Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Genetics
A study found that amino acids and nucleotide building blocks could jointly produce short peptides and oligonucleotides in one-pot reactions under prebiotic conditions. The linked chemistry formed a reactive intermediate that was associated with greater amounts of some oligomers than reactions using either type of building block alone.
Researchers reconstructed the lost bacteriophage PRR1 using its stored DNA sequence and produced working virus particles. Genetic, biological and microscopic tests found that the synthetic particles matched the traits historically reported for the original phage.
Researchers identified a protein pathway that helps the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae respond to the reactive oxygen plants produce during infection. They also found a small molecule, orcinol gentiobioside, that targets the pathway and inhibits fungal invasion in their study.
Wolbachia infection allowed two genetically altered yeast strains that normally require added riboflavin, or vitamin B2, to grow without it. The infected strains also had a mild survival advantage when exposed to high salt or hydrogen peroxide, offering a model for studying interactions between hosts and internal bacteria.
A programmable DNA device punctured artificial membranes, delivered attached molecular cargo and then retracted to promote resealing. Researchers also used it to control biochemical reactions in cell-sized environments, but the study does not report tests in living organisms.
A Nature Communications study describes Ribo-ITP, a ribosome-based method designed to find previously hard-to-detect protein-coding regions (translons) using far less starting material. Using samples such as microdissected mouse brain tissue and single early embryos, the researchers report discovering thousands of translons and test whether they can drive protein production.
