title: Shared traits on the reaction coordinates of ribonuclease and an RNA enzyme.
abstract: Reaction-intermediate analogs have been used to understand how phosphoryl transfer enzymes promote catalysis. Herein we report the first structure of a small ribozyme crystallized with a 3'-OH, 2',5'-linkage in lieu of the normal phosphodiester substrate. The new structure shares features of the reaction coordinate exhibited in prior ribozyme structures including a vanadate complex that mimicked the oxyphosphorane transition state. As such, the structure exhibits reaction-intermediate traits that allow direct comparison of stabilizing interactions to the 3'-OH, 2',5'-linkage contributed by the RNA enzyme and its protein counterpart, ribonuclease. Clear similarities are observed between the respective structures including hydrogen bonds to the non-bridging oxygens of the scissile phosphate. Other commonalities include carefully poised water molecules that may alleviate charge build-up in the transition state and placement of a positive charge near the leaving group. The advantages of 2',5'-linkages to investigate phosphoryl-transfer reactions are discussed, and argue for their expanded use in structural studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue Box 712, Rochester, New York 14642, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Torelli
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Spitale
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krucinska
authors.forename: Joseph E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Wedekind
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D002384:Catalysis; D003460:Crystallization; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011487:Protein Conformation; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000737:chemistry*; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000737:chemistry*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D016337:RNA, Catalytic; D012260:Ribonucleases