Sequence, structure, and stacking: specifics of tRNA anchoring to the T box riboswitch.

ABSTRACT: The term riboswitch usually refers to small molecule sensing regulatory modules in the 5' untranslated regions of a mRNA. They are typically comprised of separate ligand binding and regulatory domains. The T box riboswitch is unique from other identified riboswitches because its effector is an essential macromolecule, tRNA. It senses the aminoacylation state of tRNA to regulate genes involved in a variety of functions relating to amino acid metabolism and tRNA aminoacylation. T box riboswitches performs an intuitively simple process using a complex structured RNA element and, until recently, the underlying mechanisms were poorly understood. Only two sequence-specific contacts had been previously identified: (1) between the specifier sequence (codon) and the tRNA anticodon and (2) between a

SUBMITTER: Grigg JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3917978 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature