摘要
最近发现 ,某些依赖代谢物调节的基因转录产物的 5′UTR存在特征性结构———核糖开关(riboswitch) .核糖开关可以特异性结合代谢物 ,通过构象变化 ,在转录或翻译水平上调节基因表达 .核糖开关广泛存在于G+ 及G-细菌的代谢相关基因中 ,在真菌、植物中也有发现 .核糖开关调节维生素、氨基酸、核苷酸等基础代谢过程 ,其调节基因表达不需要任何蛋白因子作为中介 ,在进化上可能是RNA世界遗留的分子化石 .核糖开关可用于研究基因功能 ,开发新型药物及基因治疗 .
Recently, it was found that special RNA motifs were imbedded within the 5′UTR of certain metabolic gene transcripts, called as “riboswitch”. The riboswitches could bind the corresponding metabolite small ligands directly and specially, inducing conformation change of riboswitch, and then regulating cognate gene expression at both transcriptional and translational levels. Riboswitches were widely distributed in G positive and negative bacterium metabolite genes, and also found in fungi and plants. Riboswitch regulate the basic metabolism of vitamins, amino acids, nucleic acids, etc. It can regulate gene expression without any protein factor serving as mediator. Riboswitch might have originated very early in evolution, and it is supposed to be the molecular fossil remains of the ancient RNA world. Riboswitches can be used to gene function research, new drugs development and gene therapy.
出处
《中国生物化学与分子生物学报》
CAS
CSCD
北大核心
2005年第2期151-157,共7页
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
基金
美国中华医学基金会资助~~
