Patent ID: 6387617
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: C07K,C12N,C12Q

Abstract:
A proto-nucleozyme of a nucleozyme, the nucleozyme having a catalytic activity under a set of conditions, the proto-nucleozyme differing from the nucleozyme in a sequence of one or more nucleotides that is present in the nucleozyme and is absent in the proto-nucleozyme or replaced in the proto-nucleozyme by a different sequence of nucleotides, the proto-nucleozyme not having the catalytic activity of the nucleozyme under said set of conditions, and the proto-nucleozyme having said catalytic activity in the presence of a non-nucleic acid co-factor,wherein the non-nucleic acid cofactor is not a nucleotide, nucleoside, or a derivative thereof, and wherein the non-nucleic acid cofactor is a molecule which chemically interacts with nucleotides to provide the component missing in the proto-nucleozyme to convert the proto-nucleozyme into-a catalytically active nucleozyme.