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Review
. 2024 Dec 18;29(24):5978.
doi: 10.3390/molecules29245978.

RNA Stability: A Review of the Role of Structural Features and Environmental Conditions

Igor V Kornienko  1   2   3 , Olga Yu Aramova  2   3 , Anna A Tishchenko  4 , Dmitriy V Rudoy  1 , Michael Leonidas Chikindas  1   5   6
Affiliations
Review

RNA Stability: A Review of the Role of Structural Features and Environmental Conditions

Igor V Kornienko et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

The stability of RNA is a critical factor in determining its functionality and degradation in the cell. In recent years, it has been shown that the stability of RNA depends on a complex interaction of external and internal factors. External conditions, such as temperature fluctuations, the level of acidity of the environment, the presence of various substances and ions, as well as the effects of oxidative stress, can change the structure of RNA and affect its stability. Internal factors, including the specific structural features of RNA and its interactions with protein molecules, also have a significant impact on the regulation of the stability of these molecules. In this article, we review the main factors influencing RNA stability, since understanding the factors influencing this extremely complex process is important not only for understanding the regulation of expression at the RNA level but also for developing new methods for isolating and stabilizing RNA in preparation for creating biobanks of genetic material. We reviewed a modern solution to this problem and formulated basic recommendations for RNA storage aimed at minimizing degradation and damage to the molecule.

Keywords: RNA; RNA stability; RNA structure; RNA–protein interactions; acidity of the medium; ionic composition; methylation; oxidative stress; temperature.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 5
Figure 5
Scheme of RNA pseudouridylation (Ψ) catalyzed by pseudouridine synthase [61].
Figure 1
Figure 1
Structure and hydrolysis of RNA. (A) Chemical structure of RNA. (B) Mechanism of hydrolysis of phosphodiester bonds [4].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Chemical modifications of the poly(A) tail of RNA.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Possible variants of the secondary structure of RNA.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Structural features of viroids. The upper and middle schemes of the characteristic rod-shaped secondary structures of the genomic RNAs of the potato tuber fusiformity viroid (PSTVd) and hop dwarfism viroid (HSVd), respectively. The lower scheme corresponds to the multi-branched secondary structure of the hidden peach mosaic viroid genomic RNA (PLMVd) [45].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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