How RNA folds to a native conformation : a study using the Tetrahymena ribozyme
dc.contributor.advisor | Russell, Rick, 1969- | |
dc.creator | Johnson, Travis Hampton, 1981- | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2017-03-21T14:32:25Z | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2018-01-22T22:31:49Z | |
dc.date.available | 2017-03-21T14:32:25Z | |
dc.date.available | 2018-01-22T22:31:49Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2007-05 | |
dc.description.abstract | The vast conformational space of functional RNAs begs the question of how they achieve structural specificity, stabilizing a native state relative to all other states. Previously, the lab of Rick Russell demonstrated that the P5abc peripheral element of the Tetrahymena thermophila Group I ribozyme stabilized the ribozyme's native conformation (N) relative to a long-lived misfolded intermediate (M) by ~50,000 fold. Here, we employ site-directed mutagenesis to disrupt tertiary interactions outside of P5abc and find that doing so weakens P5abc binding to a great extent in N and a lesser extent in M, showing that both species fold cooperatively but to different degrees. The difference in the degree of cooperativity between N and M rationalizes the structural specificity conferred to N by P5abc. We suggest that physical differences in M result in an energetic penalty upon complete folding, partially countervailing the energy of cooperative folding. | en_US |
dc.description.department | Biochemistry | en_US |
dc.format.medium | electronic | en_US |
dc.identifier | doi:10.15781/T2610VX54 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/2152/46135 | |
dc.language.iso | eng | en_US |
dc.relation.ispartof | UT Electronic Theses and Dissertations | en_US |
dc.rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Presentation of this material on the Libraries' web site by University Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin was made possible under a limited license grant from the author who has retained all copyrights in the works. | en_US |
dc.rights.restriction | Restricted | en_US |
dc.subject | P5abc RNA folding | en_US |
dc.subject | Native conformation | en_US |
dc.subject | Tetrahymena ribozyme | en_US |
dc.title | How RNA folds to a native conformation : a study using the Tetrahymena ribozyme | en_US |
dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
dc.type.genre | Thesis | en_US |