About this Research Topic
RNA–biomolecules interaction is an important checkpoint to tune gene expression at the RNA level. The growing attention to RNA interactome is favouring the rapid development in the RNA-targeting field to treat infectious diseases, cancer and genetic disorders, and an increasing number of RNA-based applications, including drugs, cellular devices and tools for molecular and synthetic biology, is routinely approved.
RNAs molecules show remarkable conformational variability that span from elementary helical motifs to complex tertiary structures and quaternary ribonucleoprotein assemblies: RNAs stem-loop secondary structures are frequently targeted by proteins, ribozymes and riboswitches endowed with complex tertiary structures can dynamically trigger essential functions while highly organized RNAs quaternary arrangements hierarchically fold into macromolecular machines such as spliceosome and ribosome.
In this scenario, the tight relationship between RNA 3D structure and its functionality proved to be finely tuned (and tunable) in response to a diverse set of both endogenous or exogenous modulations, as the binding of proteins, nucleic acids, metabolites or ions.
Thus, the molecular investigations about RNA-associated interactions involved in many physiological and pathological processes, such as cell growth and development, cell differentiation and inflammation; is fundamental and would provide more precise depiction of the dynamic role of RNA across organisms.
Here we encourage the submission of original contributions, short communications, or review articles focusing on the latest experimental and/or computational research progress in the field of RNA-associated interactions and in the study of their structure-functionality modulations. Topics of this Special Issue include identification, characterization, prediction and design of RNAs pattern of interactions with either small molecules or protein systems by means of advanced biophysical methods, structural biology, and computational approaches with an eye on therapeutics.
RNAs molecules show remarkable conformational variability that span from elementary helical motifs to complex tertiary structures and quaternary ribonucleoprotein assemblies: RNAs stem-loop secondary structures are frequently targeted by proteins, ribozymes and riboswitches endowed with complex tertiary structures can dynamically trigger essential functions while highly organized RNAs quaternary arrangements hierarchically fold into macromolecular machines such as spliceosome and ribosome.
In this scenario, the tight relationship between RNA 3D structure and its functionality proved to be finely tuned (and tunable) in response to a diverse set of both endogenous or exogenous modulations, as the binding of proteins, nucleic acids, metabolites or ions.
Thus, the molecular investigations about RNA-associated interactions involved in many physiological and pathological processes, such as cell growth and development, cell differentiation and inflammation; is fundamental and would provide more precise depiction of the dynamic role of RNA across organisms.
Here we encourage the submission of original contributions, short communications, or review articles focusing on the latest experimental and/or computational research progress in the field of RNA-associated interactions and in the study of their structure-functionality modulations. Topics of this Special Issue include identification, characterization, prediction and design of RNAs pattern of interactions with either small molecules or protein systems by means of advanced biophysical methods, structural biology, and computational approaches with an eye on therapeutics.
Keywords: RNAi, RNAi-therapeutics, RNA-protein interactions, RNA flexibility, Computer-aided RNA targeting, RNA-biostructures
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