each damaged DNA of each cell is thousands of times. In the picture the model presented when announcing the winners of the chemical Nobel
Tomas Lindahl, Aziz Sancar and Paul Modrich awarded for the discovery of how removed they are damaged genes.
“Their work has given us a fundamental knowledge of how cells function, and is used to manufacture new drugs for cancer,” – reads the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. In addition to the largest in the world science honor of each of the winners will receive the third part of 8 MSEK.
Genetically service technicians
The man is 37 trillion cells, all of which are distant descendants of the zygote formed at fertilization. How did it happen that, in spite of preparing large numbers of copies genetic information will not blurred? Not to mention the fact that DNA is very fragile, and every day the genes of each cell are damaged thousands of times. So for a good cause man should sink into complete chaos genetic, while still an embryo. But that does not happen. DNA is in the cell because numerous guards who retouching and repairing the damage. Just as the discovery of how to operate these genetic service engineers, was awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry.
Let’s back up for a moment to 60s of last century. In those days, it was common belief that DNA is very durable. It was believed that the mutations occur only rarely, just in time with such frequency that quietly propel the unhurried evolution of species. The first scientist who became suspicious about the sustainability of DNA, was Swede Tomas Lindahl. During his studies once he tried to heat the RNA acid is very similar to DNA, and found that very quickly it decays. He began to investigate this matter and found that the DNA is not solid construction. Each chain of ten damaged in several thousand locations. So what miracle we exist? – Wondered Lindahl. Living cells must have a way to fix numerous defects.
Lindahl began searching for the mechanisms of DNA repair and pretty soon a success. In 1974 he discovered the enzyme responsible for the repair by base excision. Rules are the letters of the genetic code. Outdoor finds defective enzyme letters and cut them out.
Serial lab
The second of this year’s winners, Turk Aziz Sancar, a few years he worked as a country doctor in his homeland. In contact with the patients skin cancer and is aroused the interest of ultraviolet radiation on DNA. He went to the US to take a biochemical studies there. In the laboratory of the University of Texas observed the following phenomenon: bacteria released into a paste lethal doses of UV rays can suddenly get well if you treat them with blue light. Sancar identified the enzyme responsible for this phenomenon, called nucleotide excision repair. Nucleotides are a little larger fragments of DNA than the rule.
It is worth noting that doctorate, which in 1976. Aziz Sancar wrote about known mechanism did not meet with any interest . Three universities have rejected his efforts to adopt the position of investigator. Finally, desperate Sancar a job as a laboratory technician serial, but cleverly picked the best laboratory: at Yale University. There he continued his research and showed how the repair by cutting nucleotides. Now cut is for a time of 12 genetic letters from one of the DNA strands. Then it cut Genetic word is being rebuilt with the second complementary strand that contains the same information, but saved the other scribbles.
“The whole DNA”
In 1962, James Watson and Francis Crick received the Nobel Prize for determining the structure of DNA. Father Paul Murdoch, biology teacher in a small town in New Mexico in the United States, long thought about this discovery. – You should have a son interested in this whole DNA – so finally the council gave to his son. Murdoch followed the parental suggestion, and he was extremely talented, got to study for the perfect Stanford University, where in 1973 his doctor’s degree. I worked a little at Harvard and then began research at Duke University. At that the university in 1989 made his najdonioślejszego discovery showed how the mechanism works, which corrects genetic errors occurring during cell multiplication.
Today we know that this mechanism, called repair mismatches, removes 99.9 percent. errors that occur during cell division. Though still we do not fully understand how the cell detects that DNA strand is good, and that is the flaw. This is a task for future researchers, which fascinates “whole DNA”.
Ways of cancer
The achievements of this year’s Nobel Prize winners is completely changed how we perceive life at the molecular level: thanks to them we know that the DNA there is not a moment’s peace, is continually damaged – by UV light, various carcinogens, breaks up during cell division. When the DNA takes constant, hard work service.
Understanding the mechanisms of DNA repair is essential for the fight against cancer. When these mechanisms are deficient, increased risk of cancer. An example is colon cancer associated with deficiencies of repair mismatches. If we could this mechanism will improve, we could save many lives.
Besides the repair systems can be deliberately spoil in cancer cells and thus fight the disease. In this way even if the drug works olaparib used to fight ovarian cancer.
The awards ceremony will take place on 10 December.
Silhouettes of winners
Tomas Lindahl, Francis Crick Institute
– This is a huge surprise – said after the announcement of the results. – I was aware that several times taken me into consideration, but were also taken into account hundreds of others. Today, I am happy.
Tomas Lindahl is a Swedish citizen. He was born in 1938 in Stockholm and received his doctorate at the Karolinska Institutet in 1967. Three years later at the same place he was a medical doctor. Research conducted in the US – at the prestigious Princeton University, and Rockefeller. He is currently Professor Emeritus in the Francis Crick Institute and emeritus director of the Clare Hall Laboratory, Cancer Research UK in the UK.
That the mechanisms of tumor formation and defenses against them Lindahl has dedicated his life unions. – Cigarette smoke contains chemicals that stick to DNA and prevent correct copying. It mutagens – patiently explained the professor. Lindahl. – And when there is DNA damage, there are diseases, including cancer. -peka
Aziz Sancar, University of North Carolina
– My wife answered the phone and she woke me up. I did not expect the prize – Sancar said in an interview with a representative of the Nobel Foundation. – Well, Turkey will celebrate. For years tormenting me asking “When I finally get the Nobel Prize.” I am happy for myself and for my country.
Sancar is only the second Turk, who received the Nobel Prize. Before him, this has been Orhanowi Pamuk (literature in 2006).
Sancar was born in 1946 in Turkey – has Turkish and American citizenship. After studying at the University of the Istanbul worked as a doctor. He earned his doctorate already in the US, at the University of Texas. His work, for which he received the Nobel Prize, not raised then interest, and Sancar humiliated refusals. Now, with his wife Gwen (also a professor of biochemistry), leads the Foundation Sancarów, which aims to promoting Turkish culture and supporting students coming to the United States. Turkish stands at the center of the university campus, where Sancar work.
-peka
Paul Modrich, Duke University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The phone with the news about the award and received congratulations wife. – Oh! But the shock. Great! – He shouted into the phone. Sam Paul Modrich the reward learned from … e-mails, because his wife went on vacation to a cottage in the woods in New Hampshire. – I started getting compliments from 6.30 in the morning. It is hard to believe … I’m sorry, I’m not very eloquent – a Nobel Prize winner explained over the phone.
Modrich was born in 1946 in the United States. He studied at the famous Stanford University, from where he moved on – no less famous – Duke University. Following the advice of his father, from the very beginning he was interested in the structure and functioning of DNA. He studied enzymes that affect DNA activity, including ligase, polymerase and methylase. The first experiments conducted on viruses and bacteria, but – like the rest of this year’s Nobel Prize winners – also check the operation of the human body.
– For many years this area of research has not enjoyed such interest, it deserves. And it is very important – said Modrich. -peka
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