Researchers have found that proteins can bind to specific structures in RNA, known as G-quadruplexes, and have also created computer tools that can anticipate these interactions between proteins and RNA. Being able to forecast these interactions can aid in understanding the molecular pathways in cells and in the development of medications that target these RNA G-quadruplex binding proteins, which are linked to diseases like cancer.
Researchers from Aarhus University and the Italian Institute of Technology have discovered how certain proteins can attach to sRNA contains special structures called G-quadruplexes, and researchers have created computational tools to predict protein-RNA interactions. This new ability can aid in understanding molecular pathways in cells and in developing drugs for targeting RNA G-quadruplex binding proteins, which are implicated in diseases such as cancer. Proteins that bind to RNA play crucial roles in numerous cellular processes and can facilitate a variety of biological functions. G-quadruplexes are specialized structures found in both DNA and RNA, and they serve as regulatory elements.The study focuses on understanding the various elements involved in gene expression, specifically in DNA and RNA. Through a combination of theoretical predictions and molecular biology experiments, researchers have found that many chromatin-binding proteins are able to bind to RNA G-quadruplexes. This information allows for the classification of proteins based on their potential to bind to RNA G-quadruplexes.
By using a combination of experimental identification of RNA G-quadruplex-binding proteins and computational methods, the study has created a prediction tool to determine the likelihood that a protein will bind to RNA G-quadruplexes. The results have shown that the predicted proteins exhibit a high degree of protein disorder and hydro.
Preliminary data suggests that there is a connection to both transcription and the formation of membrane-less organelles.
Previously, Ulf Ørom’s team has demonstrated that proteins with dual RNA-DNA binding capabilities are likely to play a role in the response to DNA damage, linking the binding properties of DNA and RNA to several different proteins. In this new study, the researchers expanded their understanding of RNA-binding proteins to identify those that bind to RNA G-quadruplexes.
Furthermore, the team has created a computational tool to evaluate the potential of proteins to bind to RNA G-quadruplexes, which is accessible at http://service.tartaglialab.com/new_submission/cle.
The new results from the researchers have helped to identify the properties of protein-RNA interactions and offer a way to determine G-quadruplex binding properties that could potentially be targeted for therapeutic purposes in disease. These findings have recently been published in the journal Nature Communications. The research, conducted by Johanna Luige, Alexandros Armaos, Gian Gaetano Tartaglia, and Ulf Andersson Vang Ørom, focuses on predicting nuclear G-quadruplex RNA-binding proteins with roles in transcription.