|
medpundit |
||
 |
 |
|
Wednesday, October 04, 2006To produce the proteins used in cellular processes, the necessary DNA gene is copied onto a strand of genetic material known as messenger RNA, whose job is to carry the information from the nucleus into the main body of the cell. There, it is used as a template to make a specific protein. Messenger RNA normally exists as a single strand, unlike the usual double-stranded helix of DNA. Other researchers had observed that injecting extra messenger RNA into cells either did nothing or, paradoxically, actually inhibited protein production. Researchers trying to enhance the red color of petunias, for example, inserted the messenger RNA for the red pigment. To their astonishment, petals came out white. Fire and Mello explained how this occurred. They found that the protein-making ability was silenced when researchers inadvertently added a double-stranded form of RNA that was present as a contaminant when the RNA was synthesized in the laboratory. Working with the humble nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, Fire and Mello showed that when double-stranded RNA bearing the gene for a specific protein was injected into a cell, it sparked a kind of housekeeping, in which the messenger RNA for the same gene was chopped up and destroyed. Here's an explanation of how it might work. Evidently the field is rife with disputes over patent rights. posted by Sydney on 10/04/2006 07:07:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
|
