A simulated molecular evolution from minimal catalytic domain of a group I ribozyme.
Catalysis of Group I intron ribozymes is carried out by its core region consisting of two helical domains P4-P6 and P3-P7. Recently, our laboratory showed that a mutant Group I ribozyme lacking both the P4-P6 domain and the base-triples can perform the trans-esterification reactions. The result demonstrates that the elements required for splicing are concentrated in the P3-P7 domain. Based on this result, we carried out in vitro selection experiment starting from newly constructed libraries in the ribozyme lacking the P4-P6 domain and the base-triples. This selection experiment showed unexpected divergency on the limited sequence space for the active ribozymes.
Ohuchi
S J
SJ
Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8224, Japan.
Ikawa
Y
Y
Shiraishi
H
H
Inoue
T
T
D020134:Catalytic Domain; D003198:Computer Simulation; D019020:Directed Molecular Evolution; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012326:RNA Splicing; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
C116167:GIR1 ribozyme; D016337:RNA, Catalytic