RNA editing is a collective term referring to a plethora of reactions that ultimately lead to changes in RNA nucleotide sequence apart from splicing, 5' capping or 3' end processing. Spread throughout the Eukarya, RNA editing creates genetic information de novo, alters decoding capacity, or influences structure and stability of RNA by inserting, deleting or modifying nucleotides. Evolutionarily unrelated, co-transcriptional or post-transcriptional mechanisms include RNA polymerase stuttering, guide RNA-directed cascades of nucleolytic and phosphoryl transfer reactions, site-specific deamination and others. Here, I discuss recent advances in the enzymology of various RNA editing systems, focusing on the diversity of mechanisms that change the RNA sequence in order to fulfill a specific biological function, even if the latter is not always apparent.
RNA编辑是一个统称，指的是除剪接、5'端加帽或3'端加工之外，最终导致RNA核苷酸序列发生变化的大量反应。RNA编辑遍布真核生物界，通过插入、删除或修饰核苷酸来重新产生遗传信息、改变解码能力或影响RNA的结构和稳定性。进化上不相关的共转录或转录后机制包括RNA聚合酶打滑、引导RNA指导的一系列核酸水解和磷酸转移反应、位点特异性脱氨等。在这里，我将讨论各种RNA编辑系统在酶学方面的最新进展，重点关注改变RNA序列以实现特定生物学功能的机制多样性，即使后者并不总是显而易见的。
