Designing of a single gene encoding four functional proteins.
In the genomes of some organisms such as bacteriophages and bacteria, a DNA sequence is able to encode two different proteins, indicating that genetic information is compacted in DNA twice denser than in usual DNA. In theory, a DNA sequence has a maximal capacity to produce six different mRNAs, however, it is an intriguing question how many of these mRNAs are able to synthesize functional proteins. Here, we design a DNA sequence encoding four collagen-like proteins, two, (Gly-Arg-Pro)n and (Gly-Ala-Pro)n, from a sense mRNA and the other two, also (Gly-Arg-Pro)n and (Gly-Ala-Pro)n from its antisense mRNA, all of which are expected to form triple-helical structures unique to collagens. Other designs such as the combination of (Gly-Arg-Pro)n, (Gly-Val-Pro)n, (Gly-Thr-Pro)n and (Gly-Arg-Pro)n are also possible. The proposed DNA sequence is considered to contain the most compact genetic information ever created.
Department of Biochemistry, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Center for Advance Biotechnology and Medicine, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA. Electronic address: inouye@cabm.rutgers.edu.
Masayori
M
Inouye
Department of Biochemistry, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Center for Advance Biotechnology and Medicine, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
Yojiro
Y
Ishida
Department of Biochemistry, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Center for Advance Biotechnology and Medicine, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
Keiko
K
Inouye
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003094:Collagen / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D016373:DNA, Antisense / Q000235:genetics; D005807:Genes, Overlapping / Q000235:genetics*; D005813:Genes, Synthetic / Q000235:genetics*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D016373:DNA, Antisense; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D003094:Collagen; D004247:DNA
Collagen; Protein Engineering