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RNA Structure

RNA Structure

RNA Structure

RNA Structure

Overview
The basic structure of RNA consists of a five-carbon sugar and one of four nitrogenous bases. Although most RNA is single-stranded, it can form complex secondary and tertiary structures. Such structures play essential roles in the regulation of transcription and translation.
Different Types of RNA Have the Same Basic Structure
There are three main types of ribonucleic acid (RNA): messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). All three RNA types consist of a...

RNA Structure

RNA Structure

The basic structure of RNA consists of a string of ribonucleotides attached by phosphodiester bonds. Although most RNA is single-stranded, it can form complex secondary and tertiary structures. Such structures play essential roles in the regulation of transcription and translation.
Different Types of RNA Have the Same Basic Structure
There are three main types of ribonucleic acid (RNA) involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). All three...

Bacterial RNA Polymerase

Bacterial RNA Polymerase

Unlike eukaryotes, bacteria use a single RNA Polymerase (RNAP) to transcribe all genes. The different subunits of bacterial RNAPhave distinct functions. The multisubunit structure of the bacterial RNAP helps the enzyme to maintain catalytic function, facilitate assembly, interact with DNA and RNA, and self-regulate its activity.
In most genes, the transcription site is a single base present upstream of the coding sequence. Though RNAP is a catalytically efficient enzyme, it does not recognize...

Bacterial Transcription

Bacterial Transcription

RNA polymerase (RNAP) carries out DNA-dependent RNA synthesis in both bacteria and eukaryotes. Bacteria do not have a membrane-bound nucleus. So, transcription and translation occur simultaneously, on the same DNA template.
Transcription can be divided into three main stages, each involving distinct DNA sequences to guide the polymerase. These are:

RNA Stability

RNA Stability

Intact DNA strands can be found in fossils, while scientists sometimes struggle to keep RNA intact under laboratory conditions. The structural variations between RNA and DNA underlie the differences in their stability and longevity. Because DNA is double-stranded, it is inherently more stable. The single-stranded structure of RNA is less stable but also more flexible and can form weak internal bonds. Additionally, most RNAs in the cell are relatively short, while DNA can be up to 250 million...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 22, 2026

Mapping RNA-RNA Interactions Globally Using Biotinylated Psoralen

Mapping RNA-RNA Interactions Globally Using Biotinylated Psoralen

Published on: May 24, 2017

3D RNA and Functional Interactions from Evolutionary Couplings.

Caleb Weinreb¹, Adam J Riesselman², John B Ingraham¹

¹Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

|April 19, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study uses evolutionary sequence analysis to predict RNA structures and functions. This method accurately models RNA and RNA-protein interactions, accelerating the discovery of new RNA genes.

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Last Updated: Mar 22, 2026

Mapping RNA-RNA Interactions Globally Using Biotinylated Psoralen

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Published on: May 24, 2017

Analyzing and Building Nucleic Acid Structures with 3DNA

Analyzing and Building Nucleic Acid Structures with 3DNA

Published on: April 26, 2013

Identification of RNAs Engaged in Direct RNA-RNA Interaction with a Long Non-Coding RNA

Identification of RNAs Engaged in Direct RNA-RNA Interaction with a Long Non-Coding RNA

Published on: July 9, 2021

Area of Science:

Computational Biology
Molecular Biology
Bioinformatics

Background:

Non-coding RNAs are abundant, but their structures and functions are not well understood.
Discovering new RNA gene sequences outpaces research into their functional roles and structural properties.
Understanding RNA structure and function is crucial for deciphering biological processes.

Purpose of the Study:

To leverage evolutionary sequence data for predicting RNA structure and function.
To infer nucleotide-nucleotide and nucleotide-amino acid interactions within RNA and RNA-protein complexes.
To enable accurate 3D structure prediction for both known and unknown RNA molecules.

Main Methods:

Utilized maximum entropy global probability models of sequence co-variation.
Analyzed evolutionary sequence records to identify constrained interactions.
Applied evolutionary coupling analysis to predict RNA and RNA-protein complex structures.

Main Results:

Achieved accurate all-atom blinded 3D structure prediction for known RNA structures and complexes.
Predicted contacts for 160 non-coding RNA families with unknown structures.
Identified key functional interactions, including riboswitch switch points and HIV nucleation sites.

Conclusions:

Evolutionary coupling analysis is a powerful tool for predicting RNA 3D structures.
This approach effectively reveals critical functional interactions in RNA molecules and complexes.
Increasing sequence data enhances the power of evolutionary coupling to accelerate RNA discovery.