Background When large RNAs fold into compact structures, negatively charged phosphate
groups are brought into close proximity. Compaction of RNA requires inorganic cations and …

The discovery of RNA-catalyzed phosphodiester bond cleavage by Cech and Altman in
1982− 1983 shattered the paradigm of protein-dependent biological catalysis and opened …

An extremely small proportion of the X-ray crystal structures deposited in the Protein Data
Bank are of RNA or RNA–protein complexes. This is due to three main obstacles to the …

PreQ1 riboswitches regulate genes by binding the pyrrolopyrimidine intermediate preQ1
during the biosynthesis of the essential tRNA base queuosine. We report what is to our …

The twister ribozyme motif has been identified by bioinformatic means very recently.
Currently, four crystal structures with ordered active sites together with a series of chemical …

The use of high hydrostatic pressure to investigate structure–function relationships in
biomacromolecules in solution provides precise information about conformational changes …

The hepatitis delta virus ribozyme catalyzes an RNA cleavage reaction using a catalytic
nucleobase and a divalent metal ion. The catalytic base, C75, serves as a general acid and …

Volume 17, entitled Lead: Its Effects on Environment and Health of the series Metal Ions in
Life Sciences centers on the interrelations between biosystems and lead. The book provides …

Riboswitches are small noncoding RNAs found primarily in the 5′ leader regions of
bacterial messenger RNAs where they regulate expression of downstream genes in …

Ribozymes employ diverse catalytic strategies in their self-cleavage mechanisms, including
the use of divalent metal ions. This work explores the effects of Mg2+ ions in the active site of …