phyrex1an
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Within a dangerous stomach bacterium, Yale University researchers have discovered an ancient but functioning genetic remnant from a time before DNA existed, they report in the August 13 issue of the journal Science.
To the surprise of researchers, this RNA complex seems to play a critical role in the ability of the organism to infect human cells, a job carried out almost exclusively by proteins produced from DNA's instruction manual.
"What these cells are doing is using ancient RNA technology to control modern gene expression," said Ron Breaker, the Henry Ford II Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale, investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and senior author of the study.
In old textbooks, RNA was viewed simply as the chemical intermediary between DNA's instruction manual and the creation of proteins. However, Breaker's lab has identified the existence and function of riboswitches, or RNA structures that have the ability to detect molecules and control gene expression -- an ability once believed to be possessed solely by proteins. Breaker and many other scientists now believe the first forms of life depended upon such RNA machines, which would have had to find ways to interact and carry out many of the functions proteins do today.
To the surprise of researchers, this RNA complex seems to play a critical role in the ability of the organism to infect human cells, a job carried out almost exclusively by proteins produced from DNA's instruction manual.
"What these cells are doing is using ancient RNA technology to control modern gene expression," said Ron Breaker, the Henry Ford II Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale, investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and senior author of the study.
In old textbooks, RNA was viewed simply as the chemical intermediary between DNA's instruction manual and the creation of proteins. However, Breaker's lab has identified the existence and function of riboswitches, or RNA structures that have the ability to detect molecules and control gene expression -- an ability once believed to be possessed solely by proteins. Breaker and many other scientists now believe the first forms of life depended upon such RNA machines, which would have had to find ways to interact and carry out many of the functions proteins do today.
Dangerous bacterium hosts genetic remnant of life's distant past
Within a dangerous stomach bacterium, researchers have discovered an ancient but functioning genetic remnant from a time before DNA existed.
www.sciencedaily.com
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just noticed.
