NEWS – Recent research has discovered a novel protein, referred to as “Neo,” which plays a critical role in bacterial defence mechanisms against viral infections, particularly bacteriophages.

HIGHLIGHTS

Discovery of Reverse Transcriptase

• Researchers at Columbia University found that Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria use reverse transcriptase to create a specific protein, Neo, when infected by bacteriophages.
• Reverse transcriptase allows the bacteria to place themselves in suspended animation, halting the infection process.

Importance of Reverse Transcriptase During COVID-19

• Reverse transcriptase became crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic for developing diagnostic tests.
• It facilitated rapid and accurate testing and, along with genome sequencing, helped track the virus’s spread, leading to better public health responses and vaccine development.

Historical Discovery of Reverse Transcriptase

• Independently discovered by Howard Temin and David Baltimore in 1970.
• They found that RNA polymerase in the vesicular stomatitis virus could reverse-translate RNA to DNA.
• This discovery revolutionized molecular biology by showing that genetic information could flow from RNA to DNA.

Impact on Molecular Biology and Diagnostics

• The ability to create DNA copies from RNA revolutionized research methods, enabling reverse-transcription of messenger RNAs and study of gene functions.
• In diagnostics, reverse transcriptase is used to convert RNA to DNA to estimate viral material in samples, crucial for studying RNA viruses like hepatitis B and HIV.

Significance in HIV Treatment

• The discovery led to antiviral agents targeting reverse transcriptase, significantly improving management and treatment of HIV/AIDS.

Retroelements in the Human Genome

• Retroelements, sequences in the human genome originating from retroviruses, play roles in various physiological processes and are associated with risks of neuropsychiatric diseases.
• Recent studies show that human endogenous retroviruses, a major class of retroelements, may have significant impacts on human biology and evolution.

Evolutionary Significance of Reverse Transcriptase

• Bacterial reverse transcriptases are believed to be the precursors of their eukaryotic counterparts, showing evolutionary continuity and functional versatility.

Mechanism in Klebsiella Pneumoniae

• Researchers discovered that Klebsiella pneumoniae uses non-coding RNA motifs to bind reverse transcriptase and create DNA with multiple copies of a gene for the protein Neo.
• Neo can block bacterial replication, halting the replication of the invading bacteriophage and stopping the infection.

Implications for Biotechnology and Medicine

• Understanding reverse transcriptase’s role in bacterial defense suggests innovative applications in biotechnology and medicine.
• Further research could reveal new mechanisms of genetic evolution and viral resistance, leading to new therapeutic strategies and biotechnological tools.