Origins of RNA Catalysis in the Hairpin Ribozyme

Biocatalysis in action: Ribozymes provide an opportunity to observe biocatalysis in a simplified situation, and thereby throw down a challenge to chemical biology to explain the mechanistic origins of this biocatalysis. A crystal structure of the hairpin ribozyme gives valuable insight into the catalytic process (The local geometry at the active site is shown). The new structure provides evidence for both conformational assistance and nucleobase catalysis, but none for the direct participation of metal ions in this system.