Trapping
TWS119 in conformations representative of reaction-intermediate states helps advance knowledge of structure-function relationships [3]. Analogs comprising a 2′,5′-phosphodiester bond represent valuable resources in the crystallographer’s ‘toolkit’. Application of this analog to the hairpin ribozyme circumvented problems associated with the use of metallo-complexes and the 3′-OH, 2′,5′ structure herein has helped highlight parallels between protein and RNA enzymes that are functionally-related, yet chemically divergent. In the end, the investigator’s choice of a 3′-deoxy versus a 3′-OH, 2′,5′-analog should be influenced by differences in the steric and electrostatic properties of each, as well as the additional chemical synthetic steps necessary to produce the latter linkage. The results of
incus investigation suggest that 2′,5′-phosphodiester analogs should be considered an alternative choice for the investigation of phosphoryl transfer enzyme structures, including small ribozymes prone to product dissociation.
