Structure of an RNA polymerase ribozyme replication complex

Authors

Strutzenberg, T. S., Horning, D. P., Cochrane, W. G., Andrade, L., Han, X., Joyce, G. F., Lyumkis, D.

Abstract

Life began with the emergence of a molecule that could replicate its own genetic material, a task plausibly mediated by an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase ribozyme. Here, we present the structure of such a polymerase ribozyme, bound to RNA substrates comprising the template, primer, and nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) analog. The structure reveals how directed evolution shaped flanking elements around a highly conserved catalytic core derived from the ancestral class I ligase ribozyme. Each element serves as a functional module, positioning the primer-template duplex and incoming NTP within the active site of the enzyme. This emergent domain organization is remarkably similar to the "right hand" configuration of polymerase proteins, suggesting a common functional form for copying nucleic acids, regardless of biopolymer catalyst.

Preprint server: bioRxiv
The authors list and abstract were imported from bioRxiv on 01 Sep 2026.

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