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Crystal structure of an RNA aptamer–protein complex at 2.8 Å resolution

Nature Structural Biology volume 5, pages 133–139 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

The crystal structure, at 2.8 Å resolution, of an RNA aptamer bound to bacteriophage MS2 coat protein has been determined. It provides an opportunity to compare the interactions of MS2 coat protein and wild type operator with those of an aptamer, whose secondary structure differs from the wild type RNA in having a three-base loop (compared to a tetraloop) and an additional base pair between this loop and the sequence-specific recognition element in the stem. The RNA binds in the same location on the coat protein as the wild type operator and maintains many of the same RNA–protein interactions. In order to achieve this, the RNA stem loop undergoes a concerted rearrangement of the 3′ side while leaving the 5′ side and the loop interactions largely unchanged, illustrating the ability of RNA to present similar molecular recognition surfaces from distinct primary and secondary structures.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Ichira Hirao

    Present address: Yokoyama CytoLogic Project, ERATO, Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST), The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-01, Japan

  2. James B. Murray

    Present address: Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, USA

  3. Maire A. Convery, Siân Rowsell and Nicola J. Storehouse; These authors have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,

    Maire A. Convery, Siân Rowsell & Simon E.V. Phillips

  2. North of England Structural Biology Centre,

    Maire A. Convery, Siân Rowsell, Nicola J. Storehouse, James B. Murray, Simon E.V. Phillips & Peter G. Stockley

  3. School of Biology, Universiry of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

    Nicola J. Storehouse, James B. Murray & Peter G. Stockley

  4. Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, USA

    Andrew D. Ellington & Ichira Hirao

  5. Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine and Cancer Research and Treatment Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, USA

    David S. Peabody

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Convery, M., Rowsell, S., Storehouse, N. et al. Crystal structure of an RNA aptamer–protein complex at 2.8 Å resolution. Nat Struct Mol Biol 5, 133–139 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/nsb0298-133

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