The NMR structure of 31mer RNA domain of Escherichia coli RNase P RNA using its non-uniformly deuterium labelled counterpart [the 'NMR-window' concept].

The NMR structure of a 31mer RNA constituting a functionally important domain of the catalytic RNase P RNA from Escherichia coli is reported. Severe spectral overlaps of the proton resonances in the natural 31mer RNA (1) were successfully tackled by unique spectral simplifications found in the partially-deuterated 31 mer RNA analogue (2) incorporating deuterated cytidines [C5 (>95 atom % 2H), C2' (>97 atom % 2H), C3' (>97 atom % 2H), C4' (>65 atom % 2H) and C5' (>97 atom % 2H)] [for the 'NMR-window' concept see: Földesi,A. et al. (1992) Tetrahedron, 48, 9033; Foldesi,A. et al. (1993) J. Biochem. Biophys. Methods, 26, 1; Yamakage,S.-I. et al. (1993) Nucleic Acids Res., 21, 5005; Agback,P. et al. (1994) Nucleic Acids Res., 22, 1404; Földesi,A. et al. (1995) Tetrahedron, 51, 10065; Földesi,A. et al. (1996) Nucleic Acids Res., 24, 1187-1194]. 175 resonances have been assigned out of total of 235 non-exchangeable proton resonances in (1) in an unprecedented manner in the absence of 13C and 15N labelling. 41 out of 175 assigned resonances could be accomplished with the help of the deuterated analogue (2). The two stems in 31mer RNA adopt an A-type RNA conformation and the base-stacking continues from stem I into the beginning of the loop I. Long distance cross-strand NOEs showed a structured conformation at the junction between stem I and loop I. The loop I-stem II junction is less ordered and shows structural perturbation at and around the G11 -C22 base pair.