- Famulok, M. (2007). Functional Aptamers and Aptazymes in Biotechnology, Diagnostics, and Therapy. Chem. Rev. [Epub ahead of print]
A comprehensive and authoritative source (approx. 28 pg).
- Joyce, G. F. (2004). Directed evolution of nucleic acid enzymes. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 73:791-836.
Just as Darwinian evolution in nature has led to the development of many sophisticated enzymes, Darwinian evolution in vitro has proven to be a powerful approach for obtaining similar results in the laboratory. This review focuses on the development of nucleic acid enzymes starting from a population of random-sequence RNA or DNA molecules.
- Paul, N., G. Springsteen, and G. F. Joyce (2006). Conversion of a ribozyme to a deoxyribozyme through in vitro evolution. Chem. Biol. 13:329-338.
While the transfer of sequence information between two different classes of nucleic acid-like molecules -- between RNA and DNA, for example -- is straightforward because it relies on the one-to-one correspondence of the double helix pairing, transferring catalytic function is significantly more difficult because function cannot be conveyed sequentially. The present study demonstrates that the "evolutionary conversion" of an RNA enzyme to a DNA enzyme with the same function is possible, however, through the acquisition of a few critical mutations.
- Robertson, M. P. and W. G. Scott (2007). The structural basis of ribozyme-catalyzed RNA assembly Science 315:1549-1553.
The authors report the crystal structure of an RNA enzyme obtained by in vitro evolution that catalyzes the joining of two RNA molecules that are bound at adjacent positions along an RNA template.