While exploring whether a structured RNA molecule from a virus that infects eukaryotic cells could function in bacteria, scientists found that it could initiate protein syntheses – a process necessary for life.

Aurora, Colorado – Researchers have found an RNA structure-based signal that spans billions of years of evolutionary divergence between different types of cells, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine at the Anschutz Medical Campus and published in the journal Nature.

The finding could alter the basic understanding of how two distinct life forms – bacteria and eukaryotes – begin the process of protein synthesis.

Jeffrey Kieft, PhD, professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics and corresponding author of the article in Nature, said scientists have long thought that the molecular signals that initiate protein synthesis in bacteria and eukaryotes are mutually exclusive. Scientists in Kieft’s lab explored whether a structured RNA molecule from a virus that infects eukaryotic cells could function in bacteria. Surprisingly, they found that it could initiate protein syntheses, a process necessary for life.

“What we found bridges billions of years of evolutionary divergence,” said Kieft, who is also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Early Career Scientist. “We wanted to explore whether it was possible to bypass mechanisms that were specific to each domain of life and find a signal capable of operating in both.”

Eukaryotes are organisms, such as plants, animals and fungi, whose cells contain a nucleus and are enclosed within membranes, while prokaryotes, such as bacteria, do not contain a nucleus.

In an article that accompanies the study by Kieft and his colleagues, Eric Jan, associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of British Columbia, calls the finding “surprising” and writes that the CU scientists and their colleagues “have shown for the first time that a bona fide signal in an RNA structure promotes protein synthesis in the two domains of life.”

Publication: Timothy M. Colussi, et al., “Initiation of translation in bacteria by a structured eukaryotic IRES RNA,” Nature (2015); doi:10.1038/nature14219

Image: Abstract illustration of cells from SHutterstock

More on SciTechDaily A New Timetable of Evolution – Reappraisal of Hydrocarbon Biomarkers in Archean Rocks MIT Study Suggests Complex Life on Earth Began 2.33 Billion Years Ago p65 Protein and its Interaction with Telomerase RNA New Delivery Technique Enables Rapid Treatment for Inflammation Researchers Develop New RNA Interference Method New Findings Challenge Assumptions about the Origins of Life A New and Possibly More Effective Method for Editing Genomes Chemical Model Shows How First Life Forms Might Have Packaged RNA

Be the first to comment on "Scientists Find Link in How Cells Start Process Necessary for Life" September 15, 2018

Juno Views Elusive ‘Brown Barge’ in Jupiter’s South Equatorial Belt Scientists Show Obesity Alters Airway Function, Increases Asthma Risk Foldable Heat Shield Could Help NASA Explore the Solar System September 11, 2018

