Pseudoknot - Biological Significance

Biological Significance

Several important biological processes rely on RNA molecules that form pseudoknots, which are often RNAs with extensive tertiary structure. For example, the pseudoknot region of RNase P is one of the most conserved elements in all of evolution. The telomerase RNA component contains a pseudoknot that is critical for activity, and several viruses use a pseudoknot structure to form a tRNA-like motif to infiltrate the host cell.

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