Difference between revisions of "Ribozyme Switch"

Revision as of 08:03, 6 December 2007

A ribozyme switch is a part of an mRNA that can directly bind to a small target molecule and whose binding affects the gene's ability. There are two aspects of a riboswitch, the aptamer and the expression platform. The aptamer portion binds to a target molecules and changes shape, affecting the expression platform, which is how gene expression is regulated. Some types of riboswitch mechanisms include:

• Formation of transcription termination hairpins
• Blockage of translation by folding to isolate ribosome-binding sites
• Effect of folding on splicing of mRNA
• Self-cleavage ribozymes that cleave themselves in the presence of a target molecule
  • This paper focuses on self-cleaving ribozymes with an aptamer sequence and a hammerhead ribozyme sequence
    • Strand-Displacement based switch
    • Helix-Slipping based switch

See also Riboswitches for additional information

Experimental Design

http://www.pnas.org/content/vol104/issue36/images/large/zpq0340773700001.jpeg

Strand-Displacement

Helix-Slipping

Results

Modularity and Specificity of Strand-Displacement-based Ribozyme Switches

http://www.pnas.org/content/vol104/issue36/images/medium/zpq0340773700005.gif

Examples of Modularity of Various Ribozyme switches in Cellular Engineering Applications

http://www.pnas.org/content/vol104/issue36/images/medium/zpq0340773700006.gif

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