DNA enzymes as tools for the synthesis of chemically modified RNA

The synthesis of chemically modified RNA is often a prerequisite for biophysical investigations of RNA and RNA-protein interactions. Solid-phase synthesis enables site-specific modification of relatively short RNA oligonucleotides. Larger modified RNA targets are accessible by a combination of chemical and enzymatic approaches. DNA enzymes are artificial catalytically active DNA molecules that have been identified by in vitro selection from random DNA pools. DNA enyzmes can be used for the ligation of RNA fragments and are currently developed into tools for the direct modification of RNA.