- •History of rna biology
- •[Edit]1930–1950 [edit]rna and dna have distinct chemical properties
- •[Edit]1951–1965 [edit]Messenger rna (mRna) carries genetic information that directs protein synthesis
- •[Edit]Ribosomes make proteins
- •[Edit]Transfer rna (tRna) is the physical link between rna and protein
- •[Edit]The genetic code is solved
- •[Edit]rna polymerase is purified
- •[Edit]1966–1975 [edit]First complete nucleotide sequence of a biological nucleic acid molecule
- •[Edit]Evolutionary variation of homologous rna sequences reveals folding patterns
- •[Edit]First complete genomic nucleotide sequence
- •[Edit]Reverse transcriptase can copy rna into dna
- •[Edit]rna replicons evolve rapidly
- •[Edit]Ribosomal rna (rRna) sequences provide a record of the evolutionary history of all life forms
- •[Edit]Non-encoded nucleotides are added to the ends of rna molecules
- •[Edit]1976–1985 [edit]Small rna molecules are abundant in the eukaryotic nucleus
- •[Edit]rna molecules require a specific, complex three-dimensional structure for activity
- •[Edit]Genes are commonly interrupted by introns that must be removed by rna splicing
- •[Edit]Alternative pre-mRna splicing generates multiple proteins from a single gene
- •[Edit]Discovery of catalytic rna (ribozymes)
- •[Edit]rna was likely critical for prebiotic evolution
- •[Edit]Introns can be mobile genetic elements
- •[Edit]Spliceosomes mediate nuclear pre-mRna splicing
- •[Edit]1986–2000 [edit]rna sequences can be edited within cells
- •[Edit]Telomerase uses a built-in rna template to maintain chromosome ends
- •[Edit]Ribosomal rna catalyzes peptide bond formation
- •[Edit]Combinatorial selection of rna molecules enables in vitro evolution
- •[Edit]2001 – present [edit]Many mobile dna elements use an rna intermediate
- •[Edit]Riboswitches bind cellular metabolites and control gene expression
- •[Edit]Small rna molecules regulate gene expression by post-transcriptional gene silencing
- •[Edit]Noncoding rna controls epigenetic phenomena
- •[Edit]proto-anti-codon rnAs (pacRnAs)
- •[Edit]Nobel Laureates in rna biology
- •[Edit]References
History of rna biology
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Numerous key discoveries in biology have emerged from studies of RNA (ribonucleic acid), including seminal work in the fields of biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, molecular biology, molecular evolution and structural biology. As of 2010, 30 scientists have been awarded Nobel Prizes for experimental work that includes studies of RNA. Specific discoveries of high biological significance are discussed in this article.
For related information, see the articles on History of Molecular Biology and History of Genetics. For background information, see the articles on RNA and nucleic acid.
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[Edit]1930–1950 [edit]rna and dna have distinct chemical properties
When first studied in the early 1900s, the chemical and biological differences between RNA and DNA were not apparent, and they were named after the materials from which they were isolated; RNA was initially known as "yeast nucleic acid" and DNA was "pancreas nucleic acid". Using diagnostic chemical tests, carbohydrate chemists showed that the two nucleic acids contained different sugars, whereupon the common name for RNA became "ribose nucleic acid". Other early biochemical studies showed that RNA was readily broken down at high pH, while DNA was stable (although denatured) in alkali. Nucleoside composition analysis showed first that RNA contained similar nucleobases to DNA, with uracil instead of thymine, and that RNA contained a number of minor nucleobase components, e.g. small amounts of pseudouridine and dimethylguanine.[1]