Physics (Internal)

The forces which stabilize small functional RNAs

This event is part of the Biophysics/Condensed Matter Seminar Series.

Abstract: So called non-coding regions of genomes are increasingly being shown to code for various functional RNA molecules which act as control elements in gene expression. Because of the charged nature of polynucleotides, understanding how these fold into 3 dimensional functional forms requires a quantitative computation of the energetics of the stabilizing counter ion cloud, usually of magnesium ions. Small angle x-ray scattering measurements of conformational changes as a function of ion concentration allow for estimates of the counter-ion induced shielding of the repulsive forces and stabilization of the hydrogen bonding which defines the tertiary fold of the RNA. These will be discussed in the context of the folding of small ribozymes and riboswitches.