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PMID: 19125157 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

A natural ribozyme with 3',5' RNA ligase activity.

Nature chemical biology ·Vol. 5 ·No. 2 ·2009-02-00 ·Pages 97-9

Vicens Q, Cech TR

Abstract

Using electrophoresis, sequencing and enzymatic digestion, we show that the group I intron from the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 catalyzes phosphodiester bond formation using a triphosphate on the 5'-terminal nucleotide, much like protein polymerases and engineered ribozymes. In the process, this ribozyme forms a unique circular RNA that incorporates the exogenous guanosine cofactor added during self-splicing. This finding may have relevance to a prebiotic RNA world and to modern biology.

MeSH Terms
Anabaena/enzymology,genetics Catalysis Introns RNA Ligase (ATP)/metabolism RNA, Catalytic/metabolism
Chemicals
RNA, Catalytic RNA Ligase (ATP)
Authors & Affiliations
2 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Vicens Quentin
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, UCB 215, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0215, USA. quentin.vicens@colorado.edu
Cech Thomas R
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Article Info
Journal
Nature chemical biology
Abbr.
Nat Chem Biol
ISSN
1552-4469
DOI
10.1038/nchembio.136
Email
quentin.vicens@colorado.edu
Published
2009-02-00
Epub
2009-00-04
Pages
97-9
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
101231976
PMCID
PMC2897744
Subset
IM
Grants
Howard Hughes Medical Institute · United States
Databases
PubChem-Substance
56413296, 56413297, 56413298, 56413299, 56413300, 56413301, 56413302, 56413303, 56413304, 56413305
Corrections
CommentIn
PMID: 19148171
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.136 PMC Full Text View journal details
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