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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Atlanta, GA | Posted: June 13, 2011
A new study demonstrates RNA-driven genetic changes in bacteria and in human cells.
Not long ago, it was considered that the major role played by RNA was to carry genetic information for protein synthesis. Although an astonishing variety of RNA functions have been found in the last few decades, it has always been very difficult to determine if any RNA has the capacity to genetically modify the DNA of cells.
By using RNA-containing oligos, the Storici's team (Assistant Professor, School of Biology) has found that RNA can function as a template for DNA synthesis without being reverse transcribed into cDNA, not only in yeast but also in Escherichia coli and in the human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) cells. These findings establish that a direct flow of genetic information from RNA to DNA can occur in organisms as diverse as bacteria and humans, and thus, it can be a significant source of genetic variation. The goal of future research is to understand the mechanisms by which RNA can directly transfer information to the DNA of cells and to reveal the circumstances in which RNA information can flow to DNA.
The study, which was published April 14 in the advance online edition of the journal Mutation Research, was conducted by a group of graduate and undergraduate students in the Storici's lab in the School of Biology at Georgia Tech in collaboration with Bernard Weiss from Emory University School of Medicine.
