Structural and functional evolution of group II intron ribozymes: Insights from unusual elements carrying a 3′ extension

Group II introns are large RNA elements that interrupt genes. They are self-splicing ribozymes that catalyze their own excision and mobile retroelements that can invade new genomic DNA sites. While group II introns typically consist of six structural domains, a number of elements containing an unusual 3′ extension of 53–56 nucleotides have recently been identified. Bioinformatic and functional analyses of these introns have revealed that they belong to two evolutionary subgroups and that the 3′ extension has a differential effect on the splicing reactions for introns of the two subgroups, a functional difference that may be related to structural differences between the introns. In addition, there is phylogenetic evidence that some introns are mobile with their extension. The unusual introns have provided dramatic examples of the structural and functional evolution of group II ribozymes that have been able to accommodate an extra segment into their compact structure while maintaining functionality.