Selective Inactivation of Functional RNAs by Ribozyme-Catalyzed Covalent Modification.

 

We demonstrate that artificially evolved RNA enzymes can be used to covalently modify and regulate other functional RNA molecules. RNA molecules that are often used as sensors and actuators in synthetic biology circuits can be regulated by our strategy. In this proof-of-principle study, we used Ribozyme K28min ( A nucleobase-modifying enzyme, see our NAR 2016 paper) to modify critical guanosine residues in the ATP-binding ATP aptamer, fluorescent Mango aptamer, and endonucleolytic RNA enzyme systems. Upon modification, these functional RNAs exhibited either a complete loss in function or attenuation in their respective activity.

 

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acssynbio.6b00222