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Related Concept Videos

Eukaryotic Compartmentalization01:37

Eukaryotic Compartmentalization

One of the distinguishing features of eukaryotic cells is that they contain membrane-bound organelles, such as the nucleus and mitochondria, that carry out specialized functions. Since biological membranes are only selectively permeable to solutes, they help create a compartment with controlled conditions inside an organelle. These microenvironments are tailored to the organelle's specific functions and help isolate them from the surrounding cytosol.
For example, lysosomes in the animal cells...
Eukaryotic Compartmentalizations01:46

Eukaryotic Compartmentalizations

One of the distinguishing features of eukaryotic cells is that they contain membrane-bound organelles, such as the nucleus and mitochondria, that carry out specialized functions. Since biological membranes are only selectively permeable to solutes, they help create a compartment with controlled conditions inside an organelle. These microenvironments are tailored to the organelle's specific functions and help isolate them from the surrounding cytosol.
For example, lysosomes in the animal cells...
Eukaryotic Compartmentalization01:46

Eukaryotic Compartmentalization

One of the distinguishing features of eukaryotic cells is that they contain membrane-bound organelles, such as the nucleus and mitochondria, that carry out specialized functions. Since biological membranes are only selectively permeable to solutes, they help create a compartment with controlled conditions inside an organelle. These microenvironments are tailored to the organelle's specific functions and help isolate them from the surrounding cytosol.
For example, lysosomes in the animal cells...
Catalysis01:27

Catalysis

Catalysis influences the rate of chemical reactions by providing an alternative reaction pathway with lower activation energy. A catalyst speeds up a reaction, but it is not consumed during the process. The fundamental principle of catalysis is the ability of a catalyst to alter the reaction mechanism, often introducing a more efficient pathway than the uncatalyzed process.In a catalyzed reaction, the catalyst participates directly in the reaction mechanism. It interacts with reactants to form...
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Allosteric Proteins-ATCase01:19

Allosteric Proteins-ATCase

Binding sites linkages can regulate a protein's function.  For example, enzyme activity is often regulated through a feedback mechanism where the end product of the biochemical process serves as an inhibitor.
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The Development and Application of Biophysical Assays for Evaluating Ternary Complex Formation Induced by Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACS)
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RNA catalysis through compartmentalization.

Christopher A Strulson1, Rosalynn C Molden, Christine D Keating

  • 1Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.

Nature Chemistry
|October 24, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Compartmentalization, mimicking early life, significantly boosted RNA concentration and ribozyme activity using an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS). This supports RNA

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Area of Science:

  • Origin of Life Studies
  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • RNA plays crucial roles in modern cells, acting as both catalyst and genetic information storage.
  • The RNA World hypothesis posits RNA's central role in early life, emphasizing compartmentalization for function.
  • Intracellular compartmentalization controls RNA concentration, a feature likely important for early life forms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of compartmentalization and macromolecular crowding in RNA function.
  • To mimic early cellular environments using an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) to study RNA behavior.
  • To assess the impact of RNA concentration on catalytic activity, specifically ribozyme cleavage rates.

Main Methods:

  • Partitioning RNA within a polyethylene glycol/dextran aqueous two-phase system (ATPS).
  • Mimicking intracellular compartmentalization and macromolecular crowding conditions.
  • Measuring RNA concentration enrichment and ribozyme cleavage rates within the ATPS.

Main Results:

  • RNA concentration was enriched up to 3,000-fold in the dextran-rich phase of the ATPS.
  • This significant RNA enrichment led to an approximately 70-fold increase in ribozyme cleavage rates.
  • The observed rate enhancement was tunable by adjusting the relative volumes of the two phases in the ATPS.

Conclusions:

  • Compartmentalization significantly enhances RNA concentration and catalytic efficiency.
  • These findings support the importance of compartmentalization for the emergence of function in an RNA World.
  • The study highlights the relevance of these principles to both early life and modern biological systems.