The primacy and power of RNA in governing many processes of life has begun to be more fully appreciated in both the discovery and inventive sciences. A variety of RNA interactions regulate gene expression, and structural self-assembly underlies many of these processes. The understanding sparked by these discoveries has inspired and informed the engineering of novel RNA structures, control elements, and genetic circuits in cells. Many of these engineered systems are built up fundamentally from RNA–RNA interactions, often combining modular, rational design with functional selection and screening. It is therefore useful to review the particular class of RNA-based regulatory mechanisms that rely on RNA self-assembly either through homomeric (self–self) or heteromeric (self–nonself) RNA–RNA interactions. Structures and sequence elements within individual RNAs create a basis for the pairing interactions, and in some instances can even lead to the formation of RNA polymers. Example systems of dimers, multimers, and polymers are reviewed in this article in the context of natural systems, wherein the function and impact of self-assemblies are understood. Following this, a brief overview is presented of specific engineered RNA self-assembly systems implemented in vivo, with lessons learned from both discovery and engineering approaches to RNA–RNA self-assembly.

在发现和发明科学中，RNA 在控制许多生命过程中的首要地位和力量已经开始得到更充分的认识。多种 RNA 相互作用调节基因表达，结构自组装是其中许多过程的基础。这些发现引发的理解激发了细胞中新型 RNA 结构、控制元件和遗传回路的工程设计。许多这些工程系统从根本上建立在 RNA-RNA 相互作用的基础上，通常将模块化、合理的设计与功能选择和筛选相结合。因此，回顾特定类别的基于 RNA 的调控机制是有用的，这些机制依赖于通过同源（自我-自我）或异聚（自我-非自我）RNA-RNA 相互作用进行的 RNA 自组装。单个 RNA 中的结构和序列元素为配对相互作用奠定了基础，在某些情况下甚至可以导致 RNA 聚合物的形成。本文在自然系统的背景下回顾了二聚体、多聚体和聚合物的示例系统，其中了解了自组装的功能和影响。在此之后，简要概述了实施的特定工程 RNA 自组装系统体内，从 RNA-RNA 自组装的发现和工程方法中汲取了经验教训。