NMR AS A PROBE OF METAL ION BINDING SITES IN RNA

金属离子如镁、钾和钠对于核酸三级结构的形成和催化RNA的酶活性是必不可少的。已知镁和钾离子占据RNA中由复杂的大分子结构形成的特异性结合位点。镁、钾和钠具有天然丰度很高的同位素，它们是半整数自旋四极核。最近的方法和技术进步允许固态NMR研究这种类型的核。这是本研究的目标，应用固态NMR作为这些金属中心和钴（III）六胺离子与核苷酸和核酸的相互作用的结构探针。

Metal ions such as magnesium, potassium and sodium are essential for the formation of tertiary structure in nucleic acids, and the enzymatic activity of catalytic RNAs. Magnesium and potassium ions are known to occupy specific binding sites in RNA that are formed by sophisticated macromolecular structure. Magnesium, potassium and sodium have isotopes of significant natural abundance that are half- integer spin quadrupole nuclei. Recent methodological and technological advances have allowed for solid state NMR studies of nuclei of this type. It is the goal of this study to apply solid state NMR as a structural probe of the interaction of these metal centers and the cobalt(III) hexammine ion with nucleotides and nucleic acids.