Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Ribozymes02:47

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...
Ribozymes02:47

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...
Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases00:58

Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases

RNA Polymerase (RNAP) is conserved in all animals, with bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryotic RNAPs sharing significant sequence, structural, and functional similarities. Among the three eukaryotic RNAPs, RNA Polymerase II is most similar to bacterial RNAP in terms of both structural organization and folding topologies of the enzyme subunits. However, these similarities are not reflected in their mechanism of action.
All three eukaryotic RNAPs require specific transcription factors, of which the...
Ribosomal RNA Synthesis02:53

Ribosomal RNA Synthesis

Ribosome synthesis is a highly complex and coordinated process involving more than 200 assembly factors. The synthesis and processing of ribosomal components occurs not only in the nucleolus but also in the nucleoplasm and the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells.
Ribosome biogenesis begins with the synthesis of 5S and 45S pre-rRNAs by distinct RNA polymerases. The primary transcripts are extensively processed and modified before they are bound and folded by ribosomal proteins and assembly factors,...
Bacterial RNA Polymerase00:43

Bacterial RNA Polymerase

Unlike eukaryotes, bacteria use a single RNA Polymerase (RNAP) to transcribe all genes. The different subunits of bacterial RNAPhave distinct functions. The multisubunit structure of the bacterial RNAP helps the enzyme to maintain catalytic function, facilitate assembly, interact with DNA and RNA, and self-regulate its activity.
In most genes, the transcription site is a single base present upstream of the coding sequence. Though RNAP is a catalytically efficient enzyme, it does not recognize...
RNA Interference01:23

RNA Interference

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Switchable targeting of solid tumors by BsCAR T cells.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2022
Same author

Antisense oligonucleotide gapmers containing phosphoryl guanidine groups reverse MDR1-mediated multiple drug resistance of tumor cells.

Molecular therapy. Nucleic acids·2022
Same author

Inactivating Gene Expression with Antisense Modified Oligonucleotides.

Acta naturae·2021
Same author

Mesyl phosphoramidate backbone modified antisense oligonucleotides targeting miR-21 with enhanced in vivo therapeutic potency.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2020
Same author

Liquid drop of DNA libraries reveals total genome information.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2020
Same author

A kinase bioscavenger provides antibiotic resistance by extremely tight substrate binding.

Science advances·2020
Same journal

The microlandscapes of tree trunks: the effect of lichen and tree-level characteristics on arthropod communities.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same journal

Centimetre-scale landscapes to assess the motion behaviour and cognition of gastropods and bivalves.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same journal

Intertidal microcosms of wave-swept rocky shores: ecological and physiological insights from a uniquely stressful environment.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same journal

Temporal and spatial variation in temperature and oxygen at the microscale: key niche axes for aquatic life.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same journal

Natural microcosms in ecology: fulfilling the promise of model systems?

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same journal

Microbe-induced galls and plant defence: metabolite crosstalk in a co-evolutionary battle.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2026

Sequence-specific and Selective Recognition of Double-stranded RNAs over Single-stranded RNAs by Chemically Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids
09:04

Sequence-specific and Selective Recognition of Double-stranded RNAs over Single-stranded RNAs by Chemically Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids

Published on: September 21, 2017

Ribonuclease P.

Sidney Altman1

  • 1Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. sidney.altman@yale.edu

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|September 21, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The ancient RNA enzyme, ribonuclease P (RNase P), precisely cleaves RNA molecules. Its specificity offers potential for novel drug therapies targeting RNA processing.

More Related Videos

Studying RNA Interactors of Protein Kinase RNA-Activated during the Mammalian Cell Cycle
10:05

Studying RNA Interactors of Protein Kinase RNA-Activated during the Mammalian Cell Cycle

Published on: March 5, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 29, 2026

Sequence-specific and Selective Recognition of Double-stranded RNAs over Single-stranded RNAs by Chemically Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids
09:04

Sequence-specific and Selective Recognition of Double-stranded RNAs over Single-stranded RNAs by Chemically Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids

Published on: September 21, 2017

Studying RNA Interactors of Protein Kinase RNA-Activated during the Mammalian Cell Cycle
10:05

Studying RNA Interactors of Protein Kinase RNA-Activated during the Mammalian Cell Cycle

Published on: March 5, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • The RNA subunit of ribonuclease P (RNase P) is encoded by an essential gene in all free-living organisms.
  • RNase P RNA is a catalytic molecule, an enzyme, and its evolutionary history indicates it is ancient.
  • This enzyme exhibits specificity in cleaving RNA molecules at specific structural junctions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the ancient origins and enzymatic properties of the RNase P RNA subunit.
  • To explore the potential applications of RNase P's RNA-cleaving specificity in modern therapeutic strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Evolutionary analysis of the RNase P gene to infer molecular age.
  • Biochemical characterization of RNase P's RNA-cleaving activity and specificity.
  • Speculative analysis of its ancient biological role in RNA processing.

Main Results:

  • RNase P RNA is an ancient enzyme crucial for RNA processing.
  • The enzyme's specificity involves cleaving RNA at single-stranded/double-stranded junctions.
  • Its ancient function may have involved processing long, hairpin-containing RNA molecules.

Conclusions:

  • The ancient RNA enzyme RNase P has a critical role in RNA processing.
  • Its precise cleavage mechanism and evolutionary significance are key areas of study.
  • The specificity of RNase P presents opportunities for developing new drug therapies.