Inhibition by polyamines of the hammerhead ribozyme from a Chrysanthemum chlorotic mottle viroid.

•Aminated compounds are inhibitors of the self-cleavage of the CChMVd hammerhead ribozyme (HHR).•Molecules with multiple amino groups protonated at physiological pH are efficient in HHR self-cleavage.•Ruthenium hexamine and TMPyP4 are new efficient inhibitors of HHR.•The reaction in the present study is the cis-self-cleavage which is close to the physiological one.•Spermine, a non-competitive inhibitor of Mg2+, does not interact with the same phosphates.