'Evolved' ribozyme boosts view of RNA

Researchers in Boston and Santa Cruz, Calif., have discovered that RNA has the hidden ability to catalyze a critical biological reaction, bolstering the theory that RNA was the primary agent of life before DNA and proteins took over. RNA, or ribonucleic acid, a singlestranded nucleic acid chain, is best known for its role as DNA's messenger. But RNA molecules can also behave like enzymes, catalyzing reactions with themselves and other pieces of RNA. These specialized snippets are called "ribozymes," a term coined by their discoverer, Thomas R. Cech, a chemistry professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Cech received the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on ribozymes. It is RNA's ability to assume both genetic and enzymatic duties that has led some researchers to propose that life began with RNA. In this scenario, early forms of RNA would have performed the jobs of both DNA and proteins, until these two separate molecular ...