title: An alcohol dehydrogenase ribozyme.
abstract: We report an RNA molecule that exhibits activity analogous to that of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). Directed in vitro evolution was used to enrich nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent redox-active RNAs from a combinatorial pool. The most active ribozyme in the population forms a compact pseudoknotted structure and oxidizes an alcohol seven orders of magnitude faster than the estimated spontaneous rate. Moreover, this ADH RNA was coupled with a redox relay between NADH and flavin adenine dinucleotide to give a NAD+-regeneration system. Our demonstration of the redox ability of RNA adds support to an RNA-based metabolic system in ancient life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260-3000, USA.
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsukiji
authors.forename: Swetansu B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Pattnaik
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suga
mesh_terms: D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000737:chemistry*; D001483:Base Sequence; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005182:Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009243:NAD / Q000737:chemistry; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D009841:Oligonucleotides; D016337:RNA, Catalytic; D009243:NAD; D005182:Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide; D012313:RNA; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase; D010100:Oxygen