Three-way RNA junctions with remote tertiary contacts: a recurrent and highly versatile fold.

ABSTRACT: Three-way junction RNAs adopt a recurrent Y shape when two of the helices form a coaxial stack and the third helix establishes one or more tertiary contacts several base pairs away from the junction. In this review, the structure, distribution, and functional relevance of these motifs are examined. Structurally, the folds exhibit conserved junction topologies, and the distal tertiary interactions play a crucial role in determining the final shape of the structures. The junctions and remote tertiary contacts behave as flexible hinge motifs that respond to changes in the other region, providing these folds with switching mechanisms that have been shown to be functionally useful in a variety of contexts. In addition, the juxtaposition of RNA domains at the junction and at the distal tertiary

SUBMITTER: de la Pena M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2764472 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature