Synthesis and biophysical characterization of tRNALyS,3 anticodon stem-loop RNAs containing the mcm5s2U nucleoside

Phosphoramidite reagents of the naturally occurring modified nucleosides mcm(5)s(2)U and mcm(5)U were synthesized and along with pseudouridine were incorporated into 17-nucleotide lysine tRNA anticodon stem-loop domains. Standard RNA phosphoramidite coupling chemistry allowed us to systematically investigate the thermodynamic effects of nucleoside modification and to correlate thermodynamic trends with qualitative structure effects seen by NMR spectroscopy.