An RNA polymerase ribozyme that synthesizes its own ancestor

Tjhung, Katrina F.; Shokhirev, Maxim N.; Horning, David P.; Joyce, Gerald F.

doi:10.1073/pnas.1914282117

Cited by 95 publications

(133 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Alternatively, the discovery of RNA-only self-replicators strongly supports the "RNA world" theory, which is another possibility. [28,29] One potential application of our finding is to mutate these simple rRNA fragments to test hypothetical catalytic residues at the peptidyl center. Although a major catalytic mechanism of the ribosome is to position the substrates at proximity, it remains unclear whether any chemical catalytic mechanism is involved.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Protein-Free ribosomal RNA scaffolds can assemble poly-lysine oligos from charged tRNA fragments

Wang

2021

Preprint

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Ribosomal protein synthesis is a central process of the modern biological world. Because the ribosome contains proteins itself, it is very important to understand its precursor and evolution. Small ribozymes have demonstrated the principle of “RNA world” hypothesis, but protein free peptide ligase remains elusive. In this report, we have identified two fragments in the peptidyl transfer center that can synthesize a 9-mer poly-lysine in a solution contains Mg2+. This result is deduced from isotope-shifting in high resolution MS. To our best knowledge, this is the longest peptide oligo that can be synthesized by a pure ribozyme. Via single molecule FRET experiments, we have demonstrated the ligase mechanism was probably by substrate proximity via dimerization. We prospect that these RNA fragments can be useful to synthesize template free natural and non-natural peptides, to be model system for peptidyl transfer reaction mechanism and can shed light to the evolution of ribosome.Table of Content Graph

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Protein-Free ribosomal RNA scaffolds can assemble poly-lysine oligos from charged tRNA fragments

Wang

2021

Preprint

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“…The ptc1a and 1b molecules in this report are examples. Alternatively, the discovery of RNA-only self-replicators strongly supports the “RNA world” theory, which is another possibility [ 28 , 29 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protein-free ribosomal RNA scaffolds can assemble poly-lysine oligos from charged tRNA fragments

Wang

2021

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications

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Ribosomal protein synthesis is a central process of the modern biological world. Because the ribosome contains proteins itself, it is very important to understand its precursor and evolution. Small ribozymes have demonstrated the principle of “RNA world” hypothesis, but protein free peptide ligase remains elusive. In this report, we have identified two fragments in the peptidyl transfer center that can synthesize a 9-mer poly-lysine in a solution contains Mg 2+ . This result is deduced from isotope-shifting in high resolution MS. To our best knowledge, this is the longest peptide oligo that can be synthesized by a pure ribozyme. Via single molecule FRET experiments, we have demonstrated the ligase mechanism was probably by substrate proximity via dimerization. We prospect that these RNA fragments can be useful to synthesize template free natural and non-natural peptides, to be model system for peptidyl transfer reaction mechanism and can shed light to the evolution of ribosome.

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“…In early protocellular organisms the genome is thought to have consisted of ssRNAs (genes) that formed folded structures with catalyic activity (ribozymes) [16]. If two or more such ssRNAs were present in a protocell they presumably functioned interdependently to promote the viability and reproduction of the protocell.…”

Section: Genome Repair In the Rna Worldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Origin of DNA Repair in the RNA World

Bernstein¹,

Bernstein²

2021

DNA - Damages and Repair Mechanisms

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The early history of life on Earth likely included a stage in which life existed as self-replicating protocells with single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) genomes. In this RNA world, genome damage from a variety of sources (spontaneous hydrolysis, UV, etc.) would have been a problem for survival. Selection pressure for dealing with genome damage would have led to adaptive strategies for mitigating the damage. In today’s world, RNA viruses with ssRNA genomes are common, and these viruses similarly need to cope with genome damage. Thus ssRNA viruses can serve as models for understanding the early evolution of genome repair. As the ssRNA protocells in the early RNA world evolved, the RNA genome likely gave rise, through a series of evolutionary stages, to the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genome. In ssRNA to dsDNA evolution, genome repair processes also likely evolved to accommodate this transition. Some of the basic features of ssRNA genome repair appear to have been retained in descendants with dsDNA genomes. In particular, a type of strand-switching recombination occurs when ssRNA replication is blocked by a damage in the template strand. Elements of this process appear to have a central role in recombinational repair processes during meiosis and mitosis of descendant dsDNA organisms.

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An RNA polymerase ribozyme that synthesizes its own ancestor

Cited by 95 publications

References 40 publications

Protein-Free ribosomal RNA scaffolds can assemble poly-lysine oligos from charged tRNA fragments

Protein-Free ribosomal RNA scaffolds can assemble poly-lysine oligos from charged tRNA fragments

Protein-free ribosomal RNA scaffolds can assemble poly-lysine oligos from charged tRNA fragments

Origin of DNA Repair in the RNA World

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