RNA and the Small Molecule World

✍ Scribed by Yitzhak Tor

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 91 KB
• Volume: 38
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0044-8249
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1521-3773(19990601)38:11<1579::aid-anie1579>3.0.co;2-h

✦ Synopsis

A key role in essential cellular processes is played by RNA molecules, and these are attractive targets for drug design. The functional diversity of RNA can be attributed to the sophisticated three-dimensional structures it assumes. These intricate folds create potential binding pockets for ions, low molecular weight ligands, and proteins. Recent experiments have demonstrated that small molecules such as tobramycin (1) can regulate gene expression in living cells through specific interactions with a messenger RNA (mRNA).