Tweet
Bacterial RNA modifies its DNA
Tiny RNA fragments control bacterial infections
There is more than one type of genetic material within the cell. As well as DNA, which stores the code for making cellular protiens, there is also RNA, which contains similar snatches of code but is less stable and more mobile than DNA. If DNA is a library of books which are not allowed to be removed, then RNA is little buts of paper containing copies of pages that are spread around for people to read......
Given its power to act as an intermediary between DNA and protiens, which are two of the most important macromolecules within the cell, RNA has a huge number of jobs to do. One of those jobs is to regulate which parts of the DNA are making proteins. ....
In the case of the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae, the small RNAs can turn on the parts of the DNA required to make the bacteria virulent. It seems that the bacteria uses very specific RNA fragments to turn on different genes at different stages in its virulence cycle......
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this forum a few years ago, I asked whether viruses might be modified via epigenetics. The above article appears to say that might be the case. It says the bacterial RNA can upregulate and downregulate gene DNA. Whether epigenetic mutations can use more than methylation and histones, I'm not sure, but they seem to have opened up a new avenue for exploring the adaptation of pathogens.
.
There is more than one type of genetic material within the cell. As well as DNA, which stores the code for making cellular protiens, there is also RNA, which contains similar snatches of code but is less stable and more mobile than DNA. If DNA is a library of books which are not allowed to be removed, then RNA is little buts of paper containing copies of pages that are spread around for people to read......
Given its power to act as an intermediary between DNA and protiens, which are two of the most important macromolecules within the cell, RNA has a huge number of jobs to do. One of those jobs is to regulate which parts of the DNA are making proteins. ....
In the case of the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae, the small RNAs can turn on the parts of the DNA required to make the bacteria virulent. It seems that the bacteria uses very specific RNA fragments to turn on different genes at different stages in its virulence cycle......
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this forum a few years ago, I asked whether viruses might be modified via epigenetics. The above article appears to say that might be the case. It says the bacterial RNA can upregulate and downregulate gene DNA. Whether epigenetic mutations can use more than methylation and histones, I'm not sure, but they seem to have opened up a new avenue for exploring the adaptation of pathogens.
.
Comment