ABSTRACT
RNA is a biopolymer composed of ribose sugar based on nucleic acids and made up of primarily four bases: adenine, cytosine, guanine, and uridine. RNA is composed of three parts: a phosphate group, a 5-carbon sugar, and a nitrogenous base. RNA can form primary, secondary, and tertiary structures. RNA primary structure refers to the linear RNA sequence of nucleotides that are linked by phosphodiester bonds. RNA secondary structure is formed by the Watson-Crick canonical base pairs, which contains four basic elements: helices, loops, bulges, and junctions. RNA tertiary structure is defined as the three-dimensional arrangement of RNA building blocks with both canonical and noncanonical base pair interactions. Modifications to RNA’s natural structure can overcome the susceptibility of RNA therapeutics to serum exo- and endonucleases.
