Complex Water Networks Visualized through 2.2-2.3 A Cryogenic Electron Microscopy of RNA.

ABSTRACT: The stability and function of biomolecules are directly influenced by their myriad interactions with water. In this study, we investigated water through cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) on a highly solvated molecule, the Tetrahymena ribozyme, determined at 2.2 and 2.3 Å resolutions. By employing segmentation-guided water and ion modeling (SWIM), an approach combining resolvability and chemical parameters, we automatically modeled and cross-validated water molecules and Mg²⁺ ions in the ribozyme core, revealing the extensive involvement of water in mediating RNA non-canonical interactions. Unexpectedly, in regions where SWIM does not model ordered water, we observed highly similar densities in both cryo-EM maps. In many of these regions, the cryo-EM densities superi

SUBMITTER: Kretsch RC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11785237 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature