The discovery of RNA catalysis provided a paradigm shift in biology, insight into the
evolution of life on the planet and a challenge to understand its mechanistic origins. RNA …

The hairpin ribozyme catalyzes a reversible phosphodiester cleavage reaction. We
examined the roles of conserved nucleobases in catalysis using an abasic ribozyme rescue …

Enzymes are complex macromolecules that catalyze chemical reactions at their active sites.
Important information about catalytic interactions is commonly gathered by perturbation or …

The catalytic mechanisms employed by RNA are chemically more diverse than initially
suspected. Divalent metal ions, nucleobases, ribosyl hydroxyl groups, and even functional …

The potential for water to participate in RNA catalyzed reactions has been the topic of
several recent studies. Here, we report crystals of a minimal, hinged hairpin ribozyme in …

The distribution of cations around nucleic acids is essential for a broad variety of processes
ranging from DNA condensation and RNA folding to the detection of biomolecules in …

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was used to examine changes in
internal structure and dynamics of the hammerhead ribozyme upon metal ion induced …

Catalytically active RNA molecules rely on metal ions for structural and/or catalytic functions.
Our in vitro selected aminoacyl-transferase ribozyme is no exception, as it employs a single …

RNA molecules selectively bind to specific metal ions to populate their functional active
states, making it important to understand their source of ion selectivity. In large RNA …

Although the hammerhead ribozyme is regarded as a prototype for understanding RNA
catalysis, the mechanistic roles of associated metal ions and water molecules in the …