Difference between revisions of "Ribozyme Switch"

Revision as of 11:05, 20 November 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

See also Riboswitches for additional information

• • • Helix-slipping based switch
    • Strand-displacement based switch

Experimental Design

Applications of Ribozymes in Synthetic Systems - Danielle Jordan