Catalytic DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) are single-stranded DNA molecules with enzyme activity, for instance in cleaving RNA. Binding of catalytic DNA to its RNA targets is generally by Watson–Crick base pairing.

Does DNA and RNA have enzymatic activity?

The 1982 discovery of ribozymes demonstrated that RNA can be both genetic material (like DNA) and a biological catalyst (like protein enzymes), and contributed to the RNA world hypothesis, which suggests that RNA may have been important in the evolution of prebiotic self-replicating systems.

Do nucleic acids have enzymatic activity?

The term 'nucleic acid enzyme' is used to identify nucleic acids that have catalytic activity. Ribozymes (literally enzymes made of ribonucleic acid or RNA) are found in nature and mediate phosphodiester bond cleavage and formation and peptide bond formation.