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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...
Riboswitches01:56

Riboswitches

Riboswitches are non-coding mRNA domains that regulate the transcription and translation of downstream genes without the help of proteins. Riboswitches bind directly to a metabolite and can form unique stem-loop or hairpin structures in response to the amount of the metabolite present. They have two distinct regions – a metabolite-binding aptamer and an expression platform.
The aptamer has high specificity for a particular metabolite which allows riboswitches to specifically regulate...
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...
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...
RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins02:36

RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins

Proteins that regulate transcription can do so either via direct contact with RNA Polymerase or through indirect interactions facilitated by adaptors, mediators, histone-modifying proteins, and nucleosome remodelers. Direct interactions to activate transcription is seen in bacteria as well as in some eukaryotic genes. In these cases, upstream activation sequences are adjacent to the promoters, and the activator proteins interact directly with the transcriptional machinery. For example, in...

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RNA Catalyst as a Reporter for Screening Drugs against RNA Editing in Trypanosomes
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Published on: July 22, 2014

The ubiquitous hammerhead ribozyme.

Christian Hammann1, Andrej Luptak, Jonathan Perreault

  • 1Heisenberg Research Group Ribogenetics, Technical University of Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany. hammann@bio.tu-darmstadt.de

RNA (New York, N.Y.)
|March 29, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The hammerhead ribozyme, a catalytic RNA motif, can self-cleave. Researchers reviewed methods for finding new hammerhead ribozyme sequences in genomes and explored their potential biological roles.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genomics
  • RNA Catalysis

Background:

  • Hammerhead ribozymes are small catalytic RNA motifs known for endonucleolytic self-cleavage.
  • They consist of a conserved catalytic core and three helices, with tertiary interactions crucial for activity.
  • Initially found in plant pathogens, they are now recognized in eukaryotic genomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review discovery approaches for novel hammerhead ribozyme sequences.
  • To discuss the potential biological functions of hammerhead ribozymes found in genomes.

Main Methods:

  • Bioinformatic approaches for identifying conserved RNA structures.
  • Comparative genomics to detect hammerhead ribozyme motifs across species.
  • Literature review of existing studies on hammerhead ribozyme function.

Main Results:

  • Multiple computational and genomic strategies have been employed to identify hammerhead ribozyme sequences.
  • A growing number of hammerhead ribozyme motifs have been identified in diverse eukaryotic genomes.
  • Evidence suggests potential roles beyond self-cleavage, possibly in gene regulation or RNA processing.

Conclusions:

  • Hammerhead ribozymes are more widespread in eukaryotic genomes than previously thought.
  • Continued research is needed to fully elucidate the biological functions of these genomic ribozyme motifs.
  • Advanced discovery methods are crucial for uncovering the full extent of ribozyme diversity.