But polymerases were thought to only work in one direction DNA into DNA or RNA. This prevents RNA messages from being rewritten back into the master recipe book of genomic DNA. Now, Thomas Jefferson University researchers provide the first evidence that RNA segments can be written back into DNA, which potentially challenges the central dogma in biology and could have wide implications affecting many fields of biology.
“This work opens the door to many other studies that will help us
understand the significance of having a mechanism for converting RNA
messages into DNA in our own cells,” says Richard Pomerantz, PhD,
associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Thomas
Jefferson University. “The reality that a human polymerase can do this
with high efficiency, raises many questions.” For example, this finding
suggests that RNA messages can be used as templates for repairing or
re-writing genomic DNA....<<<Read The Full Article Here>>>...