An Alternative Ribozyme for the RNA Hypercycle

In the quest to forward understanding of the prebiotic world (specifically, the RNA World Hypothesis), one of the most interesting paradigms to consider is the potential for cooperative networks that may have driven molecular evolution forward. Such a network may exist as an RNA hypercycle, as proposed by Eigen (1977). Much progress has been made towards an RNA hypercycle-like system, especially using the Azoarcus ribozyme system demonstrated by Vaidya et al. (2012). The current work is dedicated to constructing a second model as a cooperative RNA network, utilizing a group I intron from Coxiella burnetii (Cbu1917). The intron was constructed to function as a ribozyme, which is an enzyme comprised of RNA. This ribozyme is unique in two fundamental ways: first, it utilizes an adenine at its 3’ end rather than the traditional ΩG; also, it has an internal guide sequence that is four nucleotides long (rather than three, as in the Azoarcus system). This process entailed first establishing kinetic characteristics of the ribozyme, followed by an assay dedicated to identifying the ribozyme's ability to participate in a RNA network. Construction of this ribozyme and successful formation of a second, novel RNA network would greatly contribute to our understanding of the envisioned hypercycle system. // Eigen, M. & Shuster, P. The hypercycle. A principle of natural self-organization. Part A: emergence of the hypercycle. Naturwissenschaften 64, 541-565 (1977). // Vaidya, V., Manapat, M., Chen, I., Xulvi-Brunet, R., Hayden, E. & Lehman, N. Spontaneous network formation among cooperative RNA replicators. Nature 491, 72-77 (2012).