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The kink‐turn: a new RNA secondary structure motif
Author(s) -
Klein D.J.,
Schmeing T.M.,
Moore P.B.,
Steitz T.A.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1093/emboj/20.15.4214
Subject(s) - thermus thermophilus , biology , 23s ribosomal rna , rna , 50s , ribosomal rna , base pair , rnase h , protein secondary structure , nucleic acid structure , small nuclear rna , rnase p , ribosome , genetics , non coding rna , biochemistry , escherichia coli , dna , gene
Analysis of the Haloarcula marismortui large ribosomal subunit has revealed a common RNA structure that we call the kink‐turn, or K‐turn. The six K‐turns in H.marismortui 23S rRNA superimpose with an r.m.s.d. of 1.7 Å. There are two K‐turns in the structure of Thermus thermophilus 16S rRNA, and the structures of U4 snRNA and L30e mRNA fragments form K‐turns. The structure has a kink in the phosphodiester backbone that causes a sharp turn in the RNA helix. Its asymmetric internal loop is flanked by C–G base pairs on one side and sheared G–A base pairs on the other, with an A‐minor interaction between these two helical stems. A derived consensus secondary structure for the K‐turn includes 10 consensus nucleotides out of 15, and predicts its presence in the 5′‐UTR of L10 mRNA, helix 78 in Escherichia coli 23S rRNA and human RNase MRP. Five K‐turns in 23S rRNA interact with nine proteins. While the observed K‐turns interact with proteins of unrelated structures in different ways, they interact with L7Ae and two homologous proteins in the same way.