Unusual Pair of Asteroids Reveal Evidence for Early Planetary Shake-Up September 10, 2018
[null, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Researchers-Find-Link-in-How-Cells-Start-Process-Necessary-for-Life.jpg", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Researchers-Find-Link-in-How-Cells-Start-Process-Necessary-for-Life.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Researchers Find Link in How Cells Start Process Necessary for Life", "alt_text": "Researchers Find Link in How Cells Start Process Necessary for Life", "rendered_width": 544, "rendered_height": 300}, null, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/A-New-Timetable-of-Evolution-180x101.jpg", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/A-New-Timetable-of-Evolution-180x101.jpg", "formatted_filename": "A New Timetable of Evolution", "rendered_width": 180, "rendered_height": 101}, null, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/MIT-Study-Suggests-Complex-Life-Began-2.33-Billion-Years-Ago-on-Earth-180x101.jpg", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/MIT-Study-Suggests-Complex-Life-Began-2.33-Billion-Years-Ago-on-Earth-180x101.jpg", "formatted_filename": "MIT Study Suggests Complex Life Began", "alt_text": "MIT Study Suggests Complex Life Began 2.33 Billion Years Ago on Earth", "rendered_width": 180, "rendered_height": 101}, null, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/p65-protein-with-piece-of-telomerase-RNA-180x101.jpg", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/p65-protein-with-piece-of-telomerase-RNA-180x101.jpg", "formatted_filename": "p protein with piece of telomerase RNA", "alt_text": "p65 protein with piece of telomerase RNA", "rendered_width": 180, "rendered_height": 101}, null, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/New-Technique-Enables-Rapid-RNA-Delivery-Treat-Colon-Inflammation-180x101.jpg", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/New-Technique-Enables-Rapid-RNA-Delivery-Treat-Colon-Inflammation-180x101.jpg", "formatted_filename": "New Technique Enables Rapid RNA Delivery Treat Colon Inflammation", "alt_text": "New Technique Enables Rapid Delivery of RNA to Treat Colon Inflammation", "rendered_width": 180, "rendered_height": 101}, null, null, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/New-Findings-Challenge-Assumptions-about-Origins-of-Life-180x101.jpg", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/New-Findings-Challenge-Assumptions-about-Origins-of-Life-180x101.jpg", "formatted_filename": "New Findings Challenge Assumptions about Origins of Life", "rendered_width": 180, "rendered_height": 101}, null, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Programmable-DNA-scissors-180x101.jpg", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Programmable-DNA-scissors-180x101.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Programmable DNA scissors", "alt_text": "Programmable DNA scissors", "rendered_width": 180, "rendered_height": 101}, null, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/chemical-model-that-mimics-a-possible-step-in-the-formation-of-cellular-life-on-Earth-180x101.jpg", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/chemical-model-that-mimics-a-possible-step-in-the-formation-of-cellular-life-on-Earth-180x101.jpg", "formatted_filename": "chemical model that mimics a possible step in the formation of cellular life on Earth", "alt_text": "chemical model that mimics a possible step in the formation of cellular life on Earth", "rendered_width": 180, "rendered_height": 101}, null, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "/wp-content/themes/scitech/images/ico-social-twitter.png", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/wp-content/themes/scitech/images/ico-social-twitter.png", "formatted_filename": "ico social twitter", "alt_text": "Twitter"}, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "/wp-content/themes/scitech/images/ico-social-facebook.png", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/wp-content/themes/scitech/images/ico-social-facebook.png", "formatted_filename": "ico social facebook", "alt_text": "Facebook"}, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "/wp-content/themes/scitech/images/ico-social-googleplus.png", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/wp-content/themes/scitech/images/ico-social-googleplus.png", "formatted_filename": "ico social googleplus", "alt_text": "Google+"}, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "/wp-content/themes/scitech/images/ico-social-pinterest.png", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/wp-content/themes/scitech/images/ico-social-pinterest.png", "formatted_filename": "ico social pinterest", "alt_text": "Pinterest"}, null, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Juno-Views-Elusive-Brown-Barge-373x210.jpg", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Juno-Views-Elusive-Brown-Barge-373x210.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Juno Views Elusive Brown Barge", "alt_text": "Juno Views Elusive Brown Barge", "rendered_width": 373, "rendered_height": 210}, null, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Obesity-Alters-Airway-Muscle-Function-120x67.jpg", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Obesity-Alters-Airway-Muscle-Function-120x67.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Obesity Alters Airway Muscle Function", "alt_text": "Obesity Alters Airway Muscle Function", "rendered_width": 120, "rendered_height": 67}, null, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Foldable-Heat-Shield-Could-Help-NASA-Deliver-Much-Bigger-Cargo-to-Deep-Space-120x67.jpg", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Foldable-Heat-Shield-Could-Help-NASA-Deliver-Much-Bigger-Cargo-to-Deep-Space-120x67.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Foldable Heat Shield Could Help NASA Deliver Much Bigger Cargo to Deep Space", "alt_text": "Foldable Heat Shield Could Help NASA Deliver Much Bigger Cargo to Deep Space", "rendered_width": 120, "rendered_height": 67}, null, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Researchers-Find-Evidence-of-Early-Planetary-Shake-Up-120x67.jpg", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Researchers-Find-Evidence-of-Early-Planetary-Shake-Up-120x67.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Researchers Find Evidence of Early Planetary Shake Up", "alt_text": "Researchers Find Evidence of Early Planetary Shake Up", "rendered_width": 120, "rendered_height": 67}, null, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Exercise-%E2%80%98Cleans-Up%E2%80%99-Alzheimer%E2%80%99s-Environment-120x67.jpg", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Exercise-%E2%80%98Cleans-Up%E2%80%99-Alzheimer%E2%80%99s-Environment-120x67.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Exercise  E     Cleans Up E     Alzheimer E     s Environment", "alt_text": "Exercise \u2018Cleans Up\u2019 Alzheimer\u2019s Environment", "rendered_width": 120, "rendered_height": 67}, null, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Wolf-503b-120x67.jpg", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Wolf-503b-120x67.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Wolf b", "alt_text": "Wolf 503b", "rendered_width": 120, "rendered_height": 67}, null, {"document_url": "https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-link-cells-start-process-necessary-life/", "unformatted_src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Beer-Consumption-Linked-to-Prostate-Cancer-Risk-120x67.jpg", "src": "https://scitechdaily.com/images/Beer-Consumption-Linked-to-Prostate-Cancer-Risk-120x67.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Beer Consumption Linked to Prostate Cancer Risk", "alt_text": "Beer Consumption Linked to Prostate Cancer Risk", "rendered_width": 120, "rendered_height": 67}, null, null]