Difference between revisions of "Ribozyme Switch"

Revision as of 11:22, 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
    • Helix-slipping based switch
    • Strand-displacement based switch

See also Riboswitches for additional information

Experimental Design

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

Strand-Displacement

http://www.pnas.org/content/vol104/issue36/images/large/zpq0340773700002.jpeg

Helix-Slipping

http://www.pnas.org/content/vol104/issue36/images/large/zpq0340773700003.jpeg

Results

Link to Main Page

Applications of Ribozymes in Synthetic Systems - Danielle Jordan