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RNA shows its metal

Abstract

A new study shows that the AA platform motif in RNA selectively chelates and dehydrates a potassium ion. Consideration of the energetics of ion binding at specific sites suggests that both monovalent and divalent cations can be important stabilizers of RNA tertiary structures.

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Figure 1: Structures of K+ binding sites in nucleic acids.
Figure 2: Factors determining site-specific ion binding.

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Correspondence to David E. Draper.

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Draper, D., Misra, V. RNA shows its metal. Nat Struct Mol Biol 5, 927–930 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/2901

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