Riboentsyymejä

Riboentsyymejä, or ribozymes, are RNA molecules that possess catalytic activity. Unlike typical enzymes, which are proteins, ribozymes are made of ribonucleic acid. They can catalyze a variety of chemical reactions, including RNA splicing, peptide bond formation in ribosomes, and the cleavage of other RNA molecules. The discovery of ribozymes in the early 1980s revolutionized our understanding of both RNA's function and the origins of life. It demonstrated that RNA could be both a carrier of genetic information and a catalyst for biochemical processes, supporting the "RNA world" hypothesis. Ribozymes are found in various biological systems, including bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes. Examples include self-splicing introns, which can remove themselves from an RNA transcript, and the peptidyl transferase center of the ribosome, responsible for synthesizing proteins. The catalytic mechanism of ribozymes often involves specific three-dimensional folding of the RNA molecule, creating an active site similar to that found in protein enzymes. Research into ribozymes continues to explore their potential applications in areas such as gene therapy and the development of novel catalytic agents.