title: Ribozymes--why so many, why so few?
abstract: The RNA world scenario posits the existence of catalytic and genetic networks whose reactions are catalyzed by RNAs. Substantial progress has been made in recent years in the selection of RNA catalysts by SELEX, thus verifying one prediction of the model. However, many selected catalysts are long molecules, leading to a question of whether they could have been synthesized by a primitive replicator. It is proposed that the efficiency of some small ribozymes may have been augmented by other RNAs acting as transactivators.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri-Columbia, 65212, USA. schmidtf@missouri.edu
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D002384:Catalysis; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000502:physiology; D000069497:Origin of Life; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D009696:Nucleic Acids; D016337:RNA, Catalytic