ScienceDaily: Biotechnology News

---

Bacterium engineered with DNA in which thymine is replaced by synthetic building block Posted: 28 Jun 2011 10:24 AM PDT The genetic information of all living cells is stored in the DNA composed of the four canonical bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G) and thymine (T). An international team of researchers has now succeeded in generating a bacterium possessing a DNA in which thymine is replaced by the synthetic building block 5-Chlorouracil (c), a substance toxic for other organisms.

A lack of structure facilitates protein synthesis Posted: 28 Jun 2011 06:48 AM PDT Texts without spaces are not very legible, as they make it very difficult for the reader to identify where a word begins and where it ends. When genetic information in our cells is read and translated into proteins, the enzymes responsible for this task face a similar challenge. They must find the correct starting point for protein synthesis. Therefore, in organisms with no real nucleus, a point exists shortly before the start codon, to which the enzymes can bind particularly well. This helps them find the starting point itself. However, genes that do not have this sequence are also reliably translated into proteins. Scientists have now discovered that the structure of the messenger RNA probably plays a crucial role in this process.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Biotechnology News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610