Ribozyme Switch

A ribozyme switch (or riboswitch) 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