RNAs have to adopt specific three-dimensional structures to fulfill their biological functions. Therefore exploring RNA structure is of interest to understand RNA-dependent processes. Chemical probing in vitro is a very powerful tool to investigate RNA molecules under a variety of conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRNA folding is an essential aspect underlying RNA-mediated cellular processes. Many RNAs, including large, multi-domain ribozymes, are capable of folding to the native, functional state without assistance of a protein cofactor in vitro. In the cell, trans-acting factors, such as proteins, are however known to modulate the structure and thus the fate of an RNA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRNA editing by adenosine deaminases acting on RNAs (ADARs) can be both specific and non-specific, depending on the substrate. Specific editing of particular adenosines may depend on the overall sequence and structural context. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying these preferences are not fully understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (PKB) pathway regulates survival and chemotherapy resistance of neuronal cells, and its deregulation in neuroblastoma (NB) tumors predicts an adverse clinical outcome. Here, we show that inhibition of PI3K-PKB signaling in human NB cells induces nuclear translocation of FOXO3/FKHRL1, represses the prosurvival protein BIRC5/Survivin, and sensitizes to DNA-damaging agents. To specifically address whether FKHRL1 contributes to Survivin regulation, we introduced a 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen-regulated FKHRL1(A3)ERtm allele into NB cells.
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