Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Group I introns and RNA folding.

E Westhof1

  • 1Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, 15 rue R. Descartes, F-67084 Strasbourg, France. E.Westhof@ibmc.u-strasbg.fr

Biochemical Society Transactions
|November 21, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Group I introns, controllable RNA molecules, are crucial for studying RNA folding and architecture. Their structural motifs are also found in ribosomes, advancing our understanding of RNA self-assembly.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Large telomerase RNA, telomere length heterogeneity and escape from senescence in Candida glabrata.

FEBS letters·2009
Same author

Correlated motions in DNA.

Biophysical journal·2009
Same author

The interaction networks of structured RNAs.

Nucleic acids research·2006
Same author

The A-minor motifs in the decoding recognition process.

Biochimie·2006
Same author

A molecular dynamics simulation study of an aminoglycoside/A-site RNA complex: conformational and hydration patterns.

Biochimie·2006
Same author

Mutagenesis of 16S rRNA C1409-G1491 base-pair differentiates between 6'OH and 6'NH3+ aminoglycosides.

Journal of molecular biology·2005

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • RNA Biochemistry
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Transfer RNA (tRNA) was historically the primary focus for RNA folding studies.
  • The discovery of catalytic RNA shifted research focus to molecules like group I introns.
  • Group I introns offer stability and measurable catalytic activity for RNA structure research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the utility of group I introns as model systems for RNA folding and architecture.
  • To explore the role of external guanosine cofactors in controlling RNA catalytic activity.
  • To identify conserved RNA motifs within group I introns and their potential relevance to ribosomal RNA (rRNA).

Main Methods:

  • Studying the inherent stability and catalytic activity of group I introns.
  • Utilizing external guanosine cofactors to precisely control self-splicing activity.
  • Analyzing X-ray structures of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) subunits.
  • Comparing structural motifs found in group I introns with those in rRNA.

Main Results:

  • Group I introns proved to be excellent models for investigating RNA architecture and folding.
  • The controlled catalytic activity of group I introns, triggered by guanosine, facilitates detailed structural analysis.
  • Several key RNA motifs involved in RNA-RNA self-assembly and folding were identified in group I introns.
  • Comparative analysis revealed the presence of motifs common to both group I introns and rRNA subunits.

Conclusions:

  • Group I introns are powerful tools for dissecting RNA folding principles and identifying functional motifs.
  • The discovery of shared motifs between group I introns and rRNA suggests conserved structural strategies in RNA biology.
  • These findings deepen the understanding of RNA structure-function relationships and RNA-based molecular machinery.

Related Experiment Videos