RNA constructs used in this study. PK VPK samples were labeled either with 2AP at position 20 (A, VPK-2AP) or with pC at position 31 (B, VPK-pC). (C) Hairpin HP1-2AP is a truncated sequence consisting of nucleotides 1–23 of VPK-2AP. (D) Hairpin HP2-pC is a truncated sequence consisting of nucleotides 8–34 of VPK-pC. Colors represent different regions of the PK: blue, stem 1; yellow, loop 1; green, stem 2; magenta, junction; and red, loop 2. In the truncated hairpins, nucleotides 8–14 of VPK stem 2 become part of the loop in HP1-2AP; similarly, nucleotides 14–19 of VPK stem 1 become part of the loop in HP2-pC.