Major Groove Accessibility of RNA

Chemical acylation experiments showed that the RNA major groove, often assumed to be too deep and narrow to permit recognition interactions, is accessible at duplex termini. Reactivity extended further into the helix in the 5′ than in the 3′ direction. Asymmetric and large loops between helices unco...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1993-09, Vol.261 (5128), p.1574-1577
Main Authors: Weeks, Kevin M., Crothers, Donald M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acylation
Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry
Base Sequence
Biochemistry
Biological and medical sciences
Chemistry
Diethyl Pyrocarbonate - chemistry
Diethyl Pyrocarbonate - pharmacology
Enthalpy
Free energy
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gels
Geometry
Melting
Molecular Sequence Data
Nucleic Acid Conformation
Nucleic acids
Nucleotides
Oligoribonucleotides - chemistry
Purines
Reactivity
Ribonucleic acid
RNA
RNA - chemistry
Rna, ribonucleoproteins
Scientific Concepts
Thermodynamics
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Summary:Chemical acylation experiments showed that the RNA major groove, often assumed to be too deep and narrow to permit recognition interactions, is accessible at duplex termini. Reactivity extended further into the helix in the 5′ than in the 3′ direction. Asymmetric and large loops between helices uncoupled them, which yielded both enhanced reactivity at terminal base pairs and weaker stabilization enthalpy compared to that in small loops or symmetric loops of the same size. Uncoupled helices have effective helix ends with accessible major grooves; such motifs are attractive contributors to protein recognition, tertiary folding, and catalysis.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.7690496