Minimal twister sister (TS)-like self-cleaving ribozymes in the human genome revealed by deep mutational scanning

• DOI: 10.7554/elife.90254.2
• Publication Date: 2024-10-02T08:25:06Z
• Authors: Zhe Zhang; Xu Hong; Peng Xiong; Junfeng Wang; Yaoqi Zhou; Jian Zhan
• Keywords: 0303 health sciences; Biomedical and clinical sciences; covariation; QH301-705.5; Science; Q; R; Health sciences; 540; catalytic RNA; Biological sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; deep mutational scanning; Biochemistry and Chemical Biology; self-cleaving ribozyme; Medicine; Biology (General); RNA structure

Despite their importance in a wide range of living organisms, self-cleaving ribozymes the human genome are few and poorly studied. Here, we performed deep mutational scanning covariance analysis two previously proposed (LINE-1 OR4K15). We found that regions essential for ribozyme activities made short segments, with total 35 31 nucleotides only. The discovery makes them simplest known ribozymes. Moreover, circular permutated nearly identical catalytic internal loops, supported by stems different lengths. These ribozymes, which shape like lanterns, similar to twister sister terms sequence secondary structure. However, at cleavage site have shown effects on sisterlike (TS-like) from ribozyme. TS-like reveals class and, perhaps, most primitive structure needed self-cleavage.