Construction of a series of several self‐cleaving RNA duplexes using synthetic 21‐mers

Abstract
Two fragments (21‐mers) containing consensus sequences for the self‐cleavage domain in transcripts of satellite DNA of the newt were chemically synthesized and found to be cleaved in the presence of Mg2+. The cleaved product contained the 3′‐terminal 2′,3′‐cyclic phosphate. Twenty‐five combinations of partially double‐stranded 21‐mer RNA which contained different bases within the consensus sequences and at the cleavage sites were tested for self‐cleavage. It seemed that guanosine 3′‐phosphate was not susceptible to transesterification at the cleavage site.