme; D006046:Gold; D008274:Magnesium