Thermodynamic aspects of the self-assembly of DsrA, a small noncoding RNA from Escherichia coli.
DsrA is an Escherichia coli small noncoding RNA that acts by base pairing to some mRNAs in order to control their translation and turnover. It was recently shown that DsrA is able to self-associate in a way similar to DNA and to build nanostructures. Although functional consequence of this RNA self-assembly in vivo is not yet understood, the formation of such an assemblage more than likely influences the noncoding RNA function. We report here for the first time the thermodynamic basis of this natural RNA self-assembly. In particular we show that assembling of the ribonucleic acid is enthalpy driven and that the versatility of the RNA molecule is important for the polymerisation; indeed, an equivalent DNA sequence is unable to make a nanoassembly. The origin of the difference is discussed herein.
UFR SMBH, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 93017 Bobigny, France.
Frédéric
F
Geinguenaud
Laboratoire Léon Brillouin, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, CNRS-UMR 12, CEA-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, 91191 France.
Maeva
M
Gesson
Laboratoire Léon Brillouin, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, CNRS-UMR 12, CEA-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, 91191 France and University Paris Diderot-Paris 7, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75013 Paris, France.
Véronique
V
Arluison
D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D058727:RNA, Small Untranslated / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D013816:Thermodynamics
C405431:DsrA RNA, E coli; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D058727:RNA, Small Untranslated