Topic
RNA
About: RNA is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 111695 publications have been published within this topic receiving 5475262 citations. The topic is also known as: ribonucleic acid.
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TL;DR: It is reported here that mRNAs encoding enzymes involved in thiamine (vitamin B1) biosynthesis in Escherichia coli can bindThiamine or its pyrophosphate derivative without the need for protein cofactors and provides an example of a 'riboswitch' whose evolutionary origin might pre-date the emergence of proteins.
Abstract: Although proteins fulfil most of the requirements that biology has for structural and functional components such as enzymes and receptors, RNA can also serve in these capacities. For example, RNA has sufficient structural plasticity to form ribozyme and receptor elements that exhibit considerable enzymatic power and binding specificity. Moreover, these activities can be combined to create allosteric ribozymes that are modulated by effector molecules. It has also been proposed that certain messenger RNAs might use allosteric mechanisms to mediate regulatory responses depending on specific metabolites. We report here that mRNAs encoding enzymes involved in thiamine (vitamin B(1)) biosynthesis in Escherichia coli can bind thiamine or its pyrophosphate derivative without the need for protein cofactors. The mRNA-effector complex adopts a distinct structure that sequesters the ribosome-binding site and leads to a reduction in gene expression. This metabolite-sensing regulatory system provides an example of a 'riboswitch' whose evolutionary origin might pre-date the emergence of proteins.
1,224 citations
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TL;DR: It is proposed that Tat directs cyclin T-CDK9 to RNAPII through cooperative binding to TAR RNA, and confers a requirement for sequences in the loop of TAR that are not recognized by Tat alone.
1,214 citations
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TL;DR: The development of a cell-free system from syncytial blastoderm Drosophila embryos that recapitulates many of the features of RNAi is reported, demonstrating that RNAi can be mediated by sequence-specific processes in soluble reactions.
Abstract: Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) directs gene-specific, post-transcriptional silencing in many organisms, including vertebrates, and has provided a new tool for studying gene function. The biochemical mechanisms underlying this dsRNA interference (RNAi) are unknown. Here we report the development of a cell-free system from syncytial blastoderm Drosophila embryos that recapitulates many of the features of RNAi. The interference observed in this reaction is sequence specific, is promoted by dsRNA but not single-stranded RNA, functions by specific mRNA degradation, and requires a minimum length of dsRNA. Furthermore, preincubation of dsRNA potentiates its activity. These results demonstrate that RNAi can be mediated by sequence-specific processes in soluble reactions.
1,212 citations
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TL;DR: The structure indicates the extent of RNA packing required for the function of large ribozymes, the spliceosome, and the ribosome.
Abstract: Group I self-splicing introns catalyze their own excision from precursor RNAs by way of a two-step transesterification reaction. The catalytic core of these ribozymes is formed by two structural domains. The 2.8-angstrom crystal structure of one of these, the P4-P6 domain of the Tetrahymena thermophila intron, is described. In the 160-nucleotide domain, a sharp bend allows stacked helices of the conserved core to pack alongside helices of an adjacent region. Two specific long-range interactions clamp the two halves of the domain together: a two-Mg2+-coordinated adenosine-rich corkscrew plugs into the minor groove of a helix, and a GAAA hairpin loop binds to a conserved 11-nucleotide internal loop. Metal- and ribose-mediated backbone contacts further stabilize the close side-by-side helical packing. The structure indicates the extent of RNA packing required for the function of large ribozymes, the spliceosome, and the ribosome.
1,209 citations
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TL;DR: The RBPs that interact with pre‐mRNAs and mRNAs are focused on and their roles in the regulation of post‐transcriptional gene expression are discussed.
1,205 citations