A Small Cyclic beta-Hairpin Peptide Mimics the Rbfox2 RNA Recognition Motif and Binds to the Precursor miRNA 20b.
Sun, Y.T., Shortridge, M.D., Varani, G.(2019) Chembiochem 20: 931-939
- PubMed: 30537200 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cbic.201800645
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
6DZ9, 6DZA, 6DZB, 6DZC, 6DZE - PubMed Abstract: 
The RNA recognition motif (RRM), which is the most abundant RNA-binding motif in eukaryotes, is a well-structured domain of about 90 amino acids, yet the β2β3 hairpin, corresponding to strands 2 and 3 of the β-sheet, and the intervening loop make essential interactions with RNA in many RRM complexes. A series of small cyclic peptide mimics of the β2β3 hairpin of Rbfox2 protein that recognize the terminal loop of precursor miR-20b have been designed to investigate whether the full RNA-binding protein can be mimicked with a minimal structurally preorganized peptide. Within a small library of seven cyclic peptides, a peptide with low-micromolar affinity for the miR-20b precursor was found. NMR spectroscopy titration data suggest that this peptide specifically targets the apical loop of pre-miR-20b. This work shows that it is possible to mimic RNA-binding proteins with designed stable peptides, which provide a starting point for designing or evolving small peptide mimetics of RRM proteins.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, 4000 15th Ave NE, Bagley Hall, Seattle, WA, 98195-1700, USA.