RNA is unique among all biomolecules as it can be both information-storing and enzymatic. These features are tightly linked to its structure, in which base-pairing interactions give rise to a highly folded macromolecule. Indeed, in addition to the genetic code, which specifies the composition of proteins, we now know there is a secondary layer of information encoded in every transcript in the form of RNA structure that can regulate processes as diverse as splicing, localization, and translation efficiency. Our lab has developed approaches to probe RNA structure at single molecule and single nucleotide level, which are capable of detecting alternative RNA structures forming from the same underlying sequence. Application of these approaches to Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) reveals HIV-1 genomic RNA structure heterogeneity with novel functional implications.

Silvia Rouskin (MIT Whitehead Institute)