The discovery of catalytic rna

Access through your institution Buy or subscribe In 1978, Tom Cech started his lab at the University of Colorado and the project he set out on was to study the processing of ribosomal RNA

(rRNA) in the ciliated protozoa, _Tetrahymena_. _Tetrahymena_ was chosen because its rRNA genes are amplified about 10,000 times, so it is likely to provide a ready source of rRNA

precursors. Of note is that the 26S rRNA gene in _Tetrahymena_ is interrupted by an intron of 400 nucleotides. A nuclear extract was developed to produce radioactive precursors (Zaug and

Cech, 1980). A distinct 9S RNA molecule was evident in the gels and this turned out to be the 400-nucleotide intron. The appearance of this internal sequence indicated that RNA splicing was

occurring in the nuclear extracts. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your institution Access Nature and 54 other Nature

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calculated during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support REFERENCES * Cech, T. R. et al. _In vitro_

splicing of the ribosomal RNA precursor of Tetrahymena: involvement of a guanosine nucleotide in the excision of the intervening sequence. _Cell_ 27, 487–496 (1981) Article  CAS  Google

Scholar  * Zaug, A. J. & Cech, T. R. _In vitro_ splicing of the ribosomal RNA precursor in nuclei of Tetrahymena. _Cell_ 19, 331–338 (1980) Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Kruger, K. et

al. Self-splicing RNA: autoexcision and autocyclization of the ribosomal RNA intervening sequence of Tetrahymena. _Cell_ 31, 147–157 (1982) Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Doudna, J. A.

& Szostak, J. W. RNA-catalysed synthesis of complementary-strand RNA. _Nature_ 339, 519–522 (1989) Article  CAS  Google Scholar  Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND

AFFILIATIONS * Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, USA John Abelson Authors * John Abelson View author publications You can also search for

this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to John Abelson. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The author declares no competing financial interests. RIGHTS

AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Abelson, J. The discovery of catalytic RNA. _Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol_ 18, 653 (2017).

https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm.2017.105 Download citation * Published: 11 October 2017 * Issue Date: November 2017 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm.2017.105 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you

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