Contents of this article

Useful Tools
In-Line Probing Analysis of Riboswitches
Abstract
Riboswitches are intricate, metabolite-binding RNA structures found in the non-coding regions of mRNA. Allosteric changes in the riboswitch that are induced by metabolite binding are harnessed to control the genes of a variety of essential metabolic pathways in eubacteria and in some eukaryotes. In this chapter, we describe an RNA structure analysis technique called “in-line probing.” This assay makes use of the natural instability of RNA to elucidate secondary structure characteristics and ligand-binding capabilities of riboswitches in an entirely protein-free manner. Although this method has most frequently been used to examine riboswitches, the structures of any RNAs can be examined using this technique.
Affiliation(s): (3) Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
(4) Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New Haven, CT, USA
Series: Methods in Molecular Biology  |  Volume: 419  |  Pub. Date: Dec-21-2007  |  Page Range: 53-67  |  DOI: 10.1007/978-1-59745-033-1_4
Comments (Loading...)
Loading...