Minimal Hammerhead Ribozymes with Uncompromised Catalytic Activity.

ABSTRACT: We report here that a single additional trans-Hoogsteen base-pairing interaction in the minimal hammerhead ribozyme transforms an RNA sequence possessing typically modest catalytic activity into one possessing greatly enhanced catalytic activity that is instead typical of full-length natural hammerhead RNAs that have additional extensive tertiary contact interactions. Formation of this additional base-pairing interaction requires only that the substrate RNA sequence contains a U at a position seven nucleotides 3' to the cleavage site. No additions or changes are required in the minimal hammerhead ribozyme enzyme strand sequence (providing that the naturally occurring GUGA tetraloop of Stem II is maintained). This finding unambiguously demonstrates that a single Hoogsteen base-pairing inter

SUBMITTER: O'Rourke SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4464905 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature