Abstract
RNA secondary structure can be most simply visualized on the basis of runs of complementary bases in the primary sequence. These complementary regions predict an ability of a molecule to fold back on itself to form double stranded helical regions. Computer methods which utilize energy rules to predict a secondary structure for the entire molecule have been devised. These predictions can be made to accommodate other types of chemical and genetic analysis. The limitations of the modeling methods are discussed and their use in folding several RNA molecules is demonstrated. Regulatory mechanisms which may be controlled by RNA structure and amenable to genetic analysis are also discussed.
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Mount, D. Modeling RNA Structure. Nat Biotechnol 2, 791–795 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0984-791
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0984-791