Historically, the generally taught scientific premise has been that each gene has one unique start site and is responsible for the creation of only one protein. However, the study, which is published in Molecular Cell, a leading journal on the topic of cellular processes, shows that some genes have more than one start site and can specify production of more than one functional protein.
Their method of identifying gene start sites relies on a common prescription drug called retapamulin, a topical antibiotic. Retapamulin, they showed for the first time, works by causing the ribosome, which reads genetic code, to become stalled at these start sites, inhibiting translation, a key part of the process by which the genetic code in DNA is used to create proteins.
Researchers looked at E. coli cells in response to retapamulin in in vitro and in vivo experiments. "First, we understood the antibiotic's mechanism and then we applied that knowledge to identify the special 'start' gene signals the cell uses to regulate protein synthesis," said the senior author. "In the past, these start codons were identified by rather difficult processes -- proteins often needed to be isolated and studied to discover where the start sites of their genes are located in the bacterial genome. Now, in a single experiment, we can profile the starts of all the thousands of bacterial genes in a more forward manner."
The authors say using retapamulin to aid in bacterial gene translation profiling opens many new avenues for research. Using the antibiotic, the researchers were able to identify "cryptic," or alternative start sites within some bacterial genes.
"We saw that many previously hidden proteins were initiated at sites in the middle of the gene and that those proteins were functional and that initiation at alternative start sites is widespread in bacteria," said another author.
The researchers found more than 100 E. coli genes, out of around 4,000, that could initiate protein synthesis at more than one site.
Proteins initiated at these unknown sites may constitute a previously hidden fraction of the proteome -- the entire set of proteins that can be expressed -- in bacteria and their initiation at these sites may play a role in the life of the cell," said the senior author. "By better understanding the cell and the mechanisms of antibiotic action, we can apply that knowledge to learn more about what makes bacteria become pathogenic."
https://today.uic.edu/uic-researchers-find-hidden-proteins-in-bacteria
https://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/fulltext/S1097-2765(19)30107-8
Latest News
Mutations in noncoding DNA…
By newseditor
Posted 24 Apr
More influence of environme…
By newseditor
Posted 24 Apr
The assembly of the human c…
By newseditor
Posted 24 Apr
Wiring of the human neocortex
By newseditor
Posted 24 Apr
Abusive drugs hijack natura…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Apr
Other Top Stories
AI tool to detect blood cells in leukemia!
Read more
Cancer cell growth or death determined by its cohesion
Read more
Multiple functional extrachromosomal enhancers help drive glioblastoma
Read more
Liver tumor growth or shrinkage depends on competing signals at the…
Read more
Molecular evolution of diffuse gliomas
Read more
Protocols
A programmable targeted pro…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Apr
MemPrep, a new technology f…
By newseditor
Posted 08 Apr
A tangible method to assess…
By newseditor
Posted 08 Apr
Stem cell-derived vessels-o…
By newseditor
Posted 06 Apr
Single-cell biclustering fo…
By newseditor
Posted 01 Apr
Publications
Massively parallel screen u…
By newseditor
Posted 24 Apr
Distinct genetic and enviro…
By newseditor
Posted 24 Apr
Hippocampus-to-amygdala pat…
By newseditor
Posted 24 Apr
Integrative spatial analysi…
By newseditor
Posted 24 Apr
Time-series reconstruction…
By newseditor
Posted 24 Apr
Presentations
Hydrogels in Drug Delivery
By newseditor
Posted 12 Apr
Lipids
By newseditor
Posted 31 Dec
Cell biology of carbohydrat…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
RNA interference (RNAi)
By newseditor
Posted 23 Oct
RNA structure and functions
By newseditor
Posted 19 Oct
Posters
A chemical biology/modular…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Aug
Single-molecule covalent ma…
By newseditor
Posted 04 Jul
ASCO-2020-HEALTH SERVICES R…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-HEAD AND NECK CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar