In biological systems, conformational changes and allosteric modulation play pivotal roles in regulating biological functions, such as the dynamic change of protein molecules, in response to binding or interacting with other factors such as pH, voltage, salt, light, or ligand. RNA can be manipulated and tuned with a level of simplicity that is characteristic of DNA or polymers, while displaying versatility in structure, diversity in function, and adaptability in a configuration similar to proteins. In the past, the work on the investigation of conformational change mainly focused on protein. The induced-fit and conformational capture in RNA have also been explored, such as in the study of riboswitches. Herein, we report the engineering of three-dimensional RNA nanocubes and demonstrated the operation and regulation for its configuration. We demonstrate the operation of reconfigurable RNA nanocubes whose shapes change precisely and reversibly in response to a specific trigger strand. The shape, size, and conformation can be regulated precisely and reversibly in response to the specific triggering signals. The shape and conformational conversion were observed by cryo-EM and gel electrophoresis, respectively. Harnessing the size, shape, conformation, and self-assembly capabilities of the RNA nanocube can provide a new potential use of this technology as nanocarriers for the treatment of various diseases.

中文翻译：

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RNA纳米立方体的可逆构象变化、大小转换和免疫调节的调节

在生物系统中，构象变化和变构调节在调节生物功能方面发挥着关键作用，例如蛋白质分子的动态变化，以响应与其他因素（例如 pH 值、电压、盐、光或配体）的结合或相互作用。RNA 可以以 DNA 或聚合物所特有的简单程度进行操作和调整，同时在结构上表现出多功能性、功能上的多样性以及在类似于蛋白质的配置中的适应性。过去，构象变化的研究工作主要集中在蛋白质上。还探索了 RNA 中的诱导拟合和构象捕获，例如在核糖开关的研究中。在此，我们报告了三维 RNA 纳米立方体的工程设计，并展示了其配置的操作和调节。我们展示了可重构 RNA 纳米立方体的操作，其形状响应特定触发链而精确且可逆地变化。形状、大小和构象可以根据特定的触发信号进行精确和可逆的调节。分别通过冷冻电镜和凝胶电泳观察形状和构象转换。利用 RNA 纳米立方体的大小、形状、构象和自组装能力，可以为该技术作为纳米载体治疗各种疾病提供新的潜在用途。分别通过冷冻电镜和凝胶电泳观察形状和构象转换。利用 RNA 纳米立方体的大小、形状、构象和自组装能力，可以为该技术作为纳米载体治疗各种疾病提供新的潜在用途。分别通过冷冻电镜和凝胶电泳观察形状和构象转换。利用 RNA 纳米立方体的大小、形状、构象和自组装能力，可以为该技术作为纳米载体治疗各种疾病提供新的潜在用途。