Thermodynamic Features of Structural Motifs Formed by β-L-RNA

PLoS One. 2016 Feb 23;11(2):e0149478. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149478. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

This is the first report to provide comprehensive thermodynamic and structural data concerning duplex, hairpin, quadruplex and i-motif structures in β-L-RNA series. Herein we confirm that, within the limits of experimental error, the thermodynamic stability of enantiomeric structural motifs is the same as that of naturally occurring D-RNA counterparts. In addition, formation of D-RNA/L-RNA heterochiral duplexes is also observed; however, their thermodynamic stability is significantly reduced in reference to homochiral D-RNA duplexes. The presence of three locked nucleic acid (LNA) residues within the D-RNA strand diminishes the negative effect of the enantiomeric, complementary L-RNA strand in the formation of heterochiral RNA duplexes. Similar behavior is also observed for heterochiral LNA-2'-O-methyl-D-RNA/L-RNA duplexes. The formation of heterochiral duplexes was confirmed by 1H NMR spectroscopy. The CD curves of homochiral L-RNA structural motifs are always reversed, whereas CD curves of heterochiral duplexes present individual features dependent on the composition of chiral strands.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Circular Dichroism
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Nucleotide Motifs
  • Oligonucleotides / chemistry
  • RNA / chemistry*
  • RNA Stability
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Oligonucleotides
  • locked nucleic acid
  • RNA

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Polish National Science Center grants UMO-2014/13/B/ST5/04144 to ZG, UMO-2013/08/A/ST5/00295 to RK, UMO-2013/10/E/NZ1/00741 and UMO-2012/05/D/ST5/03599 to AP. This publication was also supported by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, under the KNOW program, and a grant from the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry for young researchers and PhD students.