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

Biosynthesis of Nucleic Acids01:28

Biosynthesis of Nucleic Acids

869
Nucleic acid biosynthesis is a fundamental biochemical process that produces the purine and pyrimidine nucleotides essential for DNA and RNA synthesis. This pathway maintains a balanced nucleotide pool, preventing imbalances that could jeopardize genetic integrity and cellular function. Given the crucial role of nucleotides, their synthesis is tightly regulated to ensure proper cellular homeostasis.Purine BiosynthesisThe biosynthesis of purine nucleotides begins with ribose-5-phosphate, a...
869
Conditions on Early Earth02:06

Conditions on Early Earth

100.1K
Around 4 billion years ago, oceans began to condense on earth while volcanic eruptions released nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, and hydrogen into the primordial atmosphere. However, organisms with the characteristics of life were not initially present on earth. Scientists have used experimentation to determine how organisms evolved that could grow, reproduce, and maintain an internal environment.
100.1K
Bacterial RNA Polymerase00:43

Bacterial RNA Polymerase

32.3K
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...
32.3K
Nucleic Acid Structure01:25

Nucleic Acid Structure

8.3K
The pentose sugar in DNA is deoxyribose, while in RNA the pentose sugar is ribose. The difference between the sugars is the presence of the hydroxyl group on the ribose's second carbon and a hydrogen on the deoxyribose's second carbon. The phosphate residue attaches to the hydroxyl group of the 5′ carbon of one sugar and the hydroxyl group of the 3′ carbon of the sugar of the next nucleotide, which forms  a 5′ to 3′ phosphodiester linkage.
DNA Structure
DNA...
8.3K
ATP and Macromolecule Synthesis01:28

ATP and Macromolecule Synthesis

6.8K
Biological macromolecules are organic compounds, predominantly composed of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are covalently bonded with hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and other minor elements. There are four major biological macromolecule classes: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
Most macromolecules are composed of single subunits, or building blocks, called monomers. The monomers combine with each other using covalent bonds to form larger molecules known as polymers.
Conversion of...
6.8K
Ribozymes02:47

Ribozymes

13.2K
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...
13.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

DNA affects the phenotype of fuel-dependent coacervate droplets.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Intracellular expression of a fluorogenic DNA aptamer using retron Eco2.

eLife·2026
Same author

Real-time assay of ribonucleotide reductase activity with a fluorescent RNA aptamer.

FEBS letters·2025
Same author

Reversing transgene silencing via targeted chromatin editing.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

RNA-peptide interactions tune the ribozyme activity within coacervate microdroplet dispersions.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Analog epigenetic memory revealed by targeted chromatin editing.

Cell genomics·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 4, 2026

Author Spotlight: Advancements in DNA Nanosensors – Addressing Sensitivity and Selectivity Challenges in Molecular Detection
07:16

Author Spotlight: Advancements in DNA Nanosensors – Addressing Sensitivity and Selectivity Challenges in Molecular Detection

Published on: February 9, 2024

1.4K

Nucleic Acid Catalysis under Potential Prebiotic Conditions.

Kristian Le Vay1, Elia Salibi1, Emilie Y Song1

  • 1Biomimetic Systems, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.

Chemistry, an Asian Journal
|November 13, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Nucleic acid enzymes, like ribozymes and deoxyribozymes, are vital for life. Research explores their catalytic abilities under early Earth conditions, crucial for understanding primitive life

Keywords:
catalysisdeoxyribozymesnucleic acidsorigin of liferibozymes

More Related Videos

DNA-Tethered RNA Polymerase for Programmable In vitro Transcription and Molecular Computation
09:26

DNA-Tethered RNA Polymerase for Programmable In vitro Transcription and Molecular Computation

Published on: December 29, 2021

4.7K
Author Spotlight: Characterizing Novel Enzymes from Extremophiles and Common Pathogens to Understand DNA Repair and Replication
05:33

Author Spotlight: Characterizing Novel Enzymes from Extremophiles and Common Pathogens to Understand DNA Repair and Replication

Published on: July 5, 2024

1.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 4, 2026

Author Spotlight: Advancements in DNA Nanosensors – Addressing Sensitivity and Selectivity Challenges in Molecular Detection
07:16

Author Spotlight: Advancements in DNA Nanosensors – Addressing Sensitivity and Selectivity Challenges in Molecular Detection

Published on: February 9, 2024

1.4K
DNA-Tethered RNA Polymerase for Programmable In vitro Transcription and Molecular Computation
09:26

DNA-Tethered RNA Polymerase for Programmable In vitro Transcription and Molecular Computation

Published on: December 29, 2021

4.7K
Author Spotlight: Characterizing Novel Enzymes from Extremophiles and Common Pathogens to Understand DNA Repair and Replication
05:33

Author Spotlight: Characterizing Novel Enzymes from Extremophiles and Common Pathogens to Understand DNA Repair and Replication

Published on: July 5, 2024

1.2K

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Origin of Life Studies
  • Molecular Evolution

Background:

  • Nucleic acid catalysis is fundamental to modern cellular life and likely played a key role in early life's emergence.
  • Early Earth's geochemical conditions were vastly different from present-day cellular environments.
  • Understanding how nucleic acid enzymes function under non-physiological conditions is essential for modeling early molecular evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of physicochemical parameters (temperature, pH, ionic composition) on nucleic acid catalysis.
  • To explore the adaptability of catalytic nucleic acids (ribozymes and deoxyribozymes) to extreme or unusual conditions.
  • To provide insights into plausible scenarios for molecular evolution in prebiotic environments.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing research on nucleic acid catalysis.
  • Focus on studies examining ribozymes and deoxyribozymes under varied environmental conditions.
  • Analysis of how parameters like temperature, pH, and ionic strength affect catalytic activity.

Main Results:

  • Catalytic nucleic acids exhibit varying degrees of activity and stability under different physicochemical conditions.
  • Some ribozymes and deoxyribozymes demonstrate remarkable adaptation to non-physiological environments.
  • The findings highlight the potential for nucleic acid catalysis to function under plausible early Earth conditions.

Conclusions:

  • Nucleic acid enzymes possess a degree of resilience and adaptability relevant to prebiotic chemistry.
  • Understanding catalysis under extreme conditions is critical for reconstructing the origins of life.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the capabilities of nucleic acid enzymes in early Earth scenarios.