Question

A research group in Zurich developed an engineered E. coli to be able to replicate DNA that includes – in addition to the standard four nucleotides – two unnatural nucleotides (that basepair with each other). In principle, this means that there are 216 (= 6³) triplet codon available to this E. coli. An obvious application of this technology would be the ability to incorporate unusual amino acids into