Self-cleavage activity of the genomic HDV ribozyme in the presence of various divalent metal ions

• Published in: Nucleic acids research Vol. 21; no. 14; pp. 3277 - 3280
• Main Authors: Suh, Young-Ah, Kumar, P. K. R., Taira, Kazunari, Nishikawa, Satoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 11.07.1993
• Subjects: Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Cobalt - pharmacology; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hepatitis D virus; Hepatitis Delta Virus - enzymology; Hepatitis Delta Virus - genetics; Humans; Metals - pharmacology; Molecular Sequence Data; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Nucleic acids; RNA, Catalytic - metabolism; Rna, ribonucleoproteins; RNA, Viral - metabolism; Virus; Delta agent; RNA; Ribozyme; Hepadnaviridae; Metal ion; Cleavage; Hepatitis B virus; Autocatalysis; In vitro
• ISSN: 0305-1048; 1362-4962
• DOI: 10.1093/nar/21.14.3277

To identify the divalent metal Ions that can support the self-cleavage activity of the genomic ribozyme of human hepatitis delta virus (HDV), we tested the activity of various divalent metal ions In the ribozyme reactions catalyzed by HDV88 (683–770 nt) and 88D13 (HDV88 with the sequence from 740–752 nt deleted). Among various metal ions tested, Mg2+, Mn2+, Ca2+ and Sr2+ efficiently supported the self-cleavage reactions of the HDV88 and 88D13 ribozymes. in the case of the 88DI3 ribozyme, other divalent metal ions, such as Cd2+, Ba2+ Co2+ Pb2+ and Zn2+ were also able to support the self-cleavage reaction to some extent (≤10%). In the presence of spermidlne (0.5 mM), the cleavage reaction was promoted at lower concentrations of effective divalent metal ions. The HDV ribozyme represents the only example of ribozyme to date of a ribozyme that catalyzes the self-cleavage reaction in the presence of Ca2+ Ions as efficiently as It does In the presence of Mg2+ Ions.