Editing Sequence motif (section)

==Overview==
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When a sequence motif appears in the [[exon]] of a [[gene]], it may [[genetic code|encode]] the "[[Protein motif|structural motif]]" of a [[protein]]; that is a stereotypical element of the [[tertiary structure|overall structure]] of the protein. Nevertheless, motifs need not be associated with a distinctive [[secondary structure]]. "[[noncoding DNA|Noncoding]]" sequences are not [[translation (biology)|translated]] into proteins, and [[nucleic acid]]s with such motifs need not deviate from the typical shape (e.g. the "B-form" [[DNA|DNA double helix]]).

Outside of gene exons, there exist '''[[regulatory sequence]] motifs''' and motifs within the "[[junk DNA|junk]]", such as [[satellite DNA]]. Some of these are believed to affect the shape of nucleic acids<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dlakić |first1=Mensur |last2=Harrington |first2=Rodney E. |date=1996 |title=The Effects of Sequence Context on DNA Curvature |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=93 |issue=9 |pages=3847–3852 |doi=10.1073/pnas.93.9.3847 |jstor=39155 |pmid=8632978 |pmc=39447 |bibcode=1996PNAS...93.3847D |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free }}</ref> (see for example [[RNA splicing|RNA self-splicing]]), but this is only sometimes the case. For example, many [[DNA binding protein]]s that have affinity for specific [[DNA binding site]]s bind DNA in only its double-helical form. They are able to recognize motifs through contact with the double helix's major or minor groove.

Short coding motifs, which appear to lack secondary structure, include those that [[Signal peptide|label]] proteins for delivery to particular parts of a [[cell (biology)|cell]], or mark them for [[phosphorylation]].

Within a sequence or [[database]] of sequences, researchers search and find motifs using computer-based techniques of [[sequence analysis]], such as [[BLAST (biotechnology)|BLAST]]. Such techniques belong to the discipline of [[bioinformatics]]. See also [[consensus sequence]].