Use of RNA-bound Tb3+ as a FRET donor.
Lanthanide ions such as Tb(3+) and Eu(3+) have long been used to probe RNA and protein structures due to their luminescence properties and their steric and chemical similarities to biological metal ions such as Mg(2+) and Ca(2+). In this article, we introduce a method that utilizes the enhanced Tb(3+) luminescence upon site-binding to RNA molecules as a FRET donor. Using this method, it is possible to identify specific metal ion-binding locations within a folded RNA molecule. Applications of this method include introducing FRET donors into molecules of interest by engineering RNA loops or bulges as Tb(3+)-binding pockets.
Yuan
Faqing
F
Department of Chemistry, Hunter College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Greenbaum
Nancy L
NL
D005453:Fluorescence; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D013725:Terbium / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*
D013725:Terbium; D012313:RNA