Characterizing RNA dynamics at atomic resolution using solution-state NMR spectroscopy

• Published in: Nature methods Vol. 8; no. 11; pp. 919 - 931
• Main Authors: Bothe, Jameson R, Nikolova, Evgenia N, Eichhorn, Catherine D, Chugh, Jeetender, Hansen, Alexandar L, Al-Hashimi, Hashim M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.11.2011; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/1647/2258/878; 631/45/500; 631/45/535; Atomic physics; Bioinformatics; Biological Microscopy; Biological Techniques; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedical Engineering/Biotechnology; Gene expression; Kinetics; Life Sciences; Mass spectrometry; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular - methods; Physiological aspects; Proteomics; review-article; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA - chemistry; Thermodynamics; Canada; United States
• ISSN: 1548-7091; 1548-7105
• DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.1735

In this Review, the authors thoroughly discuss solution-state NMR spectroscopy methods used for characterizing the dynamic structure landscape of RNA molecules, from picosecond to second timescale motions. Many recently discovered noncoding RNAs do not fold into a single native conformation but sample many different conformations along their free-energy landscape to carry out their biological function. Here we review solution-state NMR techniques that measure the structural, kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics of RNA motions spanning picosecond to second timescales at atomic resolution, allowing unprecedented insights into the RNA dynamic structure landscape. From these studies a basic description of the RNA dynamic structure landscape is emerging, bringing new insights into how RNA structures change to carry out their function as well as applications in RNA-targeted drug discovery and RNA bioengineering.