Question

If the base pair is adjacent to loops or bulges, the neighboring loops and bulges tend to ___________ the base-pair formation.

(a) have no change on

(b) decrease the energy

(c) stabilize

(d) destabilize

This question was addressed to me during an online exam.

My question comes from RNA Secondary Structure Prediction Methods topic in section RNA Structure Prediction of Bioinformatics

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

(d) destabilize

If a base pair is adjacent to loops or bulges in an RNA structure, the presence of these structural features generally tends to destabilize the base-pair formation. Loops and bulges create irregularities in the RNA structure, which can interfere with the formation or stability of base pairs, leading to an overall less stable configuration.