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. 1997 Jul;4(7):553-8.
doi: 10.1038/nsb0797-553.

A magnesium ion core at the heart of a ribozyme domain

J H Cate  1 , R L Hanna, J A Doudna
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A magnesium ion core at the heart of a ribozyme domain

J H Cate et al. Nat Struct Biol. 1997 Jul.

Abstract

Large ribozymes require divalent metal ions to fold. We show here that the tertiary structure of the Tetrahymena group I intron P4-P6 domain nucleates around a magnesium ion core. In the domain crystal structure, five magnesium ions bind in a three-helix junction at the centre of the molecule. Single atom changes in any one of four magnesium sites in this three-helix junction destroy folding of the entire 160-nucleotide P4-P6 domain. The magnesium ion core may be the RNA counterpart to the protein hydrophobic core, burying parts of the RNA molecule in the native structure.

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  • The ion core in RNA folding.
    Tinoco I Jr, Kieft JS. Tinoco I Jr, et al. Nat Struct Biol. 1997 Jul;4(7):509-12. doi: 10.1038/nsb0797-509. Nat Struct Biol. 1997. PMID: 9228937 No abstract available.

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