Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 97, Issue 2, Pages 646-651Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.97.2.646
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- NIGMS NIH HHS [R01 GM034993, GM34993] Funding Source: Medline
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Using a statistical mechanical treatment, we study RNA folding energy landscapes. We first validate the theory by showing that, for the RNA molecules we tested having only secondary structures, this treatment (i) predicts about the same native structures as the Zuker method, and (ii) qualitatively predicts the melting curve peaks and shoulders seen in experiments. We then predict thermodynamic folding intermediates. For one hairpin sequence, unfolding is a simple unzipping process. But for another sequence, unfolding is more complex. It involves multiple stable intermediates and a rezipping into a completely non-native conformation before unfolding. The principle that emerges, for which there is growing experimental support, is that although protein folding tends to involve highly cooperative two-state thermodynamic transitions, without detectable intermediates, the folding of RNA secondary structures may involve rugged landscapes, often with more complex intermediate states.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available