CCR5 RNA Pseudoknots: Residue and Site-Specific Labeling correlate Internal Motions with microRNA Binding

DinoKnot: Duplex Interaction of Nucleic Acids With PseudoKnots

Interaction of nucleic acid molecules is essential for their functional roles in the cell and their applications in biotechnology. While simple duplex interactions have been studied before, the problem of efficiently predicting the minimum free energy structure of more complex interactions with possibly pseudoknotted structures remains a challenge. In this work, we introduce a novel and efficient algorithm for prediction of Duplex Interaction of Nucleic acids with pseudoKnots, DinoKnot follows the hierarchical folding hypothesis to predict the secondary structure of two interacting nucleic acid strands (both homo- and hetero-dimers). DinoKnot utilizes the structure of molecules before interaction as a guide to find their duplex structure allowing for possible base pair competitions. To showcase DinoKnots's capabilities we evaluated its predicted structures against (1) experimental results for SARS-CoV-2 genome and nine primer-probe sets, (2) a clinically verified example of a mutation affecting detection, and (3) a known nucleic acid interaction involving a pseudoknot. In addition, we compared our results against our closest competition, RNAcofold, further highlighting DinoKnot's strengths. We believe DinoKnot can be utilized for various applications including screening new variants for potential detection issues and supporting existing applications involving DNA/RNA interactions, adding structural considerations to the interaction to elicit functional information.

Synthesis of an Atom-Specifically 2 H/13 C-Labeled Uridine Ribonucleoside Phosphoramidite

A combined enzymatic and chemical synthesis of a 2'-O-cyanoethoxymethyl (CEM) protected [1',6-¹³ C₂ , 5-² H]-uridine phosphoramidite is described herein. This is the first report of an atom-specific nucleobase and ribose labeled 2'-O-CEM protected ribonucleoside phosphoramidite. Importantly, the CEM 2'-OH protecting group permits the efficient solid-phase synthesis of large (>60 nucleotides) RNAs with good yield and purity. The new isotope-labeled phosphoramidite can therefore be applied to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy studies. Specifically, the [1',6-¹³ C₂ , 5-² H]-uridine phosphoramidite can be used to make position-specifically labeled RNAs for NMR analysis without complications from resonance overlap and scalar and dipolar couplings. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Synthesis of the ribonucleoside 6 Basic Protocol 2: Synthesis of the ribonucleoside phosphoramidite 11.

Isotope Labels Combined with Solution NMR Spectroscopy Make Visible the Invisible Conformations of Small-to-Large RNAs

RNA is central to the proper function of cellular processes important for life on earth and implicated in various medical dysfunctions. Yet, RNA structural biology lags significantly behind that of proteins, limiting mechanistic understanding of RNA chemical biology. Fortunately, solution NMR spectroscopy can probe the structural dynamics of RNA in solution at atomic resolution, opening the door to their functional understanding. However, NMR analysis of RNA, with only four unique ribonucleotide building blocks, suffers from spectral crowding and broad linewidths, especially as RNAs grow in size. One effective strategy to overcome these challenges is to introduce NMR-active stable isotopes into RNA. However, traditional uniform labeling methods introduce scalar and dipolar couplings that complicate the implementation and analysis of NMR measurements. This challenge can be circumvented with selective isotope labeling. In this review, we outline the development of labeling technologies and their application to study biologically relevant RNAs and their complexes ranging in size from 5 to 300 kDa by NMR spectroscopy.

Strategies for Covalent Labeling of Long RNAs

The introduction of chemical modifications into long RNA molecules at specific positions for visualization, biophysical investigations, diagnostic and therapeutic applications still remains challenging. In this review, we present recent approaches for covalent internal labeling of long RNAs. Topics included are the assembly of large modified RNAs via enzymatic ligation of short synthetic oligonucleotides and synthetic biology approaches preparing site-specifically modified RNAs via in vitro transcription using an expanded genetic alphabet. Moreover, recent approaches to employ deoxyribozymes (DNAzymes) and ribozymes for RNA labeling and RNA methyltransferase based labeling strategies are presented. We discuss the potentials and limits of the individual methods, their applicability for RNAs with several hundred to thousands of nucleotides in length and indicate future directions in the field.

Isotope-Labeled RNA Building Blocks for NMR Structure and Dynamics Studies

RNA structural research lags behind that of proteins, preventing a robust understanding of RNA functions. NMR spectroscopy is an apt technique for probing the structures and dynamics of RNA molecules in solution at atomic resolution. Still, RNA analysis by NMR suffers from spectral overlap and line broadening, both of which worsen for larger RNAs. Incorporation of stable isotope labels into RNA has provided several solutions to these challenges. In this review, we summarize the benefits and limitations of various methods used to obtain isotope-labeled RNA building blocks and how they are used to prepare isotope-labeled RNA for NMR structure and dynamics studies.

Changed reactivity of secondary hydroxy groups in C8-modified adenosine - lessons learned from silylation

Synthesis of site-specifically modified oligonucleotides has become a major tool for RNA structure and function studies. Reporter groups or specific functional entities are required to be attached at a pre-defined site of the oligomer. An attractive strategy is the incorporation of suitably functionalized building blocks that allow post-synthetic conjugation of the desired moiety. A C8-alkynyl-modified adenosine derivative was synthesized, reviving an old synthetic pathway for iodination of purine nucleobases. Silylation of the C8-alkynyl-modified adenosine revealed unexpected selectivity of the two secondary sugar hydroxy groups, with the 3'-O-isomer being preferentially formed. Optimization of the protection scheme lead to a new and economic route to the desired C8-alkynylated building block and its incorporation in RNA.

