Chain Length Determines the Folding Rates of RNA

Abstract

We show that the folding rates (k_F) of RNA are determined by N, the number of nucleotides. By assuming that the distribution of free energy barriers separating the folded and the unfolded states is Gaussian, which follows from central limit theorem arguments and polymer physics concepts, we show that k_F ~ k_0 exp(-alpha N^0.5). Remarkably, the theory fits the experimental rates spanning over seven orders of magnitude with k_0 ~ 1.0 (microsec)^{-1}. An immediate consequence of our finding is that the speed limit of RNA folding is about one microsecond just as it is in the folding of globular proteins.