Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Meng Y
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3552280 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Meng Yuzhong Y Aalberts Daniel P DP
Biophysical journal 20130101 2
Small RNA-mRNA binding is an essential step in RNA interference, an important cellular regulatory process. Calculations of binding free energy have been used in binding site prediction, but the cost of stretching the mRNA loop when the small RNA-mRNA duplex forms requires further exploration. Here, using both polymer physics theory and simulations, we estimate the free energy of a stretched mRNA loop. We find loop stretching significantly increases the free energy of 3' supplementary/compensator ...[more]