Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34767553›Full record

ArticlePLoS computational biology2021

Binding free energy decomposition and multiple unbinding paths of buried ligands in a PreQ1 riboswitch.

Guodong Hu, Huan-Xiang Zhou

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS computational biology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 28% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. A cooperative effect of ligands, MgThe Journal of biological chemistry · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Biosynthesis and function of 7-deazaguanine derivatives in bacteria and phages.Microbiology and molecular biology reviews : MMBR · 2024
    Review
  5. How Robust Is the Ligand Binding Transition State?Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2023
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

Guodong HuShandong Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Dezhou University, Dezhou, China.
Huan-Xiang ZhouDepartment of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0001-9020-0302
University of Illinois Chicago · US

Funding

Quantitative, Mechanistic Studies of Biomolecular RecognitionR35GM118091 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO · PI Huan-Xiang Zhou · 2016 to 2026
$6.5M
NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM118091
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Riboswitches are naturally occurring RNA elements that control bacterial gene expression by binding to specific small molecules. They serve as important models for RNA-small molecule recognition and have also become a novel class of targets for developing antibiotics. Here, we carried out conventional and enhanced-sampling molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, totaling 153.5 μs, to characterize the determinants of binding free energies and unbinding paths for the cognate and synthetic ligands of a PreQ1 riboswitch. Binding free energy analysis showed that two triplets of nucleotides, U6-C15-A29 and G5-G11-C16, contribute the most to the binding of the cognate ligands, by hydrogen bonding and by base stacking, respectively. Mg2+ ions are essential in stabilizing the binding pocket. For the synthetic ligands, the hydrogen-bonding contributions of the U6-C15-A29 triplet are significantly compromised, and the bound state resembles the apo state in several respects, including the disengagement of the C15-A14-A13 and A32-G33 base stacks. The bulkier synthetic ligands lead to significantly loosening of the binding pocket, including extrusion of the C15 nucleobase and a widening of the C15-C30 groove. Enhanced-sampling simulations further revealed that the cognate and synthetic ligands unbind in almost opposite directions. Our work offers new insight for designing riboswitch ligands.

Indexed as

RiboswitchBinding SitesHydrogen BondingLigandsLigandsRiboswitch

Identifiers

PMID34767553
PMCPMC8612554
OpenAlexW3214323805

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.