Figure 1

Putative secondary structure for the 5' UTR of DEFB1 mRNA. Two of the four haplotypes (-52, -44, -20 SNP sites) used in the CAT constructs as calculated and drawn by the MFOLD Quikfold program. The locations of the SNP sites are boxed and the -44 SNP sites are shown in red boxes. Note that the -44 SNP site in the GGG haplotype is in a hybridized stem structure. In contrast, as represented by the GCA structure shown, the -44 SNP site is in a loop or non-hybridized configuration in the other three haplotypes. Similar putative structures were obtained in three separate trials. Secondary structures with the lowest ΔG (G = Gibbs free energy) were evaluated. The ΔG values are: GCA = -13.5, GCG = -12.8, ACG = -10.5, GGG = -13.9.