Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39721592›Full record

ArticleNucleic acids research2025

A general strategy for engineering GU base pairs to facilitate RNA crystallization.

Yangyi Ren, Xiaowei Lin, Wenjian Liao, Xuemei Peng, Jie Deng, Zhe Zhang, Jian Zhan, Yaoqi Zhou, Eric Westhof, David M J Lilley and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nucleic acids research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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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

12 authors.

Yangyi RenGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China.ORCID 0009-0006-0959-2008
Xiaowei LinGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China.
Wenjian LiaoGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China.ORCID 0000-0001-9823-9949
Xuemei PengGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China.
Jie DengGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China.
Zhe ZhangInstitute of Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518107, China.ORCID 0000-0001-7783-7683
Jian ZhanInstitute of Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Yaoqi ZhouInstitute of Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518107, China.ORCID 0000-0002-9958-5699
Eric WesthofWenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou 325000, China.
David M J LilleyNucleic Acid Structure Research Group, MSI/WTB Complex, The University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-6882-2818
Jia WangCollege of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen 518118, China.
Lin HuangGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China.

Funding

Cancer Research UK A18604Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities 23ptpy41Key Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province 2022B0202050003National Natural Science Foundation of China 32001639Wellcome TrustWenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences WIUCASQD2024002
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

X-ray crystallography is a fundamental technique that provides atomic-level insights into RNA structures. However, obtaining crystals of RNA structures diffracting to high resolution is challenging. We introduce a simple strategy to enhance the resolution limit of RNA crystals by the selective substitution of Watson-Crick pairs by GU pairs within RNA sequences. Our approach has successfully yielded high-resolution structures for eight unique RNA crystals. Notably, six instances showed marked resolution enhancement upon GC/AU to GU base pair substitution, with two cases achieving high-resolution structures from initially poor data. In one case, reverting GU to GC base pairs also improved resolution. Our method facilitated the first structural determinations of the Long Interspersed Nuclear Element-1 and Olfactory Receptor family 4 subfamily K member 15 ribozymes, the 2'-deoxyguanosine-III riboswitch and the Broccoli RNA aptamer. The placement of GU base pairs within the first 5' helical stem of any given RNA species, or in one peripheral stem, is shown to be sufficient. These results offer a simple and effective approach for designing sequences or selecting sequences from homologous sequences, for high-resolution RNA structure determination.

Indexed as

GuanineRNAAptamers, NucleotideBase PairingCrystallizationCrystallography, X-RayModels, MolecularNucleic Acid ConformationRiboswitchRNA, CatalyticAptamers, NucleotideGuanineRiboswitchRNARNA, Catalytic

Identifiers

PMID39721592
PMCPMC11797044

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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.