Assignment and NOE analysis of 2'-hydroxyl protons in RNA: implications for stabilization of RNA A-form duplexes

Mirko Hennig; Jörg Fohrer; Teresa Carlomagno

doi:10.1021/ja043390o

Assignment and NOE analysis of 2'-hydroxyl protons in RNA: implications for stabilization of RNA A-form duplexes

J Am Chem Soc. 2005 Feb 23;127(7):2028-9. doi: 10.1021/ja043390o.

Authors

Mirko Hennig¹, Jörg Fohrer, Teresa Carlomagno

Affiliation

¹ Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, MB33, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA. mirko@scripps.edu

PMID: 15713064
DOI: 10.1021/ja043390o

Abstract

The ribose 2'-OH hydroxyl group distinguishes RNA from DNA. The 2'-OH hydroxyl protons are responsible for differences in conformation, hydration, and thermodynamic stability of RNA and DNA oligonucleotides. Additionally, the 2'-OH group plays a central role in RNA catalysis. This important group lies in the shallow groove of RNA, where it is involved in a network of hydrogen bonds with water molecules stabilizing RNA A-form duplexes. Structural and dynamical information on 2'-OH hydroxyl protons is essential to understand their respective roles. Here we report the 2'-OH hydroxyl proton assignments for a 30mer RNA, the HIV-2 transactivation region, in water using solution NMR techniques. We provide structural information on 2'-OH hydroxyl groups in the form of orientational preferences contradicting the paradigm that the 2'-OH hydroxyl typically points away from the ribose H1' proton.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

HIV Long Terminal Repeat / genetics*
HIV-2 / genetics*
Models, Molecular
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular / methods
Nucleic Acid Conformation
RNA / chemistry*
RNA, Viral / chemistry*

Substances

RNA, Viral
RNA