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...
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...
Types of RNA01:23

Types of RNA

Overview
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in the regulation of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
RNA...
Types of RNA01:20

Types of RNA

Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in regulating gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
RNA Performs Diverse...
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,...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Charge-Transfer-Mediated Boron Magneto-Ionics: Towards Voltage-Driven Multi-Ion Transport.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2026
Same author

Performance of the prompt gamma-ray timing system prototype under clinical-like conditions.

Physics in medicine and biology·2026
Same author

Body composition's effect on the bone-vascular axis of osteoporosis discovered in AI-based CT analysis of COPD patients.

European radiology·2026
Same author

De novo promoters emerge more readily from random DNA than from genomic DNA.

Science advances·2026
Same author

High-throughput experimental validation of novel hairpin ribozymes.

RNA (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

A longitudinal whole-body CT dataset with manually annotated tumor lesions.

Scientific data·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

Nanomanipulation of Single RNA Molecules by Optical Tweezers
06:59

Nanomanipulation of Single RNA Molecules by Optical Tweezers

Published on: August 20, 2014

Directional selection causes decanalization in a group I ribozyme.

Eric J Hayden1, Christian Weikert, Andreas Wagner

  • 1Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America. ehayden@stanford.edu

Plos One
|October 3, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Directional selection can reduce the robustness of RNA enzyme populations. This decanalization occurs as a specific, less robust genotype becomes dominant, demonstrating a link between selection and loss of robustness.

More Related Videos

DNAzyme-dependent Analysis of rRNA 2’-O-Methylation
09:12

DNAzyme-dependent Analysis of rRNA 2’-O-Methylation

Published on: September 16, 2019

Dual DNA Rulers to Study the Mechanism of Ribosome Translocation with Single-Nucleotide Resolution
10:27

Dual DNA Rulers to Study the Mechanism of Ribosome Translocation with Single-Nucleotide Resolution

Published on: July 8, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 18, 2026

Nanomanipulation of Single RNA Molecules by Optical Tweezers
06:59

Nanomanipulation of Single RNA Molecules by Optical Tweezers

Published on: August 20, 2014

DNAzyme-dependent Analysis of rRNA 2’-O-Methylation
09:12

DNAzyme-dependent Analysis of rRNA 2’-O-Methylation

Published on: September 16, 2019

Dual DNA Rulers to Study the Mechanism of Ribosome Translocation with Single-Nucleotide Resolution
10:27

Dual DNA Rulers to Study the Mechanism of Ribosome Translocation with Single-Nucleotide Resolution

Published on: July 8, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Molecular evolution
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Canalization confers robustness to genotypes against environmental or genetic changes.
  • Decanalization, or loss of robustness, is hypothesized to follow directional selection but its causes are unclear.
  • Studying complex organisms makes it difficult to measure fitness effects of mutations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally measure robustness changes in a simplified system.
  • To investigate the evolutionary forces driving decanalization.
  • To understand the relationship between directional selection and loss of robustness.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized RNA enzymes as a model system with simple genotype and phenotype.
  • Performed direct experimental measurements of catalytic activity robustness.
  • Applied directional selection in a laboratory setting to a population of RNA enzymes.

Main Results:

  • Observed a decrease in the robustness of RNA enzyme populations under directional selection.
  • Identified that a decanalized genotype, less robust to mutations and environmental changes, swept through the population.
  • Demonstrated that directional selection can lead to decanalization on short evolutionary timescales.

Conclusions:

  • Directional selection can actively cause decanalization, challenging previous assumptions.
  • Co-evolution of mutational and environmental robustness was observed.
  • This study provides experimental evidence for the evolutionary dynamics of genetic robustness.