Influence of threose nucleoside units on the catalytic activity of a hammerhead ribozyme.
TNA (alpha-L-threose nucleic acids) is potentially a natural nucleic acid, that might have acted as an evolutionary alternative of RNA. We determined the catalytic activity of hammerhead ribozymes containing a threofuranosyl-modified nucleoside at position U4 and U7, and compared these results with those obtained from HNA (hexitol nucleic acids) insertion into the same ribozyme. Our experiments showed that, although the threofuranosyl-modified ribozymes still cleave the substrate strand, cleavage activity is highly decreased. It, therefore, seems that TNA can play a functional role in the RNA world, but only to a limited extent.
Kempeneers
Veerle
V
Laboratory for Medicinal Chemistry, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, B-3000 Leuven.
Froeyen
Mattheus
M
Vastmans
Karen
K
Herdewijn
Piet
P
D002384:Catalysis; D009705:Nucleosides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D013780:Tetroses / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors
D009705:Nucleosides; D016337:RNA, Catalytic; D013780:Tetroses; C427204:hammerhead ribozyme; C073321:erythrose