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. 1989 Oct 11;17(19):7879–7889. doi: 10.1093/nar/17.19.7879

Catalytic activity is retained in the Tetrahymena group I intron despite removal of the large extension of element P5.

G F Joyce 1, G van der Horst 1, T Inoue 1
PMCID: PMC334894  PMID: 2477801

Abstract

We have made sizeable internal deletions within the self-splicing group I intron of Tetrahymena thermophila. Deletions were made in a piecewise manner in order to remove secondary structural elements thought to be extraneous to the catalytic center of the molecule. The resulting deletion mutants retain self-splicing activity, albeit under modified reaction conditions that enhance duplex stability. Considering those portions of the molecule that can be deleted without a loss of catalytic activity, one is left with a catalytic center of approximately 130 nucleotides that is solely responsible for the molecule's activity.

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Selected References

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