MECHANISTIC ANALYSIS OF AN RNA ENZYME IN VIVO

描述(改编自申请人的摘要)：建议的目标 研究是为了开发发夹核酶和机械的力量 以开发详细的、定量的动力学和 活细胞中核糖核酸介导反应的平衡。RNA是至关重要的 负责维护和维护的生物机械的部件 表达遗传信息，提供潜在的靶标和试剂 治疗性干预。核糖核酸构象的动力学和平衡 转换在转录、翻译和RNA加工中起着关键作用 反应。确定特定结构的功能意义和 RNA介导的生物过程中的构象转变是复杂的 通过复杂途径中的许多组件的参与。另一方面， 体外对RNA酶的机理研究已经产生了详细的、 各步骤的动力学和平衡点的定量描述 RNA介导的反应及小分子、RNA结合的影响 蛋白质和RNA组装途径上的RNA转录。 发夹状核酶为rna提供了一个特别有价值的模型系统。 体内结构-功能研究，因为核酶变异体可以这样设计 细胞内的切割活动监控特定的RNA构象 沿反应路径的跃迁。用这个收集的机械洞察力 用于报告特定生物中RNA结构和动力学的简单系统 背景将有助于阐明更复杂的RNA介导反应的机制 为基于RNA的治疗学的发展提供了一个合理的框架。 具体目标包括：建立一个动力学和热力学框架 体内RNA构象转变的机制研究，确定 RNA结构是否表现出不同的构象平衡和动力学 在细胞核和细胞质隔间，决定转录和 翻译影响体内RNA组装途径，表征变构 小分子和蛋白质对RNA结构和功能的调节 体内效应分子，并开发核酶介导的信使核糖核酸修复系统 通过连续的切割和连接反应。机械论的见解 利用发夹状核酶收集的RNA结构和动力学的报告 特定的生物学背景将有助于阐明更复杂的 RNA介导的反应，并为发展 基于RNA的治疗学。

DESCRIPTION (adapted from applicant's abstract): The goal of the proposed research is to exploit the hairpin ribozyme and the power of mechanistic enzymology to develop a detailed, quantitative view of the kinetics and equilibria of RNA-mediated reactions in living cells. RNAs are critical components of the biological machinery responsible for maintenance and expression of genetic information, providing potential targets and reagents for therapeutic intervention. The dynamics and equilibria of RNA conformational transitions play key roles in transcription, translation and RNA processing reactions. Determining the functional significance of specific structures and conformational transitions in RNA-mediated biological processes is complicated by the participation of many components in complex pathways. On the other hand, mechanistic studies of RNA enzymes in vitro have produced detailed, quantitative descriptions of the kinetics and equilibria of individual steps of RNA-mediated reactions and the influence of small molecules, RNA binding proteins, and RNA transcription on RNA assembly pathways. The hairpin ribozyme provides an especially valuable model system for RNA structure-function studies in vivo because ribozyme variants can be designed so that intracellular cleavage activity monitors specific RNA conformational transitions along the reaction pathway. Mechanistic insights gleaned using this simple system to report on RNA structure and dynamics in specific biological contexts will help illuminate mechanisms of more complex RNA-mediated reactions and provide a rational framework for the development of RNA-based therapeutics. Specific goals include: establishing a kinetic and thermodynamic framework for mechanistic studies of RNA conformational transitions in vivo, determining whether RNA structures display different conformational equilibria and dynamics in nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments, determining how transcription and translation influence RNA assembly pathways in vivo, characterizing allosteric regulation of RNA structure and function by small molecule and protein effectors in vivo, and developing a system for ribozyme-mediated mRNA repair through sequential cleavage and ligation reactions. Mechanistic insights gleaned using the hairpin ribozyme to report on RNA structure and dynamics in specific biological contexts will help illuminate mechanisms of more complex RNA-mediated reactions and provide a rational framework for the development of RNA-based therapeutics.