title: Amplification of an RNA ligase ribozyme under alternating temperature conditions.
abstract: Amplification of an RNA template molecule was examined using the ligase ribozyme and its corresponding RNA substrates under alternating temperature conditions. Alternating temperatures enhanced the rate of the thermodynamically unfavorable dissociation of the annealed products into the two separate RNA templates, reminiscent of the polymerase chain reaction. Under these conditions, the RNA ligase ribozyme system was observed to amplify through a mainly cross-catalytic process, generating additional copies of the starting RNA template molecules. Thus, template-directed RNA ligation using the ribozyme under thermally fluctuating conditions will be an intriguing point to consider when explaining the primordial event of chemical evolution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Konkuk University, 1 Hwayang-Dong, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul 143-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ki-Sun
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sangtaek
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Sung Su
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Yea
authors.forename: Moon-Young
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Dong-Eun
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002384:Catalysis; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000737:chemistry; D019020:Directed Molecular Evolution; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011130:RNA Ligase (ATP) / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D016337:RNA, Catalytic; D014764:Viral Proteins; C062210:bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; D011130:RNA Ligase (ATP)