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Ribozymes

Ribozymes

The term ribozyme is used for RNA that can act as an enzyme. Ribozymes are mainly found in selected viruses, bacteria, plant organelles, and lower eukaryotes. Ribozymes were first discovered in 1982 when Tom Cech’s laboratory observed Group I introns acting as enzymes. This was shortly followed by the discovery of another ribozyme, Ribonulcease P, by Sid Altman’s laboratory. Both Cech and Altman received the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1989 for their work on ribozymes.
Ribozymes can be...

Ribozymes

Ribozymes

The term ribozyme is used for RNA that can act as an enzyme. Ribozymes are mainly found in selected viruses, bacteria, plant organelles, and lower eukaryotes. Ribozymes were first discovered in 1982 when Tom Cech’s laboratory observed Group I introns acting as enzymes. This was shortly followed by the discovery of another ribozyme, Ribonulcease P, by Sid Altman’s laboratory. Both Cech and Altman received the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1989 for their work on ribozymes.
Ribozymes can be...

Raman Spectroscopy: Overview

Raman Spectroscopy: Overview

The underlying principle of Raman spectroscopy is based on the interaction between light and matter, specifically molecules' inelastic scattering of photons. When a monochromatic beam of light, typically from a laser source, interacts with a sample, most scattered light has the same frequency as the incident light. This is known as Rayleigh scattering.
However, a small fraction of the scattered light exhibits a frequency shift due to the exchange of energy between the incident photons and the...

Ribosome Profiling

Ribosome Profiling

Ribosome profiling or ribo-sequencing is a deep sequencing technique that produces a snapshot of active translation in a cell. It selectively sequences the mRNAs protected by ribosomes to get an insight into a cell’s translation landscape at any given point in time.
Applications of ribosome profiling
Ribosome profiling has many applications, including in vivo monitoring of translation inside a particular organ or tissue type and quantifying new protein synthesis levels.
The technique helps...

Raman Spectroscopy Instrumentation: Overview

Raman Spectroscopy Instrumentation: Overview

A conventional Raman spectrophotometer includes a laser source, a sample holding system, a wavelength selector, and a detector.
The monochromatic laser source, typically using visible or near-infrared radiation, generates a highly focused beam of light. This light interacts with the molecules of the sample, scattering some of the light. Liquid and gaseous samples are usually tested in ordinary glass capillaries, while solids can be analyzed as powders packed in capillaries or as potassium...

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Label-Free Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Bioanalysis Based on Au@Carbon Dot Nanoprobes

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Hairpin ribozyme catalysis: a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy study.

Aline Percot¹, Sophie Lecomte, Jacques Vergne

¹Laboratoire de Dynamique, Interactions et Réactivité (LADIR), UMR 7075 CNRS and UPMC Univ Paris 06, 2 rue Henry Dunant, 94320 Thiais, France.

|January 14, 2009

Summary

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) monitors hairpin ribozyme RNA cleavage in real time. This method quantifies catalysis at biological concentrations, offering an alternative to traditional techniques.

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Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Molecular Biology
Spectroscopy

Background:

The
RNA world
hypothesis suggests RNA preceded DNA and proteins in early life.
Ribozymes, catalytic RNA molecules, are key to understanding this era.
Hairpin ribozymes, specifically, are self-cleaving/ligating motifs found in satellite RNA.

Purpose of the Study:

To characterize hairpin ribozyme activity using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS).
To demonstrate SERS as a tool for real-time monitoring and quantification of RNA cleavage catalysis.
To establish SERS as a viable alternative to existing methods like gel electrophoresis.

Main Methods:

Utilized Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) to analyze RNA.
Correlated SERS signal intensity with the concentration of free RNA residues adsorbed on a metal surface.
Monitored ribozyme-catalyzed RNA cleavage in real time under controlled conditions.

Main Results:

Established a proportional relationship between SERS signal and the amount of free RNA residues.
Observed that RNA cleavage leads to unpaired residues, increasing interaction with the metal surface and enhancing the SERS signal.
Successfully monitored and quantified ribozyme cleavage catalysis at biologically relevant concentrations.

Conclusions:

SERS is a powerful technique for studying trace amounts of RNA.
SERS can effectively monitor and quantify ribozyme catalysis in real time.
SERS presents a promising alternative to electrophoretic methods for analyzing RNA cleavage and ligation.