Illuminating genetic messengers:Scientists of Universität Hamburg develop method of marking mRNA

Photo: D. Schulz

Wie Stecker und Steckdose: Sogenannte bioorthogonale Gruppen ermöglichen das Markieren der mRNA

Cells are the smallest and most important units of the human organism. Although their most decisive components have already been thoroughly examined, some are still hardly visible, such as ribonucleic acids (RNA). Mediating between genes and resulting traits they can also regulate cellular processes. There are numerous types of RNA with distinctive tasks. One is the messenger RNA (mRNA). It is a copy of the cell information that can be read by the cells essential protein factory called ribosome. As mRNAs can hardly be chemically distinguished from other RNAs, they could not be examined up close, e.g. under a micoscope. Now, researchers at Universität Hamburg's Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology have developed a method  of illuminating cell mRNAs as described in the current international edition of Applied Chemistry.

Junior professor Dr. Andrea Rentmeister and the PhD students Daniela Schulz and Josephin Holstein used a reaction between two so-called bioorthogonal groups. Thus denoted artificial molecular changes do not occur in nature; they enable the researchers to identify certain cellular molecules and "switch them on." This system resembles a socket that can only be operated with one particular plug. Especially developed enzymes in the cellular mRNA equipped with this socket are thus marked.If a second bioorthogonal group plugs into this connecting unit, the mRNA becomes visible and can be tracked.

This method helps understand processes, such as learning and regenerating nerve cells, on a molecular level. The scientists have registered a patent for their method.

Link to the current international edition of "Applied Chemistry":

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.201302874/abstract

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.201304978/abstract

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