Ribozyme
Ribozyme is an RNA molecules which possess a catalytic activity due to the tertiary structure that it forms [1]. One of the examples of the ribozyme is the 23S rRNA which is responsible for catalyzing the linkage of to adjacent amino acids by a peptide bond during the process of translation [2]. The ribozymes were first discovered by two American scientist: Thomas Cech and Sidney Altman in 1970s. 20 years later they won a Nobel Prize for "discovery of catalytic properties of RNA" [3]. Some ribozymes can be known to be 'self splicing' as shown in an experiement performed by Thomas Cech in the 1980s. This property was seen to be present in the Tetrahymena Ribozyme which was able to cut a section of RNA into smaller sections. This conclusion was made as intron removal occured without there being any protein catalyst present. All forms of ribozymes are often used as evidence for the RNA world hypothesis.
The hammerhead ribozyme aids self-cleavage of RNA in some organisms and are being investigated for their ability to treat some forms of cancer as well as HIV infection[4][5][6].
References
- ↑ Berg J., Tymoczko J., Stryer L. (2007) Biochemistry, 6th edition, New York: WH Freeman.
- ↑ Berg J., Tymoczko J., Stryer L. (2007) Biochemistry, 6th edition, New York: WH Freeman.
- ↑ Nobelprize.org "The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1989". Available at: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1989/ (last accessed 5 Dec 2010)
- ↑ http://www.callutheran.edu/BioDev/omm/hhribozyme/hhribo.htm
- ↑ Kleinsmith L., Kish V (1995). Principles of cell and molecular biology. 2nd ed. New York: HarperCollins. 482.
- ↑ http://www.callutheran.edu/BioDev/omm/hhribozyme/hhribo.htm