Secondary structure formation during RNA synthesis.

We observed the secondary structures that formed in an RNA molecule during its synthesis. Some of the secondary structures seen in nascent chains were observed to form, then to dissociate in favor of an alternative structure, and then to reform, as chain growth continued. The results show that secondary structures in an RNA molecule are in a state of dynamic equilibrium, and that the extension of a sequence by chain growth, or the reduction of a sequence by processing, may result in significant changes in the secondary structures that are present.