The adenosine wedge: a new structural motif in ribosomal RNA.

Here, we present a new recurrent RNA arrangement, the so-called adenosine wedge (A-wedge), which is found in three places of the ribosomal RNA in both ribosomal subunits. The arrangement has a hierarchical structure, consisting of elements previously described as recurrent motifs, namely, the along-groove packing motif, the A-minor and the hook-turn. Within the A-wedge, these elements are involved in different types of cause-effect relationships, providing together for the particular tertiary structure of the motif.