Application of In Vitro Selection in Design of External Guide Sequences That Direct Efficient Cleavage of RNA by RNase P

RNase P is an enzyme that cleaves tRNA precursors to generate the 5′ termini of mature tRNAs (1 ). Recently, the author developed a method for specific inactivation of any RNA using human RNase P (2 ). This method involves the design of a small RNA, known as external guide sequence (EGS). EGS RNA, when complexed with the target RNA, generates a structure that resembles a model substrate derived from a tRNA precursor, thereby rendering the target RNA susceptible to cleavage by RNase P. The methodology and application of the EGS strategy is described in Chapter 26 .