title: Use of fluorescence spectroscopy to elucidate RNA folding pathways.
abstract: This overview unit discusses fluorescence spectroscopy as a tool for studying RNA folding. Ribozymes and oligonucleotides can be labeled with a fluorescent probe and analyzed to give information about both slow and fast kinetic processes with real-time data acquisition. The unit discusses the advantages and disadvantages of various pendant probes and nucleotide analogs, the analytical methods that can be used, instrument setup, control experiments, and a variety of kinetic experiments that can be performed, such as determination of rate constants.
authors.affiliation: The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Philip C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Bevilacqua
authors.forename: Douglas H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Turner
mesh_terms: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007700:Kinetics; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009843:Oligoribonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000737:chemistry; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D009843:Oligoribonucleotides; D016337:RNA, Catalytic; D012313:RNA