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Ribonuclease A

Precision Cutting

Ribonuclease A is a powerful tool for chopping RNA into bits, but cells also need other tools to make precise modifications to their RNA. For instance, transfer RNA molecules are made in longer lengths and then must be trimmed to the proper size. The enzyme ribonuclease Z, shown on the left from PDB entry 2fk6, trims the end that accepts the amino acid. This structure includes the dimeric enzyme (in blue) and partial structures for two transfer RNA molecules (in orange). Ribonuclease P, which is composed of both protein components and a ribozyme, trims the other end (not shown). Ribonuclease III, shown on the right from PDB entry 2ez6, wraps around sequences of RNA that form perfect double helices, making a few specific cuts that are needed for maturation and regulation of ribosomal and messenger RNA.

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Last changed by: A.Honegger, 9/5/08