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The spliceosome: a ribozyme at heart?

  • Saba Valadkhan
Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 1. Juli 2007
Biological Chemistry
Aus der Zeitschrift Band 388 Heft 7

Abstract

The spliceosome, the multi-megadalton molecular machine that performs splicing, consists of over 200 different proteins and five small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs). Extensive mechanistic and structural similarities to self-splicing group II introns, large ribozymes found in prokaryotes and lower eukaryotes that catalyze an identical reaction, strongly suggest that the spliceosomal RNAs are in fact the catalytic components of the spliceosome. Of the five spliceosomal RNAs, U2 and U6 are the only ones that are absolutely required for both steps of splicing. These two snRNAs form an elaborate base-paired complex that might in fact constitute the active site of the spliceosome.



Published Online: 2007-07-01

©2007 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York

Heruntergeladen am 9.9.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/BC.2007.080/html
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