Abstract
Flipons are sequences that can change conformation under physiological conditions. One example involves the left-handed Z-DNA and Z-RNA structures that are higher energy conformers of the right-handed B-DNA and A-RNA helical forms. The role of left-handed nucleic acids in regulating inflammation will be presented, focusing on the structure-specific proteins that read the information out. A discussion will follow of a more general role of structure-specific proteins in the formation of protein condensates in cells. The importance of simple sequence repats in condensate formation will be emphasized as the structures these repeats form and the protein patches they encode, enable the assembly of cellular machines with specific functions at particular location in the cell. Flipons thereby enable rapid context specific responses and are subject to natural selection. The high mutability of simple-sequence repeats enables rapid adaptation of both cells and organisms.