ribozyme

[ rahy-buh-zahym ]

noun

1. a segment of RNA that can act as a catalyst.

ribozyme

/ ˈraɪbəʊˌzaɪm /

noun

1. an RNA molecule capable of catalysing a chemical reaction, usually the cleavage of another RNA molecule

Other Words From

• ribo·zymal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ribozyme¹

First recorded in 1985–90; ribo(some) + (en)zyme

Word History and Origins

Origin of ribozyme¹

C20: from ribo ( nucleic acid ) + ( en ) zyme

Example Sentences

For this, they designed an artificial ribozyme, R3C ligase, to investigate how individual RNA units come together to form a functional structure.

From Science Daily

Giving further insight into their work published on 17 April 2024, in Life, Prof. Tamura states, "The R3C ligase is a ribozyme that catalyzes the formation of a 3',5'-phosphodiester linkage between two RNA molecules. We modified the structure by adding specific domains that can interact with various effectors."

From Science Daily

These findings suggest that ATP and histidine act as effector molecules that trigger structural conformational changes in the ribozyme, which further influence enzyme stability and activity.

From Science Daily

As a result of this new research, these complex ribozyme sequences in the early stages of RNA evolution are not necessary.

From Science Daily

The latest RNA polymerase ribozyme developed in the lab includes a number of crucial mutations that allow it to copy a strand of RNA with much higher accuracy.

From Science Daily