Is domain V RNA a unique ribozyme that acts on polypeptide chains?
The fact that the domain V of 23S rRNA is responsible for protein folding necessitates special properties for this RNA segment. We are familiar with many activities of RNA of which RNA processing, RNA splicing, RNA editing, etc. are the most important. But these are ribozymes which act on RNA only in cis or in trans. A general responsibility of the domain V RNA also appears to be to fold the polypeptides being synthesized on the ribosome. This activity does not appear to be a simple prevention of aggregation of polypeptides since only one polypeptide chain remains associated at a time with the ribosome21 for several minutes during which its folding remains sensitive to the action of domain V RNA specific antibiotics20. A more detailed study of the involvement of domain V RNA in protein folding has provided better understanding of this function. Complementary role of two fragments of domain V RNA in protein folding The entire domain V of the 23S rRNA from B. subtilis and its central loo
