Evolutionary optimization of a modular ligase ribozyme: a small catalytic unit and a hairpin motif masking an element that could form an inactive structure.

ABSTRACT: The YFL ribozyme is an artificial ligase ribozyme isolated by a 'design and selection' strategy, in which a modular catalytic unit was generated on a rationally designed modular scaffold RNA. This ligase ribozyme has a versatile catalytic unit that accepts not only beta-nicotinamide mononucleotide (beta-NMN) but also inorganic pyrophosphate as leaving groups for template-dependent RNA ligation. Although this property is interesting from an evolutionary viewpoint regarding primitive RNA ligation/polymerization systems in the RNA world, structural analysis of the YFL ribozyme has not been continued due to apparent structural nonuniformity of its folded state. To elucidate the active structure of the YFL ribozyme, we performed in vitro evolution experiments to improve its folding ability. Bio

SUBMITTER: Fujita Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2879505 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature