Ribozymes and Deoxyribozymes Switched by Oligonucleotides

This chapter explores the diverse strategies reported in recent years for using oligonucleotides to switch the catalytic activity of allosteric ribozymes and deoxyribozymes. The earliest allosteric ribozymes were rationally designed and in vitro selected to respond to a variety of small-molecule effectors. However, the possibility of using proteins or RNA or DNA sequences to control the activity of catalytic nucleic acids has always been particularly tantalizing given the potential biomedical utility of such reagents, particularly within living systems. This article reviews the remarkable variety of approaches that have been used to generate ribozymes and deoxyribozymes that can be switched on (and, occasionally, off) by specific RNA or DNA oligonucleotides.KeywordsCatalytic CoreDefault StateHammerhead RibozymeHairpin RibozymeUnstructured LoopThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.