The ProMorph
Dateline: 12/10/98
Remember Jurassic Park? Scientists took dinosaur DNA that had been preserved for millions of years and produced dinosaurs. Well, life is beginning to imitate art--to a certain extent. Researchers at the United States Department of Energy recently announced that they had successfully turned one protein into another. The scientists essentially morphed the protein, through genetic manipulation, to change its function.
Using cruciferous plants, the scientists primarily concentrated their work on the desaturase and the hydroxylase enzymes. Desaturase converts fatty acids from a straight to a bent formation, while hydroxylase adds hydroxy groups to fatty acids. These seemingly small changes can greatly affect structure and function.
The scientists identified which amino acids in the enzymes were responsible for a particular activity. They then swapped the amino acids in one of the enzymes with the concomitant amino acids from the other enzyme.
The changes were concentrated in the enzyme's active site. After the swap, the researchers studied the effects in Arabidopsis, the plant equivalent of the fruit fly for geneticists. The swap proved successful. The previous desaturase acted like a hydroxylase and vice versa.
Scientists noted that the technique could lead to plants designed for specific functions, such as for raw materials in industry, particularly in the oil industry. Many petroleum products could be developed from a biological basis. This technique has also shed light on the mechanisms of protein evolution in plants.
Genetic morphing could lead to attempted patents on enzymes similar to the attempts to patent various genetically altered mice. Prior to this study, scientists were not fully convinced that proteins were so pliable and moldable.
What do you think? How far might this morphing technique go? What are the implications as this technique is perfected? Do you think such a technique might ultimately prove useful outside of the plant kingdom? Come on over to the Biology Forum and share your thoughts, opinions, and feelings. 'Til next time...
For additional information see:
- First "Morphing" of Plant Enzyme Function
News release from the BrookHaven National Laboratory.
