A Two-Piece Derivative of a Group I Intron RNA as a Platform for Designing Self-Assembling RNA Templates to Promote Peptide Ligation

Abstract EN

Multicomponent RNA-peptide complexes are attractive from the viewpoint of artificial design of functional biomacromolecular systems.

We have developed self-folding and self-assembling RNAs that serve as templates to assist chemical ligation between two reactive peptides with RNA-binding capabilities.

The design principle of previous templates, however, can be applied only to limited classes of RNA-binding peptides.

In this study, we employed a two-piece derivative of a group I intron RNA from the Tetrahymena large subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU rRNA) as a platform for new template RNAs.

In this group I intron-based self-assembling platform, modules for the recognition of substrate peptides can be installed independently from modules holding the platform structure.

The new self-assembling platform allows us to expand the repertoire of substrate peptides in template RNA design.