Kinetic Subpopulations Detected by Single-molecule Spectroscopy: Fundamental Property of Functional Nucleic Acids or Experimental Artefact?

Sebastian L. B. König; Danny Kowerko; Roland K. O. Sigel

doi:10.2533/chimia.2013.240

Kinetic Subpopulations Detected by Single-molecule Spectroscopy: Fundamental Property of Functional Nucleic Acids or Experimental Artefact?

Authors

Sebastian L. B. König Institute of Inorganic Chemistry University of Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
Danny Kowerko Institute of Inorganic Chemistry University of Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
Roland K. O. Sigel Institute of Inorganic Chemistry University of Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland. roland.sigel@aci.uzh.ch

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2013.240

Keywords:

Heterogeneity, Group ii introns, Memory effect, Smfret, Splicing

Abstract

Single-molecule spectroscopy allows the direct observation of conformational dynamics in individual biomolecules. Here, we describe how single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) reveals heterogeneous kinetics in the EBS1*/IBS1* interaction, two RNA sequences that play an important role in group II intron mediated self-cleavage. Further examples of dynamic heterogeneity in functional nucleic acids are provided and the possible origins of this phenomenon are discussed.