Characterizing single-stranded RNA using SAXS and single-molecule FRET
Category
Published on
Type
journal-article
Author
Scout Fronhofer and Tong Wang and Lois Pollack
Citation
Fronhofer, S., Wang, T., & Pollack, L. (2025). Characterizing single-stranded RNA using SAXS and single-molecule FRET. Structural Dynamics, 12(2_Supplement), A338–A338. https://doi.org/10.1063/4.0000644
Abstract
Single-stranded RNA molecules play many important roles in biology, including in the formation of biomolecular condensates through liquid-liquid phase separation [1]. The flexibility of these molecules is critical, allowing them to take on a variety of conformations. However, their highly flexible nature makes the structures of these molecules difficult to characterize. We use two different methods, small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), to quantify the size and shape of disordered molecules in an ensemble of conformations [2]. Using SAXS in combination with FRET allows for characterization of the structures of single-stranded RNA, giving insight into their biological roles.
