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The bacterium that utilizes the topoisomerase

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Here, the image on the right, the bacterium that if he had done so much talk in recent days. First, it must be said that all bodies to function properly, they must continually build new components for mobiles and it must be provided with a specific group of items. They are also known as macro-or macronutrients, because micro-organisms, but is also true of us, really in need in high quantities, are the elements that make possible the synthesis of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, etc. ... the elements are carbon (C), hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), sulfur (S), phosphorus (P). There are others, mostly ions, but these six elements are the skeleton of all organic molecules. Through this discovery, scientists say, although these elements are the building blocks of matter living, it is theoretically possible that other elements that we find on the periodic table can be effectively used in the same way.

The bacterium in question is a strain of gammaproteobacteria (GFAJ -1) which belongs to the family of Halomonadaceae. not yet understood because the microorganisms have a soft spot for arsenic. Evidently he has adapted to live in an environment where the presence of 'arsenic was very high, and therefore has learned to exploit both phosphorus and arsenic, but is yet to be proven. Oremland co-author of the discovery had already observed in the past that the bacteria in the lake, Mono Lake, full of arsenic, typically using this highly toxic reactions in photosynthesis, but no one had demonstrated the absorption of this element for internal use.

Wolfe-Simon and colleagues have collected mud and other sediments from Mono Lake and the bacteria have grown in the laboratory have taken then performed a series of dilutions intended to replace any remaining phosphate solution with higher and higher amounts of arsenic. They found that a type of microbe in the mix seemed grow faster than others.

They then radioactively labeled arsenate which was added in the culture medium so as to be able to monitor its distribution, it was observed that arsenic was present in the bacterium and was contained in proteins, lipids and metabolites such as ATP and glucose, as well as in nucleic acids that made up his DNA and RNA. The amounts of arsenic found were similar to those expected for the phosphate in normal cells, suggesting that the compound was used in the same way they would normally use the phosphate in the cell.

The team used two different techniques of mass spectrometry to confirm that the DNA of the bacterium contained arsenic, indicating that the item had assumed the role of phosphate in holding together the backbone of DNA. Further investigation have confirmed that the arsenate ion PERFORMED bonds with the carbon and oxygen in much the same way as the phosphate.

Now there are a number of questions you will answer. For example, if the phosphate content in kind as the ATP molecule was exchanged with arsenate, what effect it has on fnzioni important turning point in the cell? How can it be just as efficient? Metabolic processes in which arsenic would bind with glucose, if it is known that arsenic is more unstable in contributing to the formation of organic molecules, as it may be equally or similarly effective? And the phosphate groups bind to proteins and which play an important role in those changes of structure features of the latter? how can the exercise arsenate able to work effectively similmete? arsenate ion in fact similar in shape to the phosphate ion form bonds much weaker in water than those formed by the phosphate, is unstable, this means that they tend to break away and even though there may be other molecules that help stabilize these ties, the researchers would need to explain this discrepancy in the event standing. Yet, the discovery is "simply phenomenal" if you stand up after further chemical analysis, Benner added: "

means that many, many things are wrong in terms of how we see the molecules in the biological system."

SOURCES:

Nature, Scientific American , EurekAlert