Structural transitions in the RNA 7SK 5' hairpin and their effect on HEXIM binding.

ABSTRACT: 7SK RNA, as part of the 7SK ribonucleoprotein complex, is crucial to the regulation of transcription by RNA-polymerase II, via its interaction with the positive transcription elongation factor P-TEFb. The interaction is induced by binding of the protein HEXIM to the 5' hairpin (HP1) of 7SK RNA. Four distinct structural models have been obtained experimentally for HP1. Here, we employ computational methods to investigate the relative stability of these structures, transitions between them, and the effects of mutations on the observed structural ensembles. We further analyse the results with respect to mutational binding assays, and hypothesize a mechanism for HEXIM binding. Our results indicate that the dominant structure in the wild type exhibits a triplet involving the unpaired nucleotide

SUBMITTER: Roder K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7145557 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature