Probing RNA structures and functions by solvent accessibility: an overview from experimental and computational perspectives

Md Solayman; Thomas Litfin; Jaswinder Singh; Kuldip Paliwal; Yaoqi Zhou; Jian Zhan

doi:10.1093/bib/bbac112

Probing RNA structures and functions by solvent accessibility: an overview from experimental and computational perspectives

Brief Bioinform. 2022 May 13;23(3):bbac112. doi: 10.1093/bib/bbac112.

Authors

Md Solayman¹, Thomas Litfin¹, Jaswinder Singh², Kuldip Paliwal², Yaoqi Zhou^{1

3

4}, Jian Zhan³

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Parklands Dr. Southport, QLD 4222, Australia.
² Signal Processing Laboratory, School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia.
³ Institute for Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China.
⁴ Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China.

Abstract

Characterizing RNA structures and functions have mostly been focused on 2D, secondary and 3D, tertiary structures. Recent advances in experimental and computational techniques for probing or predicting RNA solvent accessibility make this 1D representation of tertiary structures an increasingly attractive feature to explore. Here, we provide a survey of these recent developments, which indicate the emergence of solvent accessibility as a simple 1D property, adding to secondary and tertiary structures for investigating complex structure-function relations of RNAs.

Keywords: RNA; RNA–protein interactions; SASA; probing; solvent accessibility.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Nucleic Acid Conformation
RNA* / chemistry
Solvents / chemistry

Substances

Solvents
RNA