LONDON: It is possible for amino acids to gather without blueprints from DNA and messenger RNA (mRNA). Amino acids are called the building blocks of proteins, said researchers in a report published in the Journal Science.
Peter Shen, a postdoctoral fellow in biochemistry at the University of Utah, said that recent discovery has clearly indicated that the understanding of experts about biology is incomplete. The researchers claim that findings of the study also have implications for new therapies to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Huntington’s.
In order to explain the enormity of this discovery, the researchers said ribosomes are machines on a protein assembly line. They then linked together amino acids in a sequence specified by the genetic code. When something goes wrong, the ribosome halts the process so that a quality control team can arrive on the scene.
The study also revealed that before the incomplete protein is recycled, Rqc2 can prompt the ribosomes to add just two amino acids – alanine and threonine, in any order. The code can signal that the partial protein must be destroyed. They even noted that it could be part of a test to see whether the ribosome is working properly.
