内容

目次

The origins of RNA and RNA at the origin: before RNA and after -geophysical and geochemical constraints on molecular evolution;prospects for understanding the origin of the RNA world; the genomictag hypothesis - what molecular fossils tell us about the evolution oftRNA; probing RNA structure, function and history by comparativeanalysis; recreating an RNA replicase; did the RNA world exploit anexpanded genetic alphabet?; aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases andself-acylating ribozymes; on the origin of the ribosome - coevolutionof subdomains of tRNA and rRNA; introns and the RNA world. How to builda functional RNA: the interactions that shape RNA structure; smallribozymes; the role of metal ions in RNA biochemistry; building acatalytic active site using only RNA; ribonuclease P; the RNA foldingproblem. Transition to the RNP world: RNA interaction with smallligands and peptides; RNA recognition by proteins; group I and group IIribozymes as RNPs - clues to the past and guides to the future; thegrowing world of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins; splicing ofprecursors to mRNAs by the spliceosome; tRNA splicing - an RNA worldadd-on or an ancient reaction?; RNA editing - an evolutionaryperspective; telomerase; dynamics of the genetic code. Appendices:structures of base pairs involving at least two hydrogen bonds;schematic diagrams of secondary and tertiary structure elements;reactions catalyzed by RNA and DNA enzymes; visualization of elongationfactor tu on the 70s E.coli ribosome; the large ribosomal subunit fromH. marismortui at 9 A resolution.