Significance of Palindromic sequences:
-
Short palindromes serve as recognition sites of DNA for proteins having two-fold symmetry. E.g. Lac repressor proteins, Bacterial restriction enzymes.
-
Binding of proteins to DNA is due to specific interactions between specific regions of DNA and proteins.
-
Bacterial restriction enzymes serve as protection against foreign DNA by destroying it. These enzymes are specific for palindromic sequences of double stranded DNA.
-
Palindromes give structural strength to transcribed RNA by hydrogen bonding in hair-pin loops.
-
Long palindromic sequences contain genes coding for r-RNA.
