Have you ever wondered why some noncoding RNA (ncRNA) molecules like to hang out together, forming tiny structures called condensates? Scientists have a hunch that it might have something to do with the types of building blocks, called nucleobases, that make up the RNA. There are two main groups of nucleobases: purines and pyrimidines. Purines include adenine (A) and guanine (G), while pyrimidines include cytosine (C) and uracil (U).

Researchers have been exploring how short, disordered protein pieces (peptides) and ncRNA team up to form these condensates. They've found that different amino acids play a role, but they weren't sure how much the type of nucleobase mattered. So, they created synthetic, crowded cell environments to test this.

Turns out, RNA with only purine bases, like the decamer (AG)5, easily forms condensates with cationic peptides. But RNA with only pyrimidine bases, like (CU)5, doesn't. This could be because of the unique shapes and properties of purine and pyrimidine bases.

The scientists also added a special ingredient called poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to mimic the crowded cell environment. They found that PEG's presence and size affected how well the RNA and peptides formed condensates and how stable they were. This might be because PEG joins the RNA-peptide party, making the condensates denser and more stable.

This work highlights the presence of long, simple repeats of purine or pyrimidine bases in various ncRNAs found in nature. It also raises questions about how these sequences might influence the formation and properties of condensates.

RNA's Purine Puzzle in Crowded Cell Spaces

Actions