Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) has emerged as a robust and reliable technique for biomolecular characterization with extraordinary sensitivity. AUC is widely used to study purity, conformational changes, biomolecular interactions, and stoichiometry. Furthermore, AUC is used to determine the molecular weight of biomolecules such as proteins, carbohydrates, and DNA and RNA. Due to the multifaceted role(s) of non-coding RNAs from viruses, prokaryotes, and eukaryotes, research aimed at understanding the structure–function relationships of non-coding RNAs is rapidly increasing. However, due to their large size, flexibility, complicated secondary structures, and conformations, structural studies of non-coding RNAs are challenging. In this review, we are summarizing the application of AUC to evaluate the homogeneity, interactions, and conformational changes of non-coding RNAs from adenovirus as well as from Murray Valley, Powassan, and West Nile viruses. We also discuss the application of AUC to characterize eukaryotic long non-coding RNAs, Xist, and HOTAIR. These examples highlight the significant role AUC can play in facilitating the structural determination of non-coding RNAs and their complexes.

分析超速离心（AUC）已成为一种具有出色灵敏度的强大而可靠的生物分子表征技术。AUC被广泛用于研究纯度，构象变化，生物分子相互作用和化学计量。此外，AUC用于确定蛋白质，碳水化合物，DNA和RNA等生物分子的分子量。由于来自病毒，原核生物和真核生物的非编码RNA的多重作用，旨在了解非编码RNA的结构与功能关系的研究正在迅速增加。但是，由于它们的大小，灵活性，复杂的二级结构和构象，非编码RNA的结构研究具有挑战性。在这篇评论中，我们总结了AUC在评估同质性，相互作用，腺病毒以及默里河谷，波瓦桑和西尼罗河病毒的非编码RNA的构象变化。我们还讨论了AUC在鉴定真核长非编码RNA，Xist和HOTAIR方面的应用。这些例子突显了AUC在促进非编码RNA及其复合物的结构测定中可以发挥的重要作用。