Structural highlights
Publication Abstract from PubMed
The dimerization of viral RNA through noncovalent interactions at their 5' ends is a key step in the life cycle of retroviruses. In Moloney murine leukemia virus, three stem-loops are important in this process. One is a self-complementary tetraloop (H1), but the other two stem-loops (H2, H3) contain highly conserved GACG tetraloops that are not self-complementary sequences. Using two-dimensional NMR, we determined the structure of the H3 stem-loop. Surprisingly, it forms a stable, homodimeric kissing complex through only two intermolecular G small middle dotC base pairs. Cross-strand interactions of the adenines adjacent to the intermolecular G small middle dotC base pairs, plus unusual strong electrostatic interactions around the base pairs, contribute to the unexpected stability. This structure shows how even stem-loops without self-complementary sequences can facilitate the intermolecular recognition between two identical RNAs, and thus initiate dimerization and encapsidation of retroviral RNAs.
A retroviral RNA kissing complex containing only two G.C base pairs.,Kim CH, Tinoco I Jr Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Aug 15;97(17):9396-401. PMID:10931958[1]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
References
- ↑ Kim CH, Tinoco I Jr. A retroviral RNA kissing complex containing only two G.C base pairs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Aug 15;97(17):9396-401. PMID:10931958 doi:10.1073/pnas.170283697
