RNA structure. Ribozyme evolution at the crossroads.
Molecules that have similar sequences usually adopt the same structures and have the same functions. In his Perspective, Joyce explains that this is not always the case. In a remarkable study (Schultes and Bartel), an RNA sequence has been designed that can adopt two different structures, each with a different catalytic function. Joyce details how this study sheds light on the evolution of enzymes.
Joyce
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Department of Chemistry, Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. gjoyce@scripps.edu
D020029:Base Pairing; D001483:Base Sequence; D002384:Catalysis; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D016337:RNA, Catalytic