An RNA Triangle with Six Ribozyme Units Can Promote a <i>Trans</i>-Splicing Reaction through Trimerization of Unit Ribozyme Dimers

Abstract

Ribozymes are catalytic RNAs that are attractive platforms for the construction of nanoscale objects with biological functions. We designed a dimeric form of the Tetrahymena group I ribozyme as a unit structure in which two ribozymes were connected in a tail-to-tail manner with a linker element. We introduced a kink-turn motif as a bent linker element of the ribozyme dimer to design a closed trimer with a triangular shape. The oligomeric states of the resulting ribozyme dimers (kUrds) were analyzed biochemically and observed directly by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Formation of kUrd oligomers also triggered trans-splicing reactions, which could be monitored with a reporter system to yield a fluorescent RNA aptamer as the trans-splicing product.

Keywords

• catalytic RNA
• group I ribozyme
• RNA nanostructure
• RNA nanotechnology
• RNA-protein complex
• <i>trans</i>-splicing