Identifying RNA minor groove tertiary contacts by nucleotide analogue interference mapping with N2-methylguanosine

Nucleotide analogue interference mapping (NAIM) is a general biochemical method that rapidly identifies the chemical groups important for RNA function. In principle, NAIM can be extended to any nucleotide that can be incorporated into an in vitro transcript by an RNA polymerase. Here we report the synthesis of 5'-O-(1-thio)-N2-methylguanosine triphosphate (m2GalphaS) and its incorporation into two reverse splicing forms of the Tetrahymena group I intron using a mutant form of T7 RNA polymerase. This analogue replaces one proton of the N2 exocyclic amine with a methyl group, but is as stable as guanosine (G) for secondary structure formation. We have identified three sites of m2GalphaS interference within the Tetrahymena intron: G22, G212, and G303. All three of these guanosine residues are known to utilize their exocyclic amino groups to participate in tertiary hydrogen bonds within the ribozyme structure. Unlike the interference pattern with the phosphorothioate of inosine (IalphaS, an analogue that deletes the N2 amine of G), m2GalphaS substitution did not cause interference at positions attributable to secondary structural stability effects. Given that the RNA minor groove is likely to be widely used for helix packing, m2GalphaS provides an especially valuable reagent to identify RNA minor groove tertiary contacts in less well-characterized RNAs.