Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Elucidating The Structure And Regulatory Interactions Of The Hotair Non-Coding Rna And The Bacterial Rnase P. Holoenzyme, Ainur Abzhanova

Dissertations (1934 -)

RNA structures and RNA-protein interactions are studied as potential drug targets, biomarkers in cancer, and can be administered as vaccines. The cancer associated HOTAIR (HOX transcript antisense RNA) exists in higher vertebrates and interacts with chromatin remodeling enzymes. We examined the thermodynamic folding properties and structural propensity of the exonic regions of HOTAIR using biophysical methods and NMR spectroscopy. Different exons of HOTAIR contain variable degrees of structural heterogeneity. We identify one exonic region, exon 4, that adopts a stable and compact fold under low magnesium concentrations. Close agreement of NMR spectroscopy and chemical probing confirm conserved base pair interactions …