The interactions which lead to sequence specific binding of proteins to RNAs will be studied using E. coli 5S ribosomal RNA and its cognate proteins as the principal model system. The objective is to understand what kinds of structures in ribosomal RNAs, and RNAs in general, are recognized by sequence specific binding proteins, and what kinds of interactions lead to recognition on the part of the protein. Proton NMR (500 MHz) is the primary experimental tool to be relied up. Preliminary data indicate that these complexes give rich, assignable spectra suggesting that substantial progress towards identifying the parts of the RNA and protein which interact should be possible. Data of this kind should not only help our understanding of RNA-protein interactions, but also resolve long standing controversies about 5S RNA structure. At the same time crystallization studies will be pursued in an effort to launch a high resolution three dimensional study of these molecules.
