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. 1980 Aug;77(8):4679-82.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.8.4679.

Chemical probes for higher-order structure in RNA

D A Peattie, W Gilbert

Chemical probes for higher-order structure in RNA

D A Peattie et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Aug.

Abstract

Three chemical reactions can probe the secondary and tertiary interactions of RNA molecules in solution. Dimethyl sulfate monitors the N-7 of guanosines and senses tertiary interactions there, diethyl pyrocarbonate detects stacking of adenosines, and an alternate dimethyl sulfate reaction examines the N-3 of cytidines and thus probes base pairing. The reactions work between 0 degrees C and 90 degrees C and at pH 4.5--8.5 in a variety of buffers. As an example we follow the progressive denaturation of yeast tRNAPhe terminally labeled with 32P as the tertiary and secondary structures sequentially melt out. A single autoradiograph of a terminally labeled molecule locates regions of higher-order structure and identifies the bases involved.

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References

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