RNA folding kinetics

RNA folding kinetics describes the dynamical process of how a RNA molecule approach to its unique folded biological active conformation (often referred to as the native state) starting from an initial ensemble of disordered conformations e.g. the unfolded open chain. The key for resolving the dynamical behavior of a folding RNA chain lies in the understanding of the ways in which the molecule explores its astronomically large free energy landscape, a rugged and complex hyper-surface established by all the feasible base pairing patterns a RNA sequence can form. The challenge is to understand how the interplay of formation and break up of base pairing interactions along the RNA chain can lead to an efficient search in the energy landscape which reaches the native state of the molecule on a biologically meaningful time scales.

Subsections

Sven Findeiss 2013-11-22