Sequentially folded SV-11 RNA: metastability is relevant to biological function

By simulating a Markov process comprising kinetically controlled elementary chain-growth steps and upstream refolding events, we compute the sequential folding of SV-11 RNA; a species capable of acting as a template instructing its own replication when folded into a metastable conformation. The predicted structure is endowed with available primers for replication and is identical within the regions of homology to the experimentally probed active structure of MNV-11 RNA, a species from which SV-11 RNA has evolved. The uneven rate of chain growth during SV-11 RNA replication and the pause sites along the replica sequence are determined. Such predictions are testable in pulse-chase kinetic experiments.