Biological complexity: tracking DNA/RNA activity: (Introduction)

by David Turell , Monday, October 03, 2016, 14:37 (2755 days ago) @ David Turell

A long article describes using colored fluorescence to follow protein peptide production in cells:-http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/47128/title/How-to-Track-Translation-in-Living-Cells/-"More than a decade later, Stasevich and colleagues, alongside three independent groups, have succeeded in devising techniques for visualizing single-molecule translation in living human cells. “The fact that you have four labs working on this is a testament to how hot the topic is,” he says.
Stasevich's group engineered expression vectors that produced an mRNA containing stem-loop epitopes and encoding proteins in which the first few hundred amino acids formed a peptide domain of repeated epitopes called FLAG-tags. This domain, which the team dubbed “the spaghetti monster,” binds multiple FLAG-specific fluorescent antibodies that are injected into the cell, while the mRNA binds its own fluorescent antibodies. Thus, both the mRNA and its newly forming protein are observable at once (Science, 352:1425-29, 2016).-"The groups examined the translation kinetics for individual mRNAs and found that translation initiated roughly twice a minute and that elongation proceeded at 3 to 10 amino acids per second. Singer's crew also found evidence that, at least in neurons, translation proceeds in bursts of activity followed by inactivity—as has been described for transcription (Science, 352:1430-35, 2016). Zhuang's group showed how environmental stresses suppress translation and how the dynamics of translation vary depending on subcellular location (Cell, 165:990-1001, 2016). And Tanenbaum's team observed that individual mRNAs from the same gene in the same cell can vary dramatically in their translation efficiency, with some being practically silent and others translating robustly (Cell, 165:976-89, 2016). “You wouldn't have appreciated that heterogeneity if it weren't for these single-molecule techniques,” says Sonenberg." (my bold)-Comment: I've skipped the long history part of the article which starts with the discovery of DNA. Please note the bolded area, noting the speed of production of a peptide, and remember the amino acids have to be produced also at that speed and they are all left-handed, requiring enzymatic production. The complexity of living biochemistry seen in action demands the conclusion it was developed by an active mind. No chance process can possibly do this.