Single-molecule conformational dynamics of a biologically functional hydroxocobalamin riboswitch.

ABSTRACT: Riboswitches represent a family of highly structured regulatory elements found primarily in the leader sequences of bacterial mRNAs. They function as molecular switches capable of altering gene expression; commonly, this occurs via a conformational change in a regulatory element of a riboswitch that results from ligand binding in the aptamer domain. Numerous studies have investigated the ligand binding process, but little is known about the structural changes in the regulatory element. A mechanistic description of both processes is essential for deeply understanding how riboswitches modulate gene expression. This task is greatly facilitated by studying all aspects of riboswitch structure/dynamics/function in the same model system. To this end, single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy

SUBMITTER: Holmstrom ED 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4277777 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature