title: Defining the syntax for self-assembling RNA tertiary architectures.
abstract: Stable RNAs are modular and hierarchical three-dimensional (3D) architectures taking advantage of recurrent structural motifs to form extensive non-covalent tertiary interactions (1, 2). Using comparative sequence and structural analysis of known X-ray structures of RNAs, folding and assembly principles of RNA can presently be gathered to generate the syntax of a proto-language for rational design and prediction of RNA 3D shapes. RNA architectonics refers to the deciphering of this proto-language and to its use to build new functional RNA shapes with self-assembly properties (3-5). This approach can therefore contribute to the prediction and rational design of RNA tertiary structures for potential applications in nanotechnology, synthetic biology and medicine.
authors.affiliation: Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Biomolecular Science and Engineering Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9510, USA. jaeger@chem.ucsb.edu
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jaeger
mesh_terms: D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D012313:RNA