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Updated: May 14, 2026

An Assay for Quantifying Protein-RNA Binding in Bacteria
Published on: June 12, 2019
Dissect conformational distribution and drug-induced population shift of prokaryotic rRNA A-site
1Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas 75080, United States.
Abstract:
The dynamic behavior of the rRNA A-site plays an important functional role. We have employed femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopy to investigate the nature of the conformational dynamics. In the drug-free state, the A-site samples multiple distinct conformations. Drug binding shifts the population distribution in a drug-specific manner. Motions of bases on nanosecond and picosecond time scales are differentially affected by the drug binding. Our results underscore the importance of understanding the detailed dynamic picture of molecular recognition by resolving dynamics in the distinct picosecond time regime and facilitate development of antimicrobial drugs targeting dynamic RNAs.
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