Characterizing the rugged conformational energy landscape of RNA

Abstract

RNA plays crucial roles in almost all essential biological functions. To perform these functions, RNA must fold into complex three-dimensional structures and often undergo functionally important structural rearrangements. Perhaps the most fundamental and commonly found RNA structural elements are RNA stem-loops, which often nucleate the folding of larger, more complex structural motifs; serve as recognition sites for RNA binding proteins; and are components of conformational switches that regulate RNA function.