Westhof E, Masquida B, Jaeger L
Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS-UPR 9002, Strasbourg, France.
Fold Des. 1996;1(4):R78-88. doi: 10.1016/S1359-0278(96)00037-5.
Our understanding of the structural, folding and catalytic properties of RNA molecules has increased enormously in recent years. The discovery of catalytic RNA molecules by Sidney Altman and Tom Cech, the development of in vitro selection procedures, and the recent crystallizations of hammerhead ribozymes and of a large domain of an autocatalytic group 1 intron are some of the milestones that have contributed to the explosion of the RNA field. The availability of a three-dimensional model for the catalytic core of group 1 introns contributed also a heuristic drive toward the development of new techniques and approaches for unravelling RNA architecture, folding and stability. Here, we emphasize the mosaic structure of RNA and review some of the recent literature pertinent to this working framework. In the long run, RNA tectonics aims at constructing combinatorial libraries, using RNA mosaic units for creating molecules with dedicated shapes and properties.
近年来，我们对RNA分子的结构、折叠和催化特性的理解有了极大的提高。西德尼·奥尔特曼和汤姆·切赫发现催化性RNA分子、体外筛选程序的发展以及锤头状核酶和自催化I组内含子的一个大结构域最近的结晶，都是推动RNA领域蓬勃发展的一些里程碑。I组内含子催化核心的三维模型的可得性也为开发用于揭示RNA结构、折叠和稳定性的新技术和方法提供了启发。在这里，我们强调RNA的镶嵌结构，并回顾一些与这个工作框架相关的近期文献。从长远来看，RNA构造学旨在构建组合文库，利用RNA镶嵌单元来创造具有特定形状和特性的分子。
