TY - JOUR
T1 - Structural features of metabolite-sensing riboswitches
AU - Wakeman, Catherine A.
AU - Winkler, Wade C.
AU - Dann, Charles E.
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding for C.E.D. is provided by the Sara and Frank McKnight Fund for Biochemical Research. Research on regulatory RNAs in the Winkler laboratory is supported by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Endowed Scholars Program, the Searle Scholars Program, the National Institutes of Health and the Welch Foundation.
PY - 2007/9
Y1 - 2007/9
N2 - Riboswitches, metabolite-sensing RNA elements that are present in untranslated regions of the transcripts that they regulate, possess extensive tertiary structure to couple metabolite binding to genetic control. Here we discuss recently published structures from four riboswitch classes and compare these natural RNA structures to those of in-vitro-selected RNA aptamers, which bind ligands similar to those of the riboswitches. In addition, we examine the glmS riboswitch - the first example of a ribozyme-based riboswitch. This RNA provides the latest twist in the riboswitch field and portends exciting advances in the coming years. Our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying genetic regulation by riboswitches has increased mightily in recent years and will continue to grow as new riboswitch classes and ligands are discovered and structurally characterized.
AB - Riboswitches, metabolite-sensing RNA elements that are present in untranslated regions of the transcripts that they regulate, possess extensive tertiary structure to couple metabolite binding to genetic control. Here we discuss recently published structures from four riboswitch classes and compare these natural RNA structures to those of in-vitro-selected RNA aptamers, which bind ligands similar to those of the riboswitches. In addition, we examine the glmS riboswitch - the first example of a ribozyme-based riboswitch. This RNA provides the latest twist in the riboswitch field and portends exciting advances in the coming years. Our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying genetic regulation by riboswitches has increased mightily in recent years and will continue to grow as new riboswitch classes and ligands are discovered and structurally characterized.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34548454557&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.tibs.2007.08.005
DO - 10.1016/j.tibs.2007.08.005
M3 - Review article
C2 - 17764952
AN - SCOPUS:34548454557
SN - 0968-0004
VL - 32
SP - 415
EP - 424
JO - Trends in Biochemical Sciences
JF - Trends in Biochemical Sciences
IS - 9
ER -