RNA STRUCTURE

AND TYPES

Biochemistry For Medics 1

RNA (Ribonucleic acid )

RNA is a
polymer of
ribonucleotid
es linked
together by
3-5
phosphodiest
er linkage
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RNA V/S DNA

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Differences between RNA and
DNA
S.No. RNA DNA
1) Single stranded mainly Double stranded (Except
except when self for certain viral DNA s
complementary which are single
sequences are there it stranded)
forms a double stranded
structure (Hair pin
structure)
2) Ribose is the main sugar The sugar moiety is
deoxy ribose
3) Pyrimidine components Thymine is always there
differ. Thymine is never but uracil is never found
found (Except
tRNA)
4) Being single stranded It does follow Chargaff's
structure- It does not rule. The total purine
follow Chargaffs rule content in a double
stranded DNA is always 4
Differences between RNA
S.No. RNA
and DNA
DNA
5) RNA can be easily DNA resists alkali action
destroyed by alkalies to due to the absence of
cyclic diesters of mono OH group at 2 position
nucleotides.
6) RNA is a relatively a labile DNA is a stable
molecule, undergoes easy molecule. The
and spontaneous spontaneous
degradation degradation is very 2
slow. The genetic
information can be
stored for years
together without any
change.
7) Mainly cytoplasmic, but Mainly found in nucleus,
also present in nucleus extra nuclear DNA is
(primary transcript and found in mitochondria,
small nuclear RNA) and plasmids etc
8) The base content varies Millions of base pairs are 5
Differences between RNA
S.No. RNA and DNA
DNA
9) There are various types of DNA is always of one
RNA mRNA, r RNA, t type and performs the
RNA, Sn RNA, Si RNA, mi function of storage and
RNA and hn RNA. These transfer of genetic
RNAs perform different information.
and specific functions.
10) No variable physiological There are variable forms
forms of RNA are found. of DNA (A to E and Z)
The different types of RNA
do not change their forms
11) RNA is synthesized from DNA can form DNA by
DNA, it can not form DNA replication, it can also
(except by the action of form RNA by
reverse transcriptase). It transcription.
can not duplicate (except
in certain viruses where it
is a genomic material )
12) Many copies of RNA are Single copy of DNA is 6
present per cell present per cell.
Types of RNA
In all prokaryotic and eukaryotic
organisms, three main classes of RNA
molecules exist-
1) Messenger RNA(m RNA)
2) Transfer RNA (t RNA)
3) Ribosomal RNA (r RNA)
The other are
o) small nuclear RNA (SnRNA),
o) micro RNA(miRNA) and
o) small interfering RNA(SiRNA) and
o) heterogeneous nuclear RNA (hnRNA).

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Messenger RNA (mRNA)

Comprises only 5% of the RNA in the cell

Most heterogeneous in size and base
sequence
All members of the class function as
messengers carrying the information in a
gene to the protein synthesizing machinery
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Structural
Characteristics of
m-RNA
The 5 terminal end is capped
by 7- methyl guanosine
triphosphate cap.
The cap is involved in the
recognition of mRNA by the
translating machinery
It stabilizes m RNA by
protecting it from 5 exonuclease
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Structural
Characteristics of
m-RNA
The 3end of most m-RNAs have a polymer
of Adenylate residues( 20-250)
The tail prevents the attack by 3
exonucleases
On both 5 and 3 end there are non coding
sequences which are not translated (NCS)
The intervening region between non coding
sequences present between 5 and 3 end is
called coding region. This region encodes for
the synthesis of a protein.

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Structural Characteristics of
m-RNA

5 cap and 3 tail impart stability to mRNA by

protecting from specific exo nucleases.
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Structural
Characteristics of
m-RNA
The m- RNA molecules are formed with the help of
DNA template during the process of transcription.
The sequence of nucleotides in mRNA is
complementary to the sequence of nucleotides on
template DNA.
The sequence carried on mRNA is read in the form
of codons.
A codon is made up of 3 nucleotides
The mRNA is formed after processing of
heterogeneous nuclear RNA

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Heterogeneous nuclear
RNA
(hnRNA)
In mammalian nuclei , hnRNA is the
immediate product of gene transcription
The nuclear product is heterogeneous in
size (Variable) and is very large.
Molecular weight may be more than 107,
while the molecular weight of mRNA is less
than 2x 106
75 % of hnRNA is degraded in the nucleus,
only 25% is processed to mature mRNA

