Modulation of RNA Tertiary Folding by Incorporation of Caged Nucleotides

摘要

Photochemical caging groups are often used to study biomolecular interactions,such as those between cofactors and enzymes or between neurotransmitters and their receptors.In a caging experiment,a functionally important part of a molecule is modified by the strategic introduction of a non-natural moiety that disrupts key contacts or interferes with a critical reaction step.When the non-natural moiety is removed by photolysis,the native biomolecular interactions are restored.Photochemical caging has been used to study protein folding,RNA catalysis,secondary structure changes in RNA,and other RNA-related phenomena,but not higher-order tertiary folding of RNA.