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Architecture of RNA

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Fundamentals of RNA Structure and Function

Part of the book series: Learning Materials in Biosciences ((LMB))

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Abstract

A single strand of RNA folds upon itself to form its many structures. The helices and loop regions formed in the secondary structures interact with each other to form a more compact tertiary structure. The charges of the phosphate backbone are neutralized by the potassium and magnesium ions to allow folding of this negatively charged polymer. In this chapter, we will learn the vocabulary of secondary and tertiary structural features in RNA and discuss the roles of magnesium ions. RNA structures are modular and are likely to be made of patterns of structures that repeat. We will discuss examples of some RNA motifs, the repeating structural units, that are known.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO, USA

    Hallie Hintz, Ethan Moore, Darryl McCaskill & Neena Grover

Authors
  1. Hallie Hintz
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  2. Ethan Moore
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  3. Darryl McCaskill
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  4. Neena Grover
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Correspondence to Neena Grover .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Colorado College, Colorado, CO, USA

    Neena Grover

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Hintz, H., Moore, E., McCaskill, D., Grover, N. (2022). Architecture of RNA. In: Grover, N. (eds) Fundamentals of RNA Structure and Function. Learning Materials in Biosciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90214-8_2

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