Ribonucleic acid(RNA)plays a pivotal role in the central dogma,carrying genetic information while being able to fold into complicated three-dimensional(3D)structures to regulate gene expression and to catalyze chemical reactions.The"RNA world"hypothesis proposes that RNA preceded DNA and proteins in the origin of life.However,our understanding of RNA 3D structures remains sparse compared to proteins.This perspective highlights the recent advances in RNA structure determination using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy(cryo-EM).We also compare the strengths and challenges of different structural biology methods including cryo-EM,X-ray crystallography,and nuclear magnetic resonance for determining protein-free RNA structures.We conclude by providing the prospective applications of RNA structure determination in basic science and translational research.
关键词
RNA三维结构/冷冻电镜单颗粒重构/RNA动态构象变化/RNA结构设计/靶向RNA分子
Key words
RNA 3D structure/cryo-EM single-particle reconstruction/RNA dynamics and conformational change/RNA structural design/RNA-targeted molecule
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