RNA folds into complex structures that allows it to perform many biological functions, similar to the functional diversity seen in proteins. Twister ribozymes, a recently discovered class of small self-cleaving RNAs, have been extensively studied in vitro. However, little is known about their roles in vivo. Twister ribozymes belonging to the staple crop rice (Oryza sativa) are found in several different genetic contexts. Some are intergenic while others are associated with predicted disease resistance transcripts. In order to better understand the biological role of twister ribozymes in Oryza sativa, the influence of flanking sequences and their ability to modulate ribozyme activity is being investigated. The secondary structures of these ribozymes with their flanking sequences were modeled with predictive structure folding programs to illustrate potential interactions between the ribozyme and its flanking regions. Co-transcriptional assays were then utilized to measure the rate of cleavage for the ribozymes with and without their native flanking sequences. Preliminary results have demonstrated that the presence of flanking sequences either inhibits or promotes ribozyme activity.

Investigating the influence of flanking sequences on twister ribozyme activity in Oryza sativa

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ACS Fall 2022

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