XNA: The Synthetic Super-Cousin of DNA That Can Replicate and Store Information The DNA double helix that we’re all familiar with is a molecular ladder made of three key parts. The backbone of phosphates that tie everything together up and down, the sugar rings (“deoxyribose”) that serve as rungs, and the bases (A, C, G, T) that invisibly bond the two strands of the helix together, head to toe. But that helix can be broken or mutated in nature, leading to mutations. And out of all the compounds in the world that could have evolved to carry our information, why just DNA and its cousin RNA? To answer that question, Vitor Pinheiro’s team created a completely new set of information molecules called XNA. XNA replaces the deoxyribose sugar ring with other chemical rings like threose and cyclohexane. By evolving an enzyme that could read these funny bases, they were able to read DNA into XNA as well as the reverse. Plus it’s super-strong and resistant to breaking or cleaving. Molecules like XNA could expand the information code for synthetic biology as well as help us answer the ultimate question about DNA: Why that, and not something else? Ed Yong has more great detail here. (↬ Not Exactly Rocket Science)
Pop-upView Separately

XNA: The Synthetic Super-Cousin of DNA That Can Replicate and Store Information

The DNA double helix that we’re all familiar with is a molecular ladder made of three key parts. The backbone of phosphates that tie everything together up and down, the sugar rings (“deoxyribose”) that serve as rungs, and the bases (A, C, G, T) that invisibly bond the two strands of the helix together, head to toe.

But that helix can be broken or mutated in nature, leading to mutations. And out of all the compounds in the world that could have evolved to carry our information, why just DNA and its cousin RNA? To answer that question, Vitor Pinheiro’s team created a completely new set of information molecules called XNA.

XNA replaces the deoxyribose sugar ring with other chemical rings like threose and cyclohexane. By evolving an enzyme that could read these funny bases, they were able to read DNA into XNA as well as the reverse. Plus it’s super-strong and resistant to breaking or cleaving.

Molecules like XNA could expand the information code for synthetic biology as well as help us answer the ultimate question about DNA: Why that, and not something else? Ed Yong has more great detail here.

(↬ Not Exactly Rocket Science)

Source: blogs.discovermagazine.com

439 Notes/ Hide

  1. proudhumanthing reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  2. heymzbrain reblogged this from kaitheyun
  3. kaitheyun reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  4. alythebird reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  5. anatomical-lily reblogged this from mathology
  6. mathology reblogged this from fyeahchemistry
  7. ja-vert-javier reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  8. imadeva reblogged this from hairtrending
  9. frankymorrigan reblogged this from jtotheizzoe and added:
    The Synthetic Super-Cousin of DNA That Can Replicate and Store Information The DNA double helix that we’re all familiar...
  10. skeletal-chill reblogged this from dxxxm
  11. dxxxm reblogged this from purusarthas
  12. themore-thenerdier reblogged this from braingasmic
  13. braingasmic reblogged this from shychemist and added:
    You know what’s next? Cyborgs. Star Wars will be real. Where’s my light saber?
  14. purusarthas reblogged this from mobscenity
  15. stormbear reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  16. breathing0ut-psychedelic-air reblogged this from realfakescientist
  17. iamcharlesxavierbitch reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  18. bantha-milk reblogged this from myheadisweak
  19. laser-sheep reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  20. myheadisweak reblogged this from papercogs
  21. papercogs reblogged this from code-pi
  22. mobscenity reblogged this from andwhenyoutouchdown
  23. andwhenyoutouchdown reblogged this from fyeahchemistry
  24. elleeccentric reblogged this from biancarocksout and added:
    This is cool and freaky all at once. A synthetic biomolecule with similar properties like DNA!? Craiizi
  25. biancarocksout reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  26. girlengineer reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  27. sylvia-psychoplath reblogged this from nerd-bird
  28. nerd-bird reblogged this from whiterosesandaeroplanes
  29. dianeconcepcion reblogged this from fyeahchemistry
  30. haybums reblogged this from bmahoejr

Recent comments

Blog comments powered by Disqus