A retroviral RNA kissing complex containing only two G⋅C base pairs
AUTOR(ES)
Kim, Chul-Hyun
FONTE
The National Academy of Sciences
RESUMO
The dimerization of viral RNA through noncovalent interactions at their 5′ ends is a key step in the life cycle of retroviruses. In Moloney murine leukemia virus, three stem-loops are important in this process. One is a self-complementary tetraloop (H1), but the other two stem-loops (H2, H3) contain highly conserved GACG tetraloops that are not self-complementary sequences. Using two-dimensional NMR, we determined the structure of the H3 stem-loop. Surprisingly, it forms a stable, homodimeric kissing complex through only two intermolecular G⋅C base pairs. Cross-strand interactions of the adenines adjacent to the intermolecular G⋅C base pairs, plus unusual strong electrostatic interactions around the base pairs, contribute to the unexpected stability. This structure shows how even stem-loops without self-complementary sequences can facilitate the intermolecular recognition between two identical RNAs, and thus initiate dimerization and encapsidation of retroviral RNAs.
ACESSO AO ARTIGO
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=16875Documentos Relacionados
- An immunoglobulin mutator that targets G.C base pairs.
- DNA conformational change in Gal repressor-operator complex: involvement of central G-C base pair(s) of dyad symmetry.
- Chlamydomonas telomere sequences are A+T-rich but contain three consecutive G-C base pairs.
- Growth properties associated with A-U replacement of specific G-C base pairs in 16S rRNA from Escherichia coli.
- Can G-C Hoogsteen-wobble pairs contribute to the stability of d(G. C-C) triplexes?