title: An important piece of the RNase P jigsaw solved.
abstract: RNase P is the ribonucleoprotein enzyme that generates the mature 5' ends of tRNAs throughout all three kingdoms of life. Long known to function as a ribozyme in bacteria and several archaea, it has remained unclear if eukaryal RNase P has entirely lost this RNA-alone catalytic capacity (i.e. the ability to perform catalysis even if the protein part of the enzyme is removed). This controversial debate has now ended after the recent demonstration that eukaryal RNase P also exhibits ribozyme activity.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Pharmazeutische Chemie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, D-35037 Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Dagmar K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Willkomm
authors.forename: Roland K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Hartmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001105:Archaea / Q000201:enzymology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D043262:Ribonuclease P / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D012322:RNA Precursors; D004722:Endoribonucleases; C058330:mitochondrial RNA-processing endoribonuclease; D043262:Ribonuclease P