Substrate selectivity of the human RNA m5C methyltransferase NSUN2
Jacob Canepa, Victor M Ruiz-Arroyo, Netanya S Schlamowitz, Yunsun Nam · 2026
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Description
Jacob Canepa and co-authors dissect how the enzyme NSUN2 picks its RNA targets, in a 2026 structural study. NSUN2 stamps a methyl mark on cytosines in many RNA types. Its misbehavior links to cancers and brain disorders, yet its target rules stayed fuzzy. The team captured the enzyme at several steps of its working cycle. Structures showed how it grips RNA before, during, and after the chemical step.
RNA shape proved central to target choice. Double-stranded stretches flanking the marked cytosine act as key recognition features. From those features the team distilled a minimal favored substrate, a dual-stem shape holding a short sequence motif. The motif sits at the start of the first stem in the design. Knowing the rules could help predict which RNAs the enzyme will mark in a cell. It also gives drug hunters a clearer target for blocking harmful methylation.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Jacob Canepa, Victor M Ruiz-Arroyo, Netanya S Schlamowitz, Yunsun Nam |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 72 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |