Widespread Presence of Catalytic RNAs in All Domains of Life

AbRiDGed predicts millions of self-cleaving ribozymes in humans and other species, revealing ~150 novel classes, including one widespread across all domains of life.

• Why it matters: Few ribozymes have been found in complex eukaryotes, leaving the true scale and biological roles of catalytic RNAs unclear.
• What they did: The study developed AbRiDGed for highly accurate, sensitive ab initio discovery, then characterized ~150 novel self-cleaving ribozyme classes, including one with noncanonical biochemical properties.
• The result: Newly identified ribozymes influence organismal fitness by regulating gene expression and enhancing transcriptome complexity in vivo, and they may enable direct RNA detection technologies.