Fundamental studies of functional nucleic acids: aptamers, riboswitches, ribozymes and DNAzymes

This review aims at juxtaposing common versus distinct structural and functional strategies that are applied by aptamers, riboswitches, and ribozymes/DNAzymes. Focusing on recently discovered systems, we begin our analysis with small-molecule binding aptamers, with emphasis on in vitro-selected fluorogenic RNA aptamers and their different modes of ligand binding and fluorescence activation. Fundamental insights are much needed to advance RNA imaging probes for detection of exo- and endogenous RNA and for RNA process tracking. Secondly, we discuss the latest gene expression-regulating mRNA riboswitches that respond to the alarmone ppGpp, to PRPP, to NAD⁺, to adenosine and cytidine diphosphates, and to precursors of thiamine biosynthesis (HMP-PP), and we outline new subclasses of SAM and tetrahydrofolate-binding RNA regulators. Many riboswitches bind protein enzyme cofactors that, in principle, can catalyse a chemical reaction. For RNA, however, only one system (glmS ribozyme) has been identified in Nature thus far that utilizes a small molecule - glucosamine-6-phosphate - to participate directly in reaction catalysis (phosphodiester cleavage). We wonder why that is the case and what is to be done to reveal such likely existing cellular activities that could be more diverse than currently imagined. Thirdly, this brings us to the four latest small nucleolytic ribozymes termed twister, twister-sister, pistol, and hatchet as well as to in vitro selected DNA and RNA enzymes that promote new chemistry, mainly by exploiting their ability for RNA labelling and nucleoside modification recognition. Enormous progress in understanding the strategies of nucleic acids catalysts has been made by providing thorough structural fundaments (e.g. first structure of a DNAzyme, structures of ribozyme transition state mimics) in combination with functional assays and atomic mutagenesis.

RNA Dynamics by NMR Spectroscopy

An ever-increasing number of functional RNAs require a mechanistic understanding. RNA function relies on changes in its structure, so-called dynamics. To reveal dynamic processes and higher energy structures, new NMR methods have been developed to elucidate these dynamics in RNA with atomic resolution. In this Review, we provide an introduction to dynamics novices and an overview of methods that access most dynamic timescales, from picoseconds to hours. Examples are provided as well as insight into theory, data acquisition and analysis for these different methods. Using this broad spectrum of methodology, unprecedented detail and invisible structures have been obtained and are reviewed here. RNA, though often more complicated and therefore neglected, also provides a great system to study structural changes, as these RNA structural changes are more easily defined-Lego like-than in proteins, hence the numerous revelations of RNA excited states.

Solid-Phase Chemical Synthesis of Stable Isotope-Labeled RNA to Aid Structure and Dynamics Studies by NMR Spectroscopy

RNA structure and dynamic studies by NMR spectroscopy suffer from chemical shift overlap and line broadening, both of which become worse as RNA size increases. Incorporation of stable isotope labels into RNA has provided several solutions to these limitations. Nevertheless, the only method to circumvent the problem of spectral overlap completely is the solid-phase chemical synthesis of RNA with labeled RNA phosphoramidites. In this review, we summarize the practical aspects of this methodology for NMR spectroscopy studies of RNA. These types of investigations lie at the intersection of chemistry and biophysics and highlight the need for collaborative efforts to tackle the integrative structural biology problems that exist in the RNA world. Finally, examples of RNA structure and dynamic studies using labeled phosphoramidites are highlighted.

Studying sparsely populated conformational states in RNA combining chemical synthesis and solution NMR spectroscopy

Using chemical synthesis and solution NMR spectroscopy, RNA structural ensembles including a major ground state and minor populated excited states can be studied at atomic resolution. In this work, atom-specific ¹³C labeled RNA building blocks - a 5-¹³C-uridine and a 2,8-¹³C₂-adenosine building block - are used to introduce isolated ¹³C-¹H-spin topologies into a target RNA to probe such structural ensembles via NMR spectroscopy. First, the 5-¹³C-uridine 2'-O-TBDMS-phosphoramidite building block was introduced into a 21 nucleotide (nt) tP5c stem construct of the tP5abc subdomain of the Tetrahymena group I ribozyme. Then, the 2,8-¹³C₂-adenosine 2'-O-TBDMS-phosphoramidite building block was incorporated into a 9 kDa and a 15 kD construct derived from the epsilon (ε) RNA element of the duck Hepatitis B virus. The 2,8-¹³C₂-adenosine resonances of the 9 kDa 28 nt sequence could be mapped to the full-length 53 nt construct. The isolated NMR active nuclei pairs were used to probe for low populated excited states (<10%) via ¹³C-Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG)-relaxation dispersion NMR spectroscopy. The ¹³C-CPMG relaxation dispersion experiment recapitulated a secondary structure switching event in the P5c hairpin of the group I intron construct previously revealed by ¹⁵N relaxation dispersion experiments. In the ε-HBV RNA an unfolding event occurring on the millisecond time scale was found in the upper stem in-line with earlier observations. This unpaired conformational state is presumed to be important for the binding of the epsilon reverse transcriptase (RT) enzyme. Thus, a full description of an RNA's folding landscape helps to obtain a deeper understanding of its function, as these high energy conformational states often represent functionally important intermediates involved in (un)folding or ribozyme catalysis.