The first high-resolution views of group II intron maturases illuminate the architectural and functional roles of these multidomain proteins in splicing and DNA invasion. The maturases show striking structural and functional homology to a central protein involved in spliceosomal pre–messenger RNA splicing, thus reinforcing the idea that group II introns and the spliceosome descended from a common ancestor.
- Joseph A Piccirilli
- Jonathan P Staley
