Y. Liu et Mj. Leibowitz, BIDIRECTIONAL EFFECTORS OF A GROUP-I INTRON RIBOZYME FROM PNEUMOCYSTIS-CARINII, The Journal of eukaryotic microbiology, 41(5), 1994, pp. 190000101-190000101
The L-arginine acts stereoselectively on the Pc1.LSU nuclear group I i
ntron of Pneumocystis carinii, competitively inhibiting the first step
of the splicing reaction and stimulating the second step. A number of
arginine-related compounds are more potent than L-arginine as stimula
tors and inhibitors. The most potent peptides tested are 10,000 times
as effective as L-arginine in inhibiting ribozyme activity, and nearly
400 times as effective as stimulators. This phenomenon indicates that
ribozymes, like protein enzymes, can interact with non-substrate low
molecular weight compounds, and that non-nucleic acid agents might be
developed as drugs acting on RNA targets.