A structural analysis of in vitro catalytic activities of hammerhead ribozymes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ribozymes are small catalytic RNAs that possess the dual functions of sequence-specific RNA recognition and site-specific cleavage. Trans-cleaving ribozymes can inhibit translation of genes at the messenger RNA (mRNA) level in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems and are thus useful tools for studies of gene function. However, identification of target sites for efficient cleavage poses a challenge. Here, we have considered a number of structural and thermodynamic parameters that can affect the efficiency of target cleavage, in an attempt to identify rules for the selection of functional ribozymes.

Results

We employed the Sfold program for RNA secondary structure prediction, to account for the likely population of target structures that co-exist in dynamic equil

SUBMITTER: Shao Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2238771 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature