Issue June 2000No. 6 (p 933-1192) June 2000 ISSN 0739-1102 Structure of Poly (U)·Poly (A)·Poly (U) (p. 1023-1034)The molecular structure of poly (U)·poly (A)·poly (U) has been determined and refined using the continuous x-ray intensity data on layer lines in the diffraction pattern obtained from an oriented fiber of the RNA. The final R-value for the preferred structure is 0.24, far lower than that for the plausible alternatives. The polymer forms an 11-fold right-handed triple-helix of pitch 33.5Å and each base triplet is stabilized by Crick-Watson-Hoogsteen hydrogen bonds. The ribose rings in the three strands have C3'-endo, C2'-endo and C2'-endo conformations, respectively. The helix derives additional stability through systematic interchain hydrogen bonds involving ribose hydroxyls and uracil bases. The relatively grooveless cylindrical shape of the triple-helix is consistent with the lack of lateral organization.
Rengaswami Chandrasekaran* Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research Subscription is more cost effective than purchasing PDFs on-the-fly. Click here for details. |