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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Studies of the Catalytic-Metal-Binding Site in the Hammerhead Ribozyme Using the Phosphorothioate Approach

Abstract

dc:description

The phosphorothioate approach has been used widely in the literature in combination with activity assays to establish an interaction of metal ions with phosphate oxygens in the ribozyme structure. An enhancement in cleavage rate upon addition of a softer metal ion than Mg2+, such as Mn2+ is taken as evidence for coordination of the metal ion to the phosphorothioate sulfur and by analogy, an interaction of Mg 2+ with oxygen in the native ribozyme. UV-vis, EXAFS and 31 P NMR evidence for the interaction of Hg2+ with the phosphorothioate sulfur in the hammerhead ribozyme is presented here along with evidence for the unexpected discovery that soft metal ions like Hg 2+ and Mn2+ are capable of catalyzing desulfurization of the phosphorothioate at rates similar to that of ribozyme-catalyzed cleavage.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph.D.
Level thesis:degree_level
Dissertation
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Chemistry
Grantor
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Year dc:date
2015

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Cunningham, Lynette Anne
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Lu, Yi

Subjects

dc:subject × 1

Rights

Language dc:language
eng

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Identifier
(MiAaPQ)AAI9952998
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/84452

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
Base URL
www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Cunningham, Lynette Anne. Studies of the Catalytic-Metal-Binding Site in the Hammerhead Ribozyme Using the Phosphorothioate Approach. Dissertation thesis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2142/84452