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

Nucleic Acid Structure01:25

Nucleic Acid Structure

7.6K
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...
7.6K
Nucleic Acids02:43

Nucleic Acids

47.0K
Nucleic acids are the most important macromolecules for the continuity of life. They carry the cell's genetic blueprint and carry instructions for its functioning.
DNA and RNA
The two main types of nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). DNA is the genetic material in all living organisms, ranging from single-celled bacteria to multicellular mammals. It is in the nucleus of eukaryotes and in the organelles, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. In prokaryotes,...
47.0K
Ribozymes02:47

Ribozymes

12.8K
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...
12.8K
RNA Interference01:23

RNA Interference

26.8K
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...
26.8K
Nucleic acids02:43

Nucleic acids

179.1K
Nucleic acids are the most important macromolecules for the continuity of life. They carry the cell's genetic blueprint and carry instructions for its functioning.
DNA and RNA
The two main types of nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). DNA is the genetic material in all living organisms, ranging from single-celled bacteria to multicellular mammals. It is in the nucleus of eukaryotes and in the organelles, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. In prokaryotes,...
179.1K
RNA Splicing01:32

RNA Splicing

57.9K
Splicing is the process by which eukaryotic RNA is edited before its translation into protein. The RNA strand transcribed from eukaryotic DNA is called the primary transcript. The primary transcripts that become mRNAs are called precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs). Eukaryotic pre-mRNA contains alternating sequences of exons and introns. Exons are nucleotide sequences that code for proteins, whereas introns are the non-coding regions. In RNA splicing, introns are removed and exons are bonded...
57.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

De novo design of RNA pseudoknots with deep learning.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Structures of nucleotide-bound human telomerase at several steps of its telomeric DNA repeat addition cycle.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Template-based RNA structure prediction advanced through a blind code competition.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Blind prediction of complex water and ion ensembles around RNA in CASP16.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Compact RNA sensors for increasingly complex functions of multiple inputs.

Nature chemistry·2025
Same author

Blind Prediction of Complex Water and Ion Ensembles Around RNA in CASP16.

Proteins·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 21, 2025

Nanomanipulation of Single RNA Molecules by Optical Tweezers
06:59

Nanomanipulation of Single RNA Molecules by Optical Tweezers

Published on: August 20, 2014

15.0K

How to Kinetically Dissect an RNA Machine.

Rhiju Das1,2, Rick Russell3

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States.

Biochemistry
|September 7, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

RNA machines are vital in biology and medicine. Two key papers from Herschlag and Cech demonstrate kinetic approaches to dissecting RNA enzyme mechanisms for broader insights.

More Related Videos

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

6.4K
Optical Tweezers to Study RNA-Protein Interactions in Translation Regulation
12:26

Optical Tweezers to Study RNA-Protein Interactions in Translation Regulation

Published on: February 12, 2022

5.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 21, 2025

Nanomanipulation of Single RNA Molecules by Optical Tweezers
06:59

Nanomanipulation of Single RNA Molecules by Optical Tweezers

Published on: August 20, 2014

15.0K
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

6.4K
Optical Tweezers to Study RNA-Protein Interactions in Translation Regulation
12:26

Optical Tweezers to Study RNA-Protein Interactions in Translation Regulation

Published on: February 12, 2022

5.3K

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules function as complex machines in biological systems, catalyzing essential reactions.
  • Understanding the intricate mechanisms of these RNA-based machines is crucial for both fundamental biology and therapeutic development.

Observation:

  • The 1990 studies by Herschlag and Cech on the *Tetrahymena thermophila* ribozyme offer a detailed kinetic analysis.
  • These papers exemplify a rigorous experimental strategy for dissecting RNA enzyme function.

Findings:

  • The research demonstrates a systematic approach to defining kinetic frameworks for RNA catalysis.
  • Key steps include quantitative kinetic measurements, cross-checks, and comparative analyses across mutants and RNA systems.

Implications:

  • This mechanistic dissection provides a generalizable strategy for understanding diverse RNA machines.
  • The insights gained are essential for advancing RNA-based therapeutics and synthetic biology applications.