3-Methyluridine

3-Methyluridine (m³U; N3-Methyluridine) is a methylated nucleotide present in ribosomal RNA (rRNA), mainly targeting specific base sites of RNA molecules such as 23S rRNA. 3-Methyluridine can introduce a methyl group at the N3 position of uracil, affecting the secondary structure stability and base pairing ability of RNA, and regulating ribosome function. For example, it affects ribosomal subunit binding and tRNA interaction. 3-Methyluridine is often used as a key raw material for the synthesis of modified nucleotides, and is used to construct RNA oligonucleotides containing methylation modifications to study the effects of RNA methylation on gene expression and drug resistance^[1][2][3]. In Vitro:1. Single-cell methylation detection experiment:
3-Methyluridine (probe concentration 1 μM; ≥4.5 h) significantly distinguishes wild-type Escherichia coli containing methylated rRNA from mutants lacking KsgA methyltransferase through methylation-sensitive fluorescence in situ hybridization (MR-FISH) technology, showing the inhibitory effect of single methylation sites on probe binding^[1].
2. RNA structure and stability analysis experiment:
3-Methyluridine (5-200 μM; thermal melting analysis time 48-72 h) in RNA hairpins containing the 1920-loop region, N3 methylation has a negligible effect on RNA thermodynamic stability and does not change its A-form conformation, which is similar to the effect of unmodified uridine^[2].