title: Insights into functional modulation of catalytic RNA activity.
abstract: RNA molecules play critical roles in cell biology, and novel findings continuously broaden their functional repertoires. Apart from their well-documented participation in protein synthesis, it is now apparent that several noncoding RNAs (i.e., micro-RNAs and riboswitches) also participate in the regulation of gene expression. The discovery of catalytic RNAs had profound implications on our views concerning the evolution of life on our planet at a molecular level. A characteristic attribute of RNA, probably traced back to its ancestral origin, is the ability to interact with and be modulated by several ions and molecules of different sizes. The inhibition of ribosome activity by antibiotics has been extensively used as a therapeutical approach, while activation and substrate-specificity alteration have the potential to enhance the versatility of ribozyme-based tools in translational research. In this review, we will describe some representative examples of such modulators to illustrate the potential of catalytic RNAs as tools and targets in research and clinical approaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Rio-Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Anastassios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vourekas
authors.forename: Vassiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stamatopoulou
authors.forename: Chrisavgi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Toumpeki
authors.forename: Marianthi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsitlaidou
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Drainas
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D002413:Cations, Divalent / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007438:Introns; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011487:Protein Conformation; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D043262:Ribonuclease P / Q000378:metabolism; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013095:Spermidine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013096:Spermine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002413:Cations, Divalent; D016337:RNA, Catalytic; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D013096:Spermine; D043262:Ribonuclease P; D013095:Spermidine