Add two new characters to the genetic code set

Scientists have added X and Y base pairs into the DNA of a bacterium.

All life on Earth contains genetic compounds composed of nitrogen, denoted by four letters A, T, C, and G , which are the foundation for making proteins.

.(Photo: Science).

Today, a group of scientists has created the first bacteria to be supplemented with characters, or contain unnatural bases.

New research is based on previous attempts to expand genetic code. In 2014, scientists succeeded in creating the combined Escherichia coli bacteria that added the X and Y bases (unnatural bases) into DNA, and were able to pass on to daughter cells.

However, to be useful, new bases need to be transcribed into RNA molecules, which then constitute proteins. So in the new study, the scientists "stuffed" strange base pairs into bacterial DNA (containing traditional bases), bacteria then successfully decoded the DNA (containing more self-contained bases). course) and convert them into RNA.

From RNAs, bacteria can also use them to create a variant of the green flourescent protein (GFP) that contains natural amino acids. The results were published in Nature.

Scientists say four traditional bases (A, T, C, G) in DNA can encode about 20 amino acids, but when added with X and Y base pairs, 152 amino acids can be generated. acid, opens the way for the study of new drugs and materials.