Biopolymers and cell. 1995; 11 (1): 20 - 29

PROPERTIES OF RIBOZYME FROM TETRAHYMENA THERMOPHILA

E. S. Fedorenko, D. M. Irodou, V. A. Kordium

Ribozymes are RNA molecules that contain a catalytic core and promote cleavage and ligation substrat RNA. Ribozymes can attain levels of rate enhancement and specificity similar to those of protein enzymes. Some protein enzymes use cofactors including metal ions to facilitate chemical reactions. Ribozymes generally require divalent cations for their activity. The discovery of catalytic RNA has created interest in using RNA enzymes, or «ribozymes», to target the degradation of specific RNA molecules in vivo. Targeted destruction of viral or cellular mRNA, to eliminate the formation of a protein that is dele¬terious in a disease state, has potential therapeutic utility. Targeting also has potential utility for identification of gene fanction, analogous to experiments using anlisense oligonucleotides. The first ribozyme identified was tile self-splising intron of the large subunit ribosomal RNA of the ciliated protozoan, Tetrahymena termophila. This RNA is a member of a phylogenetically diverse family of introns called group I, wich now consists of more than 100 sequenced examples. The purpose of this review is to integrate a great number data available now about Tetrahymena ribozyme.