Relating structure and dynamics in RNA biology

Abstract

Recent advances in structural biology methods have enabled a surge in the number of RNA and RNA–protein assembly structures available at atomic or near-atomic resolution. These complexes are often trapped in discrete conformational states that exist along a mechanistic pathway. Single-molecule fluorescence methods provide temporal resolution to elucidate the dynamic mechanisms of processes involving complex RNA and RNA–protein assemblies, but interpretation of such data often requires previous structural knowledge. Here we highlight how single-molecule tools can directly complement structural approaches for two processes–– translation and reverse transcription—to provide a dynamic view of molecular function.