Cryo-EM reveals an entangled kinetic trap in the folding of a catalytic RNA.

ABSTRACT: Functional RNAs fold through complex pathways that can contain misfolded "kinetic traps." A complete model of RNA folding requires understanding the formation of these misfolded states, but they are difficult to characterize because of their transient and potentially conformationally dynamic nature. We used cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to visualize a long-lived misfolded state in the folding pathway of the Tetrahymena thermophila group I intron, a paradigmatic RNA structure-function model system. The structure revealed how this state forms native-like secondary structure and tertiary contacts but contains two incorrectly crossed strands, consistent with a previous model. This incorrect topology mispositions a critical catalytic domain and cannot be resolved locally as extensiv

SUBMITTER: Bonilla SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9417180 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature