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Published on: December 9, 2022
Structural Mapping of the Base Stacks Containing Post-transcriptionally Modified Bases in RNA
Zakir Ali1, Sarabjeet Kaur1,2, Teagan Kukhta3
1Computational Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies in Chemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India.
Abstract:
Post-transcriptionally modified bases play vital roles in many biochemical processes involving RNA. Analysis of the non-covalent interactions associated with these bases in RNA is crucial for providing a more complete understanding of the RNA structure and function; however, the characterization of these interactions remains understudied. To address this limitation, we present a comprehensive analysis of base stacks involving all crystallographic occurrences of the most biologically relevant modified bases in a large dataset of high-resolution RNA crystal structures. This is accompanied by a geometrical classification of the stacking contacts using our established tools. Coupled with quantum chemical calculations and an analysis of the specific structural context of these stacks, this provides a map of the stacking conformations available to modified bases in RNA. Overall, our analysis is expected to facilitate structural research on altered RNA bases.
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