Christine Heitsch

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  Analysis, prediction, and design of viral RNA secondary structures
  Christine Heitsch
  Understanding how biological sequences encode structural and functional information is a fundamental scientific challenge. For RNA viral genomes, the information encoded in the sequence extends well-beyond their protein coding role to the role of intra-sequence base pairing in viral packaging, replication, and gene expression. Working with the Pariacoto virus as a model sequence, we investigate the compatibility of predicted base pairings with the dodecahedral cage known from crystallographic studies.
  
  To build a putative secondary structure, we first analyze different possible configurations using a combinatorial model of RNA folding.
  
  We give results on the trade-offs among types of loop structures, the asymptotic degree of branching in typical configurations, and the characteristics of stems in "well-determined" substructures. These mathematical results yield insights into the interaction of local and global constraints in RNA secondary structures, and suggest new directions in understanding the folding of RNA viral genomes.
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  Geometric combinatorics and RNA branching
  Christine Heitsch