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Heterogeneous nuclear RNA
(hnRNA)

Mature mRNA is formed from primary transcript by

capping, tailing, splicing and base modification.
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Transfer RNA (tRNA)
Transfer RNA are the smallest of three major species
of RNA molecules
They have 74-95 nucleotide residues
They are synthesized by the nuclear processing of a
precursor molecule
They transfer the amino acids from cytoplasm to the
protein synthesizing machinery, hence the name tRNA.
They are easily soluble , hence called Soluble RNA or
s RNA
They are also called Adapter molecules, since they act
as adapters for the translation of the sequence of
nucleotides of the mRNA in to specific amino acids
There are at least 20 species of tRNA one
corresponding to each of the 20 amino acids required
for protein synthesis.

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Structural characteristics
of t- RNA
1) Primary structure- The nucleotide
sequence of all the t RNA molecules
allows extensive intrastand
complimentarity that generates a
secondary structure.
2) Secondary structure- Each single
tRNA shows extensive internal base
pairing and acquires a clover leaf like
structure. The structure is stabilized
by hydrogen bonding between the
bases and is a consistent feature.
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Structural
characteristics of t-
RNA
Secondary structure (Clover leaf
structure)
All t-RNA contain 5 main arms or loops
which are as follows-
a) Acceptor arm
b) Anticodon arm
c) D HU arm
d) T C arm
e) Extra arm
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Secondary structure of
t- RNA
a) Acceptor arm
)The acceptor arm is at 3 end
)It has 7 base pairs
)The end sequence is unpaired Cytosine,
Cytosine-Adenine at the 3 end
)The 3 OH group terminal of Adenine binds
with carboxyl group of amino acids
)The tRNA bound with amino acid is called
Amino acyl tRNA
)CCA attachment is done post
transcriptionally
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Secondary structure of t-
RNA

The carboxyl group of amino acid is attached to 3OH group of Adenine nucleotide of
the acceptor arm. The anticodon arm base pairs with the codon present on the m- RNA

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Secondary structure of
tRNA
b) Anticodon arm
Lies at the opposite end of acceptor arm
5 base pairs long
Recognizes the triplet codon present in the
mRNA
Base sequence of anticodon arm is
complementary to the base sequence of mRNA
codon.
Due to complimentarity it can bind specifically
with mRNA by hydrogen bonds.

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Secondary structure of
t- RNA
c) DHU arm
It has 3-4 base pairs
Serves as the recognition site for the enzyme
(amino acyl tRNA synthetase) that adds the amino
acid to the acceptor arm.
d) TC arm
This arm is opposite to DHU arm
Since it contains pseudo uridine that is why it is so
named
It is involved in the binding of tRNA to the
ribosomes

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Secondary structure of
t- RNA
e) Extra arm or Variable arm
About 75 % of tRNA molecules
possess a short extra arm
If about 3-5 base pairs are present the
t-RNA is said to be belonging to class 1.
Majority t -RNA belong to class 1.
The t RNA belonging to class 2 have
long extra arm, 13-21 base pairs in
length.

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Tertiary structure of t-
RNA
The L shaped tertiary
structure is formed by
further folding of the clover
leaf due to hydrogen bonds
between T and D arms.
The base paired double
helical stems get arranged
in to two double helical
columns, continuous and
perpendicular to one
another.
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Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
The mammalian ribosome contains two major
nucleoprotein subunitsa larger one with a
molecular weight of 2.8 x 106 (60S) and a
smaller subunit with a molecular weight of 1.4
x 106 (40S). sedimentation
coefficientsinSvedberg units
The 60S subunit contains a 5S ribosomal
RNA (rRNA), a 5.8S rRNA, and a 28S rRNA;
there are also probably more than 50 specific
polypeptides.
The 40S subunit is smaller and contains a
single 18S rRNA and approximately 30 distinct
polypeptide chains.
All of the ribosomal RNA molecules except
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the 5S rRNA are processed from a single 45S
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

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 Eukaryotic Bacterial
Sedimentation
coefficient 80 S 70 S
Ribosome
Molecular mass ~3.2106Da ~2.0106Da
Diameter ~250-300 ~200
Sedimentation
60 S 50 S
coefficient
Molecular mass ~2.0106Da ~1.3106Da
Proteins 47 33
28 S rRNA
Large subunit (3354nucleotid
23S rRNA
es)
(2839
5 S rRNA (154
rRNAs nucleotides)
nucleotides)
5S rRNA (122
5.8 S rRNA
nucleotides)
(120
nucleotides)
Sedimentation
40 S 30 S
coefficient
Molecular mass ~1.2106Da ~0.7106Da
Small subunit Proteins 32 20
18S rRNA 16S rRNA
rRNAs (1753 (1504
nucleotides) nucleotides)

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Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
The functions of the ribosomal RNA
molecules in the ribosomal particle are
not fully understood, but they are
necessary for ribosomal assembly and
seem to play key roles in the binding of
mRNA to ribosomes and its translation
Recent studies suggest that an rRNA
component performs the peptidyl
transferase activity and thus is an
enzyme (a ribozyme).

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Small RNA
Most of these molecules are
complexed with proteins to form
ribo-nucleoproteins and are
distributed in the nucleus, in the
cytoplasm, or in both.
They range in size from 20 to
300 nucleotides and are present
in 100,0001,000,000 copies per
cell.
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Small Nuclear RNAs
(snRNAs)
snRNAs, a subset of the small RNAs,
are significantly involved in mRNA
processing and gene regulation
Of the several snRNAs, U1, U2, U4,
U5, and U6 are involved in intron
removal and the processing of hnRNA
into mRNA
The U7 snRNA is involved in
production of the correct 3' ends of
histone mRNAwhich lacks a poly(A) 30
Small Nuclear RNAs
(snRNAs).

Sn RNA s are involved in the process of splicing (intron removal) of primary

transcript to form mature m RNA. The Sn RNA s form complexes with
proteins to form Ribonucleoprotein particles called snRNPs

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 Micro RNAs, miRNAs,
and Small Interfering
RNAs, siRNAs
These two classes of RNAs
represent a subset of small RNAs;
both play important roles in gene
regulation.
miRNAs and siRNAs cause
inhibition of gene expression by
decreasing specific protein
production via distinct mechanisms
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Micro RNAs (miRNAs)
miRNAs are typically 2125 nucleotides
in length and are generated by
nucleolytic processing of the products of
distinct genes/transcription units
The small processed mature miRNAs
typically hybridize, via the formation
of imperfect RNA-RNA duplexes
within the 3'-untranslated regions of
specific target mRNAs, leading via
unknown mechanisms to translation
arrest.
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 Micro RNAs (miRNAs)

microRNAs, short non-coding RNAs present in all living organisms, have

been shown to regulate the expression of at least half of all human
genes. These single-stranded RNAs exert their regulatory action by
binding messenger RNAs and preventing their translation into proteins.

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Small Interfering RNAs
(siRNAs)
siRNAs are derived by the specific
nucleolytic cleavage of larger, double-
stranded RNAs to again form small 2125
nucleotide-long products.
These short siRNAs usually form perfect
RNA-RNA hybrids with their distinct targets
potentially anywhere within the length of the
mRNA where the complementary sequence
exists.
Formation of such RNA-RNA duplexes
between siRNA and mRNA results in reduced
specific protein production because the
siRNA-mRNA complexes are degraded by
dedicated nucleolytic machinery; 35
Small Interfering RNAs
(siRNAs)

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) are 20-25 nucleotide-long

double-stranded RNA molecules that have a variety of roles in
the cell. They are involved in the RNA interference (RNAi)
pathway, where it interferes with the expression of a specific
gene by hybridizing to its corresponding RNA sequence in the
target mRNA. This then activates the degrading mRNA.Once36
the target mRNA is degraded, the mRNA cannot be translated
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Significance of mi RNAs
and si RNAs
Both miRNAs and siRNAs represent
exciting new potential targets for
therapeutic drug development in
humans.
In addition, siRNAs are frequently used to
decrease or "knock-down" specific protein
levels in experimental procedures in the
laboratory, an extremely useful and
powerful alternative to gene-knockout
technology.
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Summary
RNA exists in several different single-stranded
structures, most of which are directly or indirectly
involved in protein synthesis or its regulation.
The linear array of nucleotides in RNA consists of A,
G, C, and U, and the sugar moiety is ribose.
The major forms of RNA include messenger RNA
(mRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA),
and small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs; miRNAs).
Certain RNA molecules act as catalysts (ribozymes).
miRNAs and siRNAs represent exciting new
potential targets for therapeutic drug
development in humans.

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