ribonuclease P

Ribonuclease P (RNase P) is an enzyme that plays a crucial role in processing RNA molecules. Specifically, it is responsible for cleaving precursor tRNA molecules to generate mature tRNA. This process is essential for tRNA to function correctly in protein synthesis.1

RNase P is an example of a ribozyme, meaning it is an RNA molecule with enzymatic activity. This discovery, made by Thomas Cech and Sidney Altman, challenged the long-held belief that only proteins could act as enzymes. The RNA component of RNase P is what carries out the catalytic function. This finding suggests that RNA may have played a more central role in early life, potentially catalyzing and storing genetic information before DNA became the primary genetic material.2