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Insights into functional modulation of catalytic RNA activity
Author(s) -
Vourekas Anastassios,
Stamatopoulou Vassiliki,
Toumpeki Chrisavgi,
Tsitlaidou Marianthi,
Drainas Denis
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
iubmb life
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.132
H-Index - 113
eISSN - 1521-6551
pISSN - 1521-6543
DOI - 10.1002/iub.105
Subject(s) - ribozyme , rna , riboswitch , computational biology , ribosome , biology , rna world hypothesis , gene expression , non coding rna , translation (biology) , gene , long non coding rna , ligase ribozyme , microbiology and biotechnology , messenger rna , chemistry , genetics
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. © 2008 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 60(10): 669–683, 2008.