Structure of RNA and its Binding Proteins

9305271 Rich这笔赠款主要用于增加我们对核糖核酸的了解。这项工作中使用的主要方法是对RNA组分的单晶以及RNA结合蛋白的X射线衍射研究。X射线衍射研究使人们能够确定分子的三维结构。这项工作的主要实验挑战是获得具有适当规则度的晶体，以便进行分析以揭示分子结构的精细细节。%RNA在生物系统中起着非常重要的作用。它不仅传递来自DNA的信息，从而指导蛋白质的合成，而且还形成了许多结构元素，形成了细胞机械的一部分。这项研究的目标是使包含各种结构基序的RNA片段结晶。这些元素决定了RNA自身折叠或以多种不同构象形式形成的方式。RNA最近被证明具有酶活性。这些“核酶”的结构也将被研究。总体而言，了解RNA的三维结构可能会增强人们对分子在其生物学背景下如何发挥作用的认识。了解与RNA结合的蛋白质的结构以及它们具体相互作用的方式也可以增强我们对其作用的理解。***

9305271 Rich This grant is focussed on increasing our understanding of RNA. The major approach used in this work is x-ray diffraction studies of single crystals of RNA components, as well as RNA binding proteins. X-ray diffraction studies allows one to determine the three-dimensional structure of the molecule. The major experimental challenge in this work is to obtain crystals that have suitable degrees of regularity, so that the analysis can be carried out to uncover fine details of molecular structure. %%% RNA plays a very important role in biological systems. Not only does it act to convey information from DNA that results in directing the synthesis of proteins, but it also forms a number of structural elements that form part of the machinery of the cell. The goal of this research is to crystallize segments of RNA that contain various structural motifs. These elements determine the way that RNA folds upon itself or forms in a number of different conformations. RNA has recently been shown to have enzymatic activity. The structure of these "ribozymes" will also be studied. In general, understanding the three-dimensional structure of the RNA may lead to an enhanced awareness of how the molecule functions in its biological context. Knowing the structure of proteins that bind to RNA and the manner in which they specifically interact also enhances our understanding of its role. ***