Dangerous Bacterium Hosts Genetic Remnant of Life’s Distant Past
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.
The new paper describes the complex interactions of two small RNA molecules and two larger RNA molecules that together influence the function of a self-splicing ribozyme, a structure many biologists had believed had no role other than to reproduce itself. The new study, however, suggests that in the pathogenic stomach bacterium Clostridium difficile, this RNA structure acts as a sort of sensor to help regulate the expression of genes, probably to help the bacterium manipulate human cells.
“They were though to be molecular parasites, but it is clear they are being harnessed by cells to do some good for the organism,” Breaker said.
This is the sort of RNA structure would have been needed for life exist before the evolution of double-stranded DNA, with its instruction book for proteins that carry out almost all of life’s functions today. If proteins are necessary to carry out life’s functions, scientists need to explain how life arise without DNA’s recipe. The answer to the chicken or egg question is RNA machines such as the one identified in the new study, Breaker said.
“A lot of sophisticated RNA gadgetry has gone extinct but this study shows that RNA has more of the power needed to carry out complex biochemistry,” Breaker said. “It makes the spontaneous emergence of life on earth much more palatable.”
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1. Yale researcher discovered a dangerous stomach bacteriumr and ancient but functioning genitic remnant from a time before DNA existed.
2. The RNA complex seems to play a big role in the ability of the organism to infect human cells
3. RNA structures that have the ability to detect molecules and control gene expression
4. The new study suggests that in the pathogenic stomach bacterium Clostridium difficile, acts as a sort of sensor to help regulate the expression of genes
5. The RNA structure would have been needed for life exist before the evolution of double-stranded DNA, with its instruction book for proteins that carry out almost all of life’s functions today
Researchers have discovered an ancient genetic remnant from a time before DNA existed. 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. 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. This is the sort of RNA structure would have been needed for life exist before the evolution of double-stranded DNA, with its instruction book for proteins that carry out almost all of life’s functions today. If proteins are necessary to carry out life’s functions, scientists need to explain how life arise without DNA’s recipe. The answer to the chicken or egg question is RNA machines such as the one identified in the new study.
Reachers from Yale University have discovered an ancient but genetic remnant from a time before DNA existed in a dangerous stomach bacterium. The RNA complex plays an important role in the ability of organism to infect human cells,this job is almost always carried out by DNA’s “instruction manual.” These cells are using ancient RNA technology to control modern gene expression. More research is needed on this topic.
Yale University researchers have discovered an ancient but functioning genetic remnant, from a time before DNA existed, within a dangerous stomach bacterium, Clostridium difficile.The cells are using ancient RNA technology to control modern gene expression, although in old textbooks, RNA was viewed simply as the chemical intermediary between DNA’s instruction manual and the creation of proteins. The 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 and many 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.“They were though to be molecular parasites, but it is clear they are being harnessed by cells to do some good for the organism,” Breaker said of the RNA structures. This study shows that although a lot of sophisticated RNA gadgetry has gone extinct, RNA has more of the power needed to carry out complex biochemistry, and makes the spontaneous emergence of life on earth much more palatable.”
Researchers at the University of Yale have discoverd an ancient and functioning genetic remnant inside of a stomach bacterium. It has been here since before DNA. They use ancient RNA technology to control modern gene expression. It acts as a sensor to help regulate the expression of genes.
Researchers from Yale University have discovered an ancient remanent of DNA in a stomach virus. This remnant existed before any kind of DNA existed. The RNA plays a major part in the infecting of cells which is usually done by the DNA of the bacterium. Scientists have now discovered something new about RNA. It now has the power to help make the instructions of the infected cell. This was believed to be only done by proteins in the cell. Scientists now have the belief that early genetics depended on RNA functions in the cell instructions. RNA has shown itself as a need for all cells and has shed light upon something new.
In a dangerous stomach bacterium, Yale researchers found an ancient but functioning genetic leftover from a time before DNA existed. The RNA has a critical rolein the organism in being able to infect human cells. This is usually carried out by proteins produced by the cell’s nucleus. the reserachers have identified the existence and function of RNA structures that have the ability to detect molecules and control gene expression. This RNA structure acts as a sensor to regulate the expression of genes.