Mini-ribozymes and freezing environment: a new scenario for the early RNA world A. V. Vlassov Somagenics, Inc., 2161 Delaware ave., Santa Cruz, California 95060, USA Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, 8, Lavrentiev ave., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia Received: 4 October 2005 – Accepted: 8 November 2005 – Published: 16 November 2005 Correspondence to: A. V. Vlassov (avlassov@so...

In vitro selection was used to isolate Mg(2+)-dependent self-cleaving ribozymes from random sequence. Characterization of representative clones revealed the emergence of at least 12 classes of ribozymes that adopt distinct secondary structure motifs. Only one class corresponds to a previously known structural motif, that of the naturally occurring hammerhead ribozyme. Each ribozyme promotes sel...

Catalytic RNAs, or ribozymes, are a fossil record of the ancient molecular evolution of life on earth and still provide the essential core of macromolecule synthesis in all life forms today. Are they also an avenue to the development of new catalysts to recreate evolution, or to use as therapeutics and molecule sensors.

In this work, two types of solvents ethanol or water were used in preparation of the LaFeO3 catalysts by citrate sol gel method. The obtained samples were subjected to various calcination temperatures in order to study the catalytic activity and stability for methanol electro-oxidation by XRD, cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The crystallinity of the LaFeO3 ph...

Various antibacterial fluoroquinolone compounds were prepared by the direct amination of 7-halo-6- fluoroquinolone-3-carboxylic acids with a variety of piperazine derivatives and (4aR,7aR)-octahydro-1H-pyrrolo[3,4-b] pyridine using Zirconia Sulfuric Acid (ZrSA) nanoparticle, as a catalyst in the presence of ordinary or magnetized water upon reflux condition. The results showed that ZrSA exh...

Structure determination of the catalytic domains of two members of the kinesin superfamily reveals that this class of molecular motor exhibits the same architecture as myosin and suggests that these microtubule- and actin-based motors arose from a common ancestor.

Over the past 35 years, RNA has become a molecule of utmost interest for researchers in the life sciences. The many functions that RNA fulfills in the cellular machinery have been elucidated with constant progress, revealing a complex network of RNA-mediated regulation of key processes in the cellular life cycle [...].

The Varkud satellite ribozyme is the largest of the small nucleolytic ribozymes, and the only one for which there is no crystal structure. It can be divided into a trans -acting ribozyme, consisting of five helices organized by two three-way helical junctions, and a stem-loop substrate with which it interacts, primarily by tertiary interactions. We have determined the global fold of the ribozym...

Antisense molecules and ribozymes capture the imagination with their promise of rational drug design and exquisite specificity. However, they are far more difficult to produce than was originally anticipated, and their ability to eliminate the function of a single gene has never been proven. Furthermore, a wide variety of unexpected non-antisense effects have come to light. Although some of the...

S ince the identification of the first artificial deoxyribozyme (DNA enzyme, DNAzyme) in 1994, significant progress has been made in our fundamental understanding of DNA’s capabilities as a catalyst. Many efforts have also used deoxyribozymes as critical components within analytical applications. This review addresses some of the recent developments in the area of DNA catalysis, with focus on d...