What is ribozym?

Ribozym is a molecule of ribonucleic acid (RNA), which has the ability to act as a catalyst in a chemical reaction. The term ribozy is an abbreviation of the enzyme of ribonucleic acid. Before the ribozymes were discovered in the 80s, it was assumed that only proteins could act as enzymes and catalyze reactions. It is now known that ribosis also participates in many important intracellular functions and may have therapeutic applications due to their ability to break down RNA. Ribosyms can be artificially synthesized and also naturally produced. Phosphodiester bonds are covalent bonds that connect nucleotides in RNA and DNA together to form the spine of the molecules. Hydrolysis involves adding a water molecule that affects the dissolution of bonds. Ribozymes use hydrolysis to break down other RNA or self -sohecting molecules, two divided RNA molecules together in a process called cutting. Thomas Guild, Professor at the University of Colorado in the US, found that RNA in this organism could reduce and ligatein the absence of any catalyzing protein. Professor Guild and Yale University Sidney Altman won the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their research on ribozymes.

In addition to cutting, ribozyms are catalyzed by the assembly of amino acids into proteins during the translation process. Translation occurs when genetic information in Messenger RNA (MRNA) is decoded into an amino acid sequence through ribosome activity. Ribosomal RNA (RRNA), the main part of ribosomes, can therefore also be considered ribozy.

Many different types exist and have been studied in their naturally occurring state. Two of them, hair ribozy and ribozy Hammerhead, are found in the satellite RNA in plant viruses. Hammerhead ribozymy was modified in the laboratory for use as RNA cleavage reagent.

It is assumed that modified ribozymy Hammerhead may have in the gene therapy of clinical APLIce. The ability to break down RNA can help fight retroviruses because retroviruses rely on the genome of RNA for duplicity in the host cell. Scientists have also developed completely synthetic ribosis for similar medical applications. Hammerhead modified ribosis and synthetic ribosis are examined specifically as therapeutic possibilities for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).