Investigation of Overhauser effects between pseudouridine and water protons in RNA helices.

ABSTRACT: The inherent chemical properties of RNA molecules are expanded by posttranscriptional modification of specific nucleotides. Pseudouridine (psi), the most abundant of the modified bases, features an additional imino group, NH1, as compared with uridine. When psi forms a Watson-Crick base pair with adenine in an RNA helix, NH1 is positioned within the major groove. The presence of psi often increases thermal stability of the helix or loop in which it is found [Hall, K. B. & McLaughlin, L. (1992) Nucleic Acids Res. 20, 1883-1889]. X-ray crystal structures of transfer RNAs [e.g., Arnez, J. & Steitz, T. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 7560-7567] have depicted water molecules bridging psiNH1 groups and nearby phosphate oxygen atoms, but direct evidence for this interaction in solution has not been acqui

SUBMITTER: Newby MI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC130523 | biostudies-literature | 2002 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature