Mg2+-RNA interaction free energies and their relationship to the folding of RNA tertiary structures.

ABSTRACT: Mg2+ ions are very effective at stabilizing tertiary structures in RNAs. In most cases, folding of an RNA is so strongly coupled to its interactions with Mg2+ that it is difficult to separate free energies of Mg2+-RNA interactions from the intrinsic free energy of RNA folding. To devise quantitative models accounting for this phenomenon of Mg2+-induced RNA folding, it is necessary to independently determine Mg2+-RNA interaction free energies for folded and unfolded RNA forms. In this work, the energetics of Mg2+-RNA interactions are derived from an assay that measures the effective concentration of Mg2+ in the presence of RNA. These measurements are used with other measures of RNA stability to develop an overall picture of the energetics of Mg2+-induced RNA folding. Two different RNAs are

SUBMITTER: Grilley D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1599903 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature