Duplex Structure of Double-Stranded RNA Provides Stability against Hydrolysis Relative to Single-Stranded RNA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ke Zhang ◽  
Joseph Hodge ◽  
Anamika Chatterjee ◽  
Tae Seok Moon ◽  
Kimberly M. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Duplex Structure ◽  
Double Stranded Rna

scholarly journals Single-molecule conductance of double-stranded RNA oligonucleotides

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subrata Chandra ◽  
Keshani Pattiya Arachchillage ◽  
Evgenii Kliuchnikov ◽  
Farkhad Maksudov ◽  
Steven Ayoub ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Duplex Structure ◽  
Double Stranded Rna ◽  
Oh Groups ◽  
Rna Molecules ◽  
Biomolecular Electronics ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
First Time ◽  
Structural Insights

RNA oligonucleotides are crucial for a range of biological functions and in many biotechnological applications. Herein, we measured, for the first time, the conductance of individual double-stranded (ds)RNA molecules and compared it with the conductance of single DNA:RNA hybrids. The average conductance values are similar for both biomolecules, but the distribution of conductance values shows an order of magnitude higher variability for dsRNA, indicating higher molecular flexibility of dsRNA. Microsecond Molecular Dynamics simulations explain this difference and provide structural insights into the higher stability of DNA:RNA duplex with the atomic level of detail. The rotations of 2’-OH groups of the ribose rings and the bases in RNA strands destabilize the duplex structure by weakening base stacking interactions, affecting charge transport, and making single-molecule conductance of dsRNA more variable (dynamic disorder). The results demonstrate that a powerful combination of state-of-the-art biomolecular electronics techniques and computational approaches can provide valuable insights into biomolecules’ biophysics with unprecedented spatial resolution.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document