Natural and Artificial Versions of The Hairpin Ribozyme
The hairpin ribozyme has been identified in only 3 naturally occurring sequences:
- satellite RNA of tobacco ringspot virus (sTRSV)
- satellite RNA of chicory yellow mottle virus (sCYMV)
- satellite RNA of arabis mosaic virus (sARMV)
Smaller artificial versions of the hairpin ribozyme have been developed to enable a more detailed experimental analysis of the molecule. This is a commonly used strategy for separating those parts of a self-processing RNA molecule that are essential for the RNA processing reactions from those parts which serve unrelated functions. Through this process, a 50 nucleotide minimal catalytic domain and a 14 nucleotide substrate were identified. Using these artificially derived sequences, a trans-acting ribozyme was developed that can catalyze the cleavage of multiple substrate molecules. This strategy was important in that it allowed investigators to (i) apply biochemical methods for enzymatic analysis, (ii) conduct experiments to identify essential structural elements of the ribozyme-substrate complex, and (iii) develop engineered ribozymes that have been used for biomedical applications, including preventing the replication of pathogenic viruses, and the study of the function of individual genes.
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