2023-08-16 17:05:03
Research on bacteriophages conducted by the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg has revealed a previously unknown biological principle. The researchers have discovered that certain RNAs are firmly linked to host proteins in the development cycle of bacterial viruses, challenging the assumption that RNAs and proteins only interact for a short period of time during cellular processes. This new principle, called RNAylation, could potentially open up new avenues for phage therapy or drug development.
The study focused on bacteriophages, which are viruses that specifically attack bacteria. The T4 phage, for example, is known to infect the bacterium E. coli and destroy it faster than antibiotics. Considering the growing issue of antibiotic resistance, phage therapy is being explored as a possible alternative for treating bacterial infections.
The T4 phage utilizes three different ADP-ribosyltransferases (ART) as biocatalysts to reprogram and kill the bacterial cell. In their research, Katharina Höfer and her team examined the function of NAD RNAs, which are RNAs that carry an NAD appendage. They discovered that the ART ModB of the T4 phage can accept NAD RNA as a substrate and bind an entire RNA to a protein, a process they termed RNAylation. This represents a completely new concept of natural RNA-protein interaction.
Further investigations revealed that the process of RNAylation is essential for efficient phage infection, as T4 phages lacking ModB kill bacteria much more slowly. The research team also found that ModB specifically binds various RNAs to bacterial proteins involved in translation, suggesting that RNAylation could be part of the phage’s strategy to control cellular resources.
The discovery of RNAylation has implications beyond bacteriophages. The researchers believe that RNAylation could be a new tool for synthetic biology, allowing for the formation of specific RNA-protein conjugates and harnessing the combined properties of proteins and nucleic acids.
Despite these advancements, many questions remain unanswered. The exact mechanism of RNAylation needs further investigation, as different ARTs have varying acceptance of NAD-RNA substrates. Additionally, the complexity and diversity of target proteins and RNAs in living systems pose challenges for studying the function of RNAylation. The research team aims to develop new methods to further explore this novel biological principle in living cells.
The research conducted by the Max Planck Institute in Marburg sheds light on the intricate interactions between RNAs and proteins, challenging previous assumptions and presenting new possibilities in phage therapy and drug development. The discovery of RNAylation opens up exciting avenues for further research and potentially revolutionizes the field of synthetic biology.]
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