Cryo-EM Reveals 76 RNA Conformers and Mg2+ Dynamics in RNase P
Researchers used a new cryo-electron microscopy protocol to visualize 76 distinct conformers of RNase P RNA, revealing that catalysis is regulated by dynamic structural ensembles and Mg2+ ion movements rather than a single static structure. The accessory protein rnpA shifts the equilibrium toward active states via allosteric effects, not by altering the local catalytic site.