Dissociative Transition State in Hepatitis Delta Virus Ribozyme Catalysis.

Ribonucleases and small nucleolytic ribozymes are both able to catalyze RNA strand cleavage through 2'- O -transphosphorylation, provoking the question of whether protein and RNA enzymes facilitate mechanisms that pass through the same or distinct transition states. Here, we report the primary and secondary 18 O kinetic isotope effects for hepatitis delta virus ribozyme catalysis that reveal a dissociative, metaphosphate-like transition state in stark contrast to the late, associative transition states observed for reactions catalyzed by specific base, Zn 2+ ions, or ribonuclease A. This new information provides evidence for a discrete ribozyme active site design that modulates the RNA cleavage pathway to pass through an altered transition state.