Biological Glossary | What is Hairpin Sequence?
A hairpin sequence, also known as a stem-loop structure, is a particular pattern found in single-stranded DNA or RNA where the sequence of nucleotides is such that it can loop back on itself, forming a structure resembling a hairpin or a staple.
In a hairpin sequence, the strand loops out and then come back to pair with itself, forming a double helix (the stem) ending in an unpaired loop. This structure is thermodynamically stable and is held together by the hydrogen bonding of base pairs. It is typically formed in sequences where consecutive nucleotides are complementary to each other.
Hairpin sequences play important roles in the regulation of genetic expression and have been found to have crucial functions in viral replication, regulation of gene expression, and molecular recognition in biological systems. They are often targets for enzymes and can be manipulated for the design of new therapeutics.
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