Kissing stem-loop

<p>In genetics, a kissing stem-loop, or kissing stem loop interaction, is formed in <a href="/facts/Ribonucleic_acid/HxPeNfNj">ribonucleic acid</a> (RNA) when two bases between two <a href="/facts/Stem-loop/GysAzrX5">hairpin loops</a> pair. These intra- and intermolecular kissing interactions are important in forming the <a href="/facts/Tertiary_structure/VaN6MEYh">tertiary</a> or <a href="/facts/Quaternary_structure/VaN6MEYh">quaternary structure</a> of many RNAs.
</p><p>RNA kissing interactions, also called <a href="/facts/Pseudoknot/ATSPAmrV">loop-loop pseudoknots</a>, occur when the unpaired <a href="/facts/Nucleotide/pQKEwlJI">nucleotides</a> in one hairpin loop, <a href="/facts/Base_pair/xmPpPQ9W">base pair</a> with the unpaired nucleotides in another hairpin loop. When the hairpin loops are located on separate RNA molecules, their intermolecular interaction is called a kissing complex. These interactions generally form between stem-loops. However, stable complexes have been observed containing only two intermolecular
<a href="/facts/Base_pair/xmPpPQ9W">Watson–Crick base pairs</a>.
</p>

Kissing stem-loop open-in-new

Kissing stem-loop