Jacob,
The idea is enticing, but don't forget that there are multiple degenerate codons for a given amino acid. Once the protein is synthesized, the specific codon information is lost.
I think that's a fundamental problem.
Keep the ideas coming,
Mike Thompson
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jacob Keller" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Monday, September 6, 2010 6:36:14 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: [ccp4bb] Reverse Translatase
Dear Crystallographers,
does anyone know of any conceptual reason why a reverse translatase enzyme
(protein-->nucleic acid) could not exist? I can think of so many things for
which such an enzyme would be helpful, both to cells and to scientists...!
Unless there is something I am missing, it would seem to me conceptually
almost impossible that it *not* exist.
Best Regards,
Jacob Keller
*******************************************
Jacob Pearson Keller
Northwestern University
Medical Scientist Training Program
Dallos Laboratory
F. Searle 1-240
2240 Campus Drive
Evanston IL 60208
lab: 847.491.2438
cel: 773.608.9185
email: [log in to unmask]
*******************************************
--
Michael C. Thompson
Graduate Student
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Division
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
University of California, Los Angeles
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