Selection of tetracycline inducible self-cleaving ribozymes as synthetic devices for gene regulation in yeast

Synthetic regulatory devices are key components for the development of complex biological systems and the reprogramming of cellular functions and networks. Here we describe the selection of tetracycline inducible hammerhead ribozymes. A tetracycline aptamer was fused to the full-length hammerhead ribozyme via a variable linker region. 11 rounds of in vitro selection were applied to isolate linker sequences that mediate tetracycline dependent hammerhead cleavage. We identified allosteric ribozymes that cleave in the presence of 1 mu M tetracycline as fast as the full-length ribozyme whereas cleavage is inhibited up to 333-fold in the absence of tetracycline. Reporter gene assays indicate that the allosteric ribozymes can be employed to control gene expression in yeast.