Issue 33, 2016

A quasi-cyclic RNA nano-scale molecular object constructed using kink turns

Abstract

k-Turns are widespread RNA architectural elements that mediate tertiary interactions. We describe a double-kink-turn motif comprising two inverted k-turns that forms a tight horse-shoe structure that can assemble into a variety of shapes by coaxial association of helical ends. Using X-ray crystallography we show that these assemble with two (dumbell), three (triangle) and four units (square), with or without bound protein, within the crystal lattice. In addition, exchange of a single basepair can almost double the pore radius or shape of a molecular assembly. On the basis of this analysis we synthesized a 114 nt self-complementary RNA containing six k-turns. The crystal structure of this species shows that it forms a quasi-cyclic triangular object. These are randomly disposed about the three-fold axis in the crystal lattice, generating a circular RNA of quasi D3 symmetry with a shape reminiscent of that of a cyclohexane molecule in its chair conformation. This work demonstrates that the k-turn is a powerful building block in the construction of nano-scale molecular objects, and illustrates why k-turns are widely used in natural RNA molecules to organize long-range architecture and mediate tertiary contacts.

Graphical abstract: A quasi-cyclic RNA nano-scale molecular object constructed using kink turns

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 Jun 2016
Accepted
01 Ago 2016
First published
10 Ago 2016
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Nanoscale, 2016,8, 15189-15195

Author version available

A quasi-cyclic RNA nano-scale molecular object constructed using kink turns

L. Huang and D. M. J. Lilley, Nanoscale, 2016, 8, 15189 DOI: 10.1039/C6NR05186C

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