1999
In Vitro Selection of Nucleic Acid Enzymes
Breaker R, Kurz M. In Vitro Selection of Nucleic Acid Enzymes. Current Topics In Microbiology And Immunology 1999, 243: 137-158. PMID: 10453642, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-60142-2_8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDiversity of enzymesYears of evolutionNucleic acid enzymesEvolutionary historyNucleic acidsBiochemical functionsDNA substratesMetabolic machineryVitro SelectionProtein enzymesCatalytic functionBiological catalystsAcid enzymesHydrolysis reactionProteinEnzymeNatural functionRibozymeDistinct classesRNAEssential componentReactionMachineryCatalystDiversity
1998
An amino acid as a cofactor for a catalytic polynucleotide
Roth A, Breaker R. An amino acid as a cofactor for a catalytic polynucleotide. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 1998, 95: 6027-6031. PMID: 9600911, PMCID: PMC27579, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.95.11.6027.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAmino acidsRate enhancementDramatic rate enhancementMetal ion cofactorsAbsence of enzymeGeneral base catalystSuperior polymerChemical catalysisBiological catalystsRNA cleavage reactionCatalytic potentialOrganic cofactorImidazole groupsNatural ribozymesRNA worldBase catalystChemical groupsCatalytic mechanismCatalytic DNACleavage reactionIon cofactorProtein enzymesStructural foldingSubstrate cleavageConstituent amino acids
1994
Inventing and improving ribozyme function: Rational design versus iterative selection methods
Breaker R, Joyce G. Inventing and improving ribozyme function: Rational design versus iterative selection methods. Trends In Biotechnology 1994, 12: 268-275. PMID: 7519862, DOI: 10.1016/0167-7799(94)90138-4.Peer-Reviewed Original Research