Atomic accuracy in predicting and designing non-canonical RNA structure

We present a Rosetta full-atom framework for predicting and designing the non-canonical motifs that define RNA tertiary structure, called FARFAR (Fragment Assembly of RNA with Full Atom Refinement). For a test set of thirty-two 6-to-20-nucleotide motifs, the method recapitulated 50% of the experimental structures at near-atomic accuracy. Additionally, design calculations recovered the native sequence at the majority of RNA residues engaged in non-canonical interactions, and mutations predicted to stabilize a signal recognition particle domain were experimentally validated.