Guanine paired with cytosine and adrenine with uracil to create a secondary structure. This was followed by unmatched bases bonding with each other to form a final tertiary structure. By examining the microbe ribozyme with magnesium ions, which cause tertiary folding, and then excluding magnesium ions, they discovered that this final stage of folding also involves the pairings created in the secondary stage, and not just the remaining unmatched bases. The value of this work lies in the fact that a complete understanding of RNA's function depends on a full knowledge of its structure. RNA folding causes secondary structure rearrangement.
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This month the Human Genome Project has announced it anticipates completing sequencing of human DNA two years earlier than scheduled, but those working on sequencing the Chlamydia trachomatis genome have already completed the task. Supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, investigators from Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley reported their findngs in a recent issue of Science. Chlamydia trachomati s is a notorious microbe worthy of such attention. Chlamydial infection is a one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases on the planet and can lead to serious complications in women who are vulnerable to pelvic inflammatory disease and infection of the upper reproductive tract when left untreated. It is also increases risk for HIV infection.