Electrostatic interactions are fundamental to RNA structure and function, and intimately
influenced by solvation and the ion atmosphere. RNA enzymes, or ribozymes, are catalytic …

Ribozymes are often perceived as part of an antiquated catalytic arsenal hearkening back to
a pre-biotic RNA World that was eventually supplanted by proteins. However, recent …

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 …

One mechanism by which ribozymes can accelerate biological reactions is by adopting folds
that favorably perturb nucleobase ionization. Herein we used Raman crystallography to …

In vitro selection was used to isolate five classes of allosteric hammerhead ribozymes that
are triggered by binding to certain divalent metal ion effectors. Each of these ribozyme …

Catalysis in living cells is carried out by both proteins and RNA. Protein enzymes have been
known for over 200 years, but RNA enzymes, or “ribozymes”, were discovered only 30 years …

Catalysis by the hairpin ribozyme is stimulated by a wide range of both simple and complex
metallic and organic cations. This independence from divalent metal ion binding …

Understanding the catalytic mechanisms of RNA enzymes remains an important and
intriguing challenge—one that has grown in importance since the recent demonstration that …

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 …

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 …