Orthogonal System
It has been proposed and studied both theoretically and experimentally the possibility of implementing an orthogonal system inside cells independent of the cellular genetic material in order to make a completely safe system, with the possible increase in encoding potentials Several groups have focused on different aspects:
- novel backbones and base pairs as discussed above
- XNA (Xeno Nucleic Acid) artificial replication/transcription polymerases starting generally from T7 RNA polymerase
- ribosomes (16S sequences with altered anti Shine-Dalgarno sequence allowing the translation of only orthogonal mRNA with a matching altered Shine-Dalgarno sequence)
- novel tRNA encoding non-natural aminoacids. See Expanded genetic code
Read more about this topic: Nucleic Acid Analogues
Famous quotes containing the word system:
“We recognize caste in dogs because we rank ourselves by the familiar dog system, a ladderlike social arrangement wherein one individual outranks all others, the next outranks all but the first, and so on down the hierarchy. But the cat system is more like a wheel, with a high-ranking cat at the hub and the others arranged around the rim, all reluctantly acknowledging the superiority of the despot but not necessarily measuring themselves against one another.”
—Elizabeth Marshall Thomas. “Strong and Sensitive Cats,” Atlantic Monthly (July 1994)