Can DNA produce ribozyme-like structures?
There are no known natural DNA enzymes (deoxyribozymes), but there are various synthetic DNA enzymes. The first deoxyribozyme that has been reported (Breaker and Joyce, 1994) catalyzed the Pb2+-dependant cleavage of RNA.

Various deoxyribozymes have been synthesized, they can catalyze RNA cleavage, RNA ligation and many other reactions like DNA phosphorylation or Thymine dimer photoreversion, and even a Diels-Alder reaction (see Baum and Silverman, 2008 for a review).

DNA lacks the 2'-hydroxyl group that RNA posesses, but there is some evidence that this doesn't significantly decrease the potential of deoxyribozymes compared to ribozymes. In one experiment DNA and RNA enzymes that catalyze a Carbon-Carbon bond formation were compared and both achieved comparable catalytic rates (Chandra and Silverman, 2008).

For more information about DNA enzymes you can look at the publications from the Silverman lab, they're probably the most active research group in this field.




Baum, D. A. &amp; Silverman, S. K. Deoxyribozymes: useful DNA catalysts in vitro and in vivo. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 65, 2156-2174 (2008).
Breaker, R. R. &amp; Joyce, G. F. A DNA enzyme that cleaves RNA. Chem. Biol. 1, 223-229 (1994).
Chandra, M. &amp; Silverman, S. K. DNA and RNA Can Be Equally Efficient Catalysts for Carbon−Carbon Bond Formation. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130, 2936-2937 (2008).