The Pseudo-Torsional Space of RNA

Abstract

The characterization of the conformational landscape of the RNA backbone is rather complex due to the ability of RNA to assume a big variety of conformations. These backbone conformations can be depicted by pseudo-torsional angles linking RNA backbone atoms, from which Ramachandran-like plots can be built. We explored here different definitions of these pseudo-torsional angles, finding that the most accurate ones are the traditional η (eta) and θ (theta) angles, which represent the relative position of RNA backbone atoms P and C4’. We explore the distribution of η-θ in known experimental structures, comparing the pseudo-torsional space generated with structures determined exclusively by one experimental technique. We found that the complete picture only appears when combining data from different sources. The maps provide a quite comprehensive representation of the RNA accessible space, which can be used in RNA-structural prediction. Finally, our results highlight that protein interactions lead to significant changes in the population of the η-θ space, pointing towards the role of induced-fit mechanisms in protein-RNA recognition.