title: RNA quaternary structure and global symmetry.
abstract: Many proteins associate into symmetric multisubunit complexes. Structural analyses suggested that, by contrast, virtually all RNAs with complex 3D structures function as asymmetric monomers. Recent crystal structures revealed that several biological RNAs exhibit global symmetry at the level of their tertiary and quaternary structures. Here we survey known examples of global RNA symmetry, including the true quaternary symmetry of the bacteriophage ϕ29 prohead RNA (pRNA) and the internal pseudosymmetry of the single-chain flavin mononucleotide (FMN), glycine, and cyclic di-AMP (c-di-AMP) riboswitches. For these RNAs, global symmetry stabilizes the RNA fold, coordinates ligand-RNA interactions, and facilitates association with symmetric binding partners.
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 50 South Drive, MSC 8012, Bethesda, MD 20892-8012, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 50 South Drive, MSC 8012, Bethesda, MD 20892-8012, USA. Electronic address: adrian.ferre@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Adrian R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Ferré-D'Amaré
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D058928:Riboswitch
chemical_list: D058928:Riboswitch; D012313:RNA
keywords: FMN riboswitch; X-ray crystallography; bacteriophage ϕ29 pRNA; c-di-AMP riboswitch; cooperativity; glycine riboswitch