Single atom substitutions provide an exceptional opportunity to investigate RNA structure
and function. Replacing a phosphoryl oxygen with a sulfur represents one of the most …

Site-bound metal ions participate in the catalytic mechanisms of many ribozymes.
Understanding these mechanisms therefore requires knowledge of the specific ligands on …

The viability of living systems depends inextricably on enzymes that catalyze phosphoryl
transfer reactions. For many enzymes in this class, including several ribozymes, divalent …

Deciphering the role of individual metal ions in RNA catalysis is a tremendous challenge, as
numerous metal ions coat the charged backbone of a folded RNA. Metal ion specificity …

Metal ions are critical for catalysis by many RNA and protein enzymes. To understand how
these enzymes use metal ions for catalysis, it is crucial to determine how many metal ions …

Conformational changes are often required for the biological function of RNA molecules. In
the Tetrahymena group I ribozyme reaction, a conformational change has been suggested …

Cations play critical roles in ribozyme structure and catalysis. Unraveling the contributions of
cations as catalytic cofactors is a complex process, due to their role in inducing RNA folding …

Divalent metal ions play a crucial role in catalysis by many RNA and protein enzymes that
carry out phosphoryl transfer reactions, and defining their interactions with substrates is …

The presence of catalytic metal ions in RNA active sites has often been inferred from metal-
ion rescue of modified substrates and sometimes from inhibitory effects of alternative metal …

Many enzymes use metal ions within their active sites to achieve enormous rate
acceleration. Understanding how metal ions mediate catalysis requires elucidation of metal …