Ribozymes: An Introduction

One of the more important new insights in the field of molecular biology in the past 15 years was the discovery that RNA molecules, once thought to be primarily passive carriers of genetic information, can carry out some functions previously ascribed to proteins. Some RNAs are capable of acting as enzymes even in the complete absence of proteins. The reactions observed include cleaving themselves or other RNA molecules, ligation, and
trans
-splicing. Other new biochemical activities are being developed using in vitro selection protocols. The rapid identification of features that allow these catalytic RNA molecules, or ribozymes, to carry out their specific reactions has led to the realization that ribozymes can easily be manipulated to act on novel substrates. These custom-designed RNAs have great potential as therapeutic agents and are becommg a powerful tool for molecular biologists.