title: Computational genes: a tool for molecular diagnosis and therapy of aberrant mutational phenotype.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A finite state machine manipulating information-carrying DNA strands can be used to perform autonomous molecular-scale computations at the cellular level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We propose a new finite state machine able to detect and correct aberrant molecular phenotype given by mutated genetic transcripts. The aberrant mutations trigger a cascade reaction: specific molecular markers as input are released and induce a spontaneous self-assembly of a wild type protein or peptide, while the mutational disease phenotype is silenced. We experimentally demostrated in in vitro translation system that a viable protein can be autonomously assembled.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our work demostrates the basic principles of computational genes and particularly, their potential to detect mutations, and as a response thereafter administer an output that suppresses the aberrant disease phenotype and/or restores the lost physiological function.
authors: Institute of Computer Technology, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg 21073, Germany. martinez-perez@tu-harburg.de
authors: Israel M
authors: IM
authors: Martínez-Pérez
authors: Gong
authors: G
authors: Zhang
authors: Zoya
authors: Z
authors: Ignatova
authors: Karl-Heinz
authors: KH
authors: Zimmermann
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D039301:Computers, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D018390:Gene Targeting / Q000379:methods*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000379:methods; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D004247:DNA