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Is mRNA transcribed from the strand complementary to it in a DNA duplex?

Abstract

WE have tested the assumption that the messenger RNA sequence is uniquely determined by the DNA sequence complementary to it. Because RNA is usually transcribed from a DNA duplex, there is the possibility that the DNA strand that is not complementary to the mRNA influences the RNA base selection. This possibility exists in models that postulate like-with-like base pairs1–3, triple helix models of DNA-DNA-RNA4, triple base interactions such as those described in tRNA5, and models in which RNA polymerase may confer a special type of specificity (non-Watson–Crick) to RNA base–DNA duplex interactions, as well as in experiments in which separated are compared with non-separated strands6–7.

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PIECZENIK, G., HORIUCHI, K., MODEL, P. et al. Is mRNA transcribed from the strand complementary to it in a DNA duplex?. Nature 253, 131–132 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/253131a0

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