Protocols for the in silico design of RNA nanostructures

Methods Mol Biol. 2008:474:93-115. doi: 10.1007/978-1-59745-480-3_7.

Abstract

Recent developments in the field of nanobiology have significantly expanded the possibilities for new modalities in the treatment of many diseases, including cancer. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) represents a relatively new molecular material for the development of these biologically oriented nanodevices. In addition, RNA nanobiology presents a relatively new approach for the development of RNA-based nanoparticles that can be used as crystallization substrates and scaffolds for RNA-based nanoarrays. Presented in this chapter are some methodological shaped-based protocols for the design of such RNA nanostructures. Included are descriptions and background materials describing protocols that use a database of three-dimensional RNA structure motifs; designed RNA secondary structure motifs; and a combination of the two approaches. An example is also given illustrating one of the protocols.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Computational Biology / methods*
  • Databases, Genetic*
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Nanotechnology / methods*
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation*
  • RNA / chemistry*

Substances

  • RNA