The potential versatility of RNA catalysis

It is commonly thought that in the early development of life on this planet RNA would have acted both as a store of genetic information and as a catalyst. While a number of RNA enzymes are known in contemporary cells, they are largely confined to phosphoryl transfer reactions, whereas an RNA based metabolism would have required a much greater chemical diversity of catalysis. Here we discuss how RNA might catalyze a wider variety of chemistries, and particularly how information gleaned from riboswitches could suggest how ribozymes might recruit coenzymes to expand their chemical range. We ask how we might seek such activities in modern biology. This article is categorized under: RNA-Based Catalysis > Miscellaneous RNA-Catalyzed Reactions Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Riboswitches RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics and Chemistry

Automated summary

It is commonly believed that RNA played a dual role as a store of genetic information and a catalyst in the early development of life on Earth. While contemporary cells have RNA enzymes mainly involved in phosphoryl transfer reactions, an RNA-based metabolism would require a wider range of catalytic chemical diversity. Understanding how RNA can catalyze a broader variety of chemical reactions, potentially through the recruitment of coenzymes as suggested by riboswitches, could lead to new insights in modern biology.