A reverse transcriptase ribozyme
Open accessAbstract
A highly evolved RNA polymerase ribozyme was found to also be capable of functioning as a reverse transcriptase, an activity that has never been demonstrated before for RNA. This activity is thought to have been crucial for the transition from RNA to DNA genomes during the early history of life on Earth, when it similarly could have arisen as a secondary function of an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. The reverse transcriptase ribozyme can incorporate all four dNTPs and can generate products containing up to 32 deoxynucleotides. It is likely that this activity could be improved through evolution, ultimately enabling the synthesis of complete DNA genomes. DNA is much more stable compared to RNA and thus provides a larger and more secure repository for genetic information.
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The ribozyme can incorporate all four deoxynucleoside 5'-triphosphates at a rate of about one addition per minute and can generate products containing up to 32 deoxynucleotides.
“The ribozyme can incorporate all four deoxynucleoside 5 ′ -triphosphates at a rate of about one addition per minute and can generate products containing up to 32 deoxynucleotides.”
From Protocells and RNA Self-Replication (2018) · cites this paper as Samanta and Joyce 2017
The Abstract states that the ribozyme incorporates all four dNTPs and produces products containing up to 32 deoxynucleotides. The Results report a rate of 1.1 min⁻¹ only for the initial burst, followed by a slower phase at 0.029 min⁻¹; the claim omits that qualification. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe most highly optimized class I polymerase also has the ability to synthesize DNA polymers on an RNA template.
“This most highly optimized class I polymerase also has the ability to synthesize DNA polymers on an RNA template”
From Protocells and RNA Self-Replication (2018) · cites this paper as Samanta and Joyce 2017
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- Authors
- Samanta, B., & Joyce, G. F.
- Affiliations
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies (US)
- Corresponding author
- Joyce, Gerald F
- ORCID
- Joyce, Gerald F
- Venue
- eLife
- Publisher
- eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
- Published
- 2017-09-26
- Volume
- 6
- ISSN
- 2050-084X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5665644
- OpenAlex
- W2759855939
- Cited by
- 57
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 2.99
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- eLife (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NNX14AK15G)
- Simons Foundation (287624)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Keywords
- RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, RNA to DNA transition, origin of life, dNTP incorporation, deoxynucleotide synthesis, RNA evolution, genetic information storage
- MeSH terms
- DNA, RNA, RNA, Catalytic, Reverse Transcription
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