Self-replication reactions dependent on tertiary interaction motifs in an RNA ligase ribozyme

RNA can function both as an informational molecule and as a catalyst in living organisms. This duality is the premise of the RNA world hypothesis. However, one flaw in the hypothesis that RNA was the most essential molecule in primitive life is that no RNA self-replicating system has been found in nature. To verify whether RNA has the potential for self-replication, we constructed a new RNA self-assembling ribozyme that could have conducted an evolvable RNA self-replication reaction. The artificially designed, in vitro selected ligase ribozyme was employed as a prototype for a self-assembling ribozyme. The ribozyme is composed of two RNA fragments (form R1•Z1) that recognize another R1•Z1 molecule as their substrate and perform the high turnover ligation reaction via two RNA tertiary interaction motifs. Furthermore, the substrate recognition of R1•Z1 is tolerant of mutations, generating diversity in the corresponding RNA self-replicating network. Thus, we propose that our system implies the significance of RNA tertiary motifs in the early RNA molecular evolution of the RNA world. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.