S-adenosylmethionine (SMA) is a riboswitch with the ability for gene regulation. The genetic regulation is driven by the binding of SAM to mRNA often in the location of the 5'-untranslated regions of mRNA in bacteria. Stable binding of SAM to mRNA causes transcriptional termination, which results in the gene at the site of binding not being expressed.
Function
In the presence of sufficient SAM riboswitch (S-adenosylmethionine), the riboswitch will bind to mRNA preventing transcription and therefore, halting gene expression. To understand the function and specificity of SAM as a riboregulator it is important to first understand the key structures of SAM. The key architecture of SAM is composed of ligand-induced interactions between one helix and the 3' side of another helix surrounding the SAM ligand as well as hydrogen bonding interactions between the adenosine base of SAM and interactions between the main chain atoms of methionine with nucleotide interactions.
Disease
Relevance
Structural highlights
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