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Experimental Evolution Of Complexity: In Vitro Emergence Of Intermolecular Ribozyme Interactions, Martin M. Hanczyc, Robert L. Dorit

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

In the course of evolving variants of the Tetrahymena thermophila Group I ribozyme for improved DNA cleavage in vitro, we witnessed the unexpected emergence of a derived molecular species, capable of acting as a partner for the ribozyme, but no longer autocatalytic. This new RNA species exhibits a deletion in the catalytic core and participates in a productive intermolecular interaction with an active ribozyme, thus insuring its survival in the population. These novel RNA molecules have evolved a precise catalytic interaction with the Group I ribozyme and depend for their survival on the continued presence of active catalysts. This interaction …