A generalizable scaffold-based approach for structure determination of RNAs by cryo-EM.

ABSTRACT: Single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) can reveal the structures of large and often dynamic molecules, but smaller biomolecules (≤50 kDa) remain challenging targets due to their intrinsic low signal to noise ratio. Methods to help resolve small proteins have been applied but development of similar approaches to aid in structural determination of small, structured RNA elements have lagged. Here, we present a scaffold-based approach that we used to recover maps of sub-25 kDa RNA domains to 4.5-5.0 Å. While lacking the detail of true high-resolution maps, these maps are suitable for model building and preliminary structure determination. We demonstrate this method helped faithfully recover the structure of several RNA elements of known structure, and that it promises to be general

SUBMITTER: Langeberg CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10639074 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature