Stability of mRNA/DNA and DNA/DNA duplexes modulates mRNA transcription

The distribution of the four nucleotides along the DNA sequence encodes the genetic information in living systems. However, do nucleic acids possess other attributes that contribute to their biological functions? Recent work of a team led by Stoyno Stoynov, working at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, suggests that thermodynamic stability of DNA/DNA and RNA/DNA duplexes influences mRNA transcription. The manuscript appears in the March 14 issue of the international, peer-reviewed, open-access online journal PLoS ONE.