Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Nat Chem Biol. 2021 Apr;17(4):375-382. doi: 10.1038/s41589-020-00713-2. Epub 2021 Jan 25.
The RNA World theory encompasses the hypothesis that sophisticated ribozymes and riboswitches were the primary drivers of metabolic processes in ancient organisms. Several types of catalytic RNAs and many classes of ligand-sensing RNA switches still exist in modern cells. Curiously, allosteric ribozymes formed by the merger of RNA enzyme and RNA switch components are largely absent in today's biological systems. This is true despite the striking abundances of various classes of both self-cleaving ribozymes and riboswitch aptamers. Here we present the known types of ligand-controlled ribozymes and riboswitches and discuss the possible reasons why fused ribozyme-aptamer constructs have been disfavored through evolution.
RNA 世界理论包含这样一种假说，即复杂的核酶和核糖开关是古代生物代谢过程的主要驱动因素。在现代细胞中仍然存在几种类型的催化 RNA 和许多类别的配体感应 RNA 开关。奇怪的是，由 RNA 酶和 RNA 开关成分融合形成的变构核酶在当今的生物系统中基本不存在。尽管各种自我切割核酶和核糖开关适体的丰度都很高，但事实确实如此。在这里，我们介绍了已知类型的配体控制核酶和核糖开关，并讨论了为什么通过进化融合核酶-适体构建体不受青睐的可能原因。
