Catalytic RNA Vocabulary

Flashcards on Catalytic RNA based on BIO 330 Lecture Notes.

Ribozyme

An RNA molecule that has catalytic activity.

RNA Editing

A change of sequence at the level of RNA following transcription.

Group I Intron Self-Splicing

Requires two metal ions and a guanosine nucleotide for autosplicing in vitro.

Transesterification

A reaction in which bonds are exchanged directly, and by which splicing occurs, without requiring input of energy.

Group I Intron Secondary Structure

Forms a secondary structure with nine duplex regions, with cores of regions P3, P4, P6, and P7 having catalytic activity.

Riboswitch

A catalytic RNA whose activity responds to a small ligand.

Mobile Introns

Able to insert themselves into new sites, encoding an endonuclease that makes a double-strand break at a target site.

Intron Homing

The ability of certain introns to insert themselves into a target DNA.

Group II Introns

Can autosplice in vitro but are usually assisted by protein activities encoded in the intron; specifies a protein with reverse transcriptase activity, maturase activity, a DNA-binding motif, and a DNA endonuclease.

Maturases

Activities encoded within the intron that may be required by Autosplicing introns to assist folding into the active catalytic structure.

Ribonuclease P (RNase P)

A ribonucleoprotein in which the RNA has catalytic activity; essential for bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes.

Viroids and Virusoids

Form a hammerhead structure that has a self-cleaving activity; viroids are not encapsulated, while virusoids are encapsulated in plant viruses.

RNA Editing at Individual Bases

Site-specific deaminations catalyzed by cytidine and adenosine deaminases that change the coding sequence.

Guide RNAs

Provide the template for addition (or less often, deletion) of uridines during RNA editing.

Editosome

A complex of endonuclease, exonuclease, terminal uridyl transferase activity, and RNA ligase that catalyzes RNA editing.

Intein

Has the ability to catalyze its own removal from a protein in such a way that the flanking exteins are connected.

Protein Splicing

Catalyzed by the intein, connecting exteins by removing the intein from the protein.