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Comparing random and natural RNA Boltzmann ensembles
Hiba Khan1, Paula Garcia-Galindo2, Sebastian E Ahnert2
1Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Hawally, Kuwait.
Physical Biology
|July 20, 2026
Summary
Natural and random non-coding RNA (ncRNA) occupy similar morphospace regions. Biophysics of the genotype-phenotype map largely dictates ncRNA ensemble properties, with natural RNA showing slightly greater stability.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Bioinformatics
- Structural Biology
Background:
- Morphospace exploration reveals occupied regions of theoretically possible biological traits.
- Comparing random and natural non-coding RNA (ncRNA) secondary structures is key to understanding RNA morphospace occupation.
- Previous studies primarily focused on minimum free energy RNA structures, neglecting the ensemble of suboptimal folds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the Boltzmann distributions of random and natural ncRNA.
- To investigate the morphospace occupation of ncRNA ensembles, including suboptimal structures.
- To determine if biophysical constraints influence the ensemble properties of ncRNA.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of Boltzmann distributions for random and natural ncRNA secondary structures.
- Comparison of energetic stability profiles between random and natural ncRNA ensembles.
- Examination of sequence length effects on ncRNA stability.
Main Results:
- Natural and random ncRNA exhibit highly similar Boltzmann distribution profiles.
- Natural ncRNA are generally slightly more energetically stable than random ncRNA.
- Short ncRNA sequences (20-30 nucleotides) show similar or slightly less stability compared to random sequences.
Conclusions:
- Natural and random ncRNA occupy largely overlapping regions of morphospace.
- The biophysics of the genotype-phenotype map significantly shapes the ensemble properties of ncRNA.
- Suboptimal RNA structures play a role in ncRNA function and should be considered in analyses.
Keywords:
Boltzmann ensemblebiological evolutiongenotype–phenotype mapsmorphospacesnon-coding RNAsuboptimal structuresMore Related Videos
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