'Hachimoji DNA (8 character DNA)' composed of 8 kinds of bases which is twice as much as usual is produced by adding an artificial base
by Stuart Caie
Is a research institute of the United States, Florida, which is doing research on artificial base pairs Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution research team, DNA combinations artificial base pairs, is twice that of the DNA that is present naturally 8 I succeeded in producing DNA consisting of kinds of bases. The new artificial DNA is named " Hachimoji DNA (8 letters DNA) " from "8 letters" in Japanese.
Hachimoji DNA and RNA: A genetic system with eight building blocks | Science
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/363/6429/884.full
Four New DNA Letters Double Life's Alphabet - Scientific American
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/four-new-dna-letters-double-lifes-alphabet/
Living creatures on the earth store their own genetic information in DNA composed of four types of bases, adenine (A) , guanine (G) , thymine (T) and cytosine (C) . Normally, a DNA having a double helix structure is bound by a combination of A and T, G and C, genetic information of DNA is transcribed into RNA , transcription of genetic information, synthesis of proteins, etc. are carried out.
For many years researchers have been trying to create artificial base pairs as well as natural base pairs. Steven Benner, who led the study this time, created an artificial base in the 1980s and in 2014 the Scripps laboratory team succeeded in replicating artificial DNA incorporating artificial base pairs in vivo It was reported .
Base pairs are tied to a specific pair by hydrogen bonding and Benner explains that the mechanism is such that the protrusion of the Lego block sticks into the corresponding hole. Mr. Benner's research team has created artificial base pairs " S " and " B ", " P " and " Z " by changing the structure of this protrusion and hole. The newly made bases are based on traditional bases and are similar in shape, but the research team says that the bonding patterns are different.
by University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability
In order for DNA to function as a storage for storing information, it is necessary for bases to comply with specific rules, so the research team confirmed experimentally that artificial bases bind with a specific pair. In addition, it also proved that double helix structure is kept stable even with DNA incorporating artificial base pairs.
In addition, the research team also revealed in experiments that DNA incorporating an artificial base pair is firmly transcribed into RNA. The transcription of DNA information into RNA is an important step to convert genetic information into protein that is the source of life. Benner says, "DNA that incorporates an artificial base pair stores information is not a particularly interesting discovery itself, it is important that artificial base pair information is transcribed."
Fluyd Romesberg, a chemical biologist at Scripps Research Institute, said that "This discovery will be a big landmark," according to the results of this research. The fact that the four kinds of bases "A, G, T, C" of the organism on earth do not have a special element but the fact that other artificial bases are incorporated into DNA and transcribed It brings about a big conceptual breakthrough. The research team named artificial DNA consisting of eight newly made bases from "8 letters" in Japanese and called "Hachimoji DNA".
by Matti Mattila
Doubling the bases that store genetic information makes scientists believe that RNA or DNA can be used not only for storing genetic information traditionally performed by bases but also for other uses . For example, Benner's research team found that synthetic DNA containing Z and P is more likely to bind cancer cells than normal DNA. Using it, there is a possibility that synthetic DNA can be used as a tool for medical diagnosis.
In addition, as the amount of base increases, the amount of information that can be retained by DNA also increases, so Hachimoji DNA may contribute to DNA storage technology that stores various information in DNA.
Microsoft invested in "DNA memory" technology to store 1 billion Terabyte = 1 Zettabyte of data in 1 gram DNA - GIGAZINE
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