title: RNA conformational changes analyzed by comparative gel electrophoresis.
abstract: The study of biologically relevant native RNA structures is important to understand their cellular function(s). Native gel electrophoresis provides information about such native structures in solution as a function of experimental conditions. The application of native gel electrophoresis in a comparative manner allows to obtain precise information on relative angles subtended between given pair of stems in an RNA molecule. By adapting this approach, it is possible to obtain very specific structural information such as the amplitude of dihedral angles and helical rotation. As an example, we will describe how native gel electrophoresis can be used to study the folding of the S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) sensing riboswitch.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, RNA Group, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Sébastien H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Eschbach
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lafontaine
mesh_terms: D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel / Q000379:methods; D063347:Native Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis / Q000379:methods*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D059370:RNA Folding; D058928:Riboswitch; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D058928:Riboswitch; D012313:RNA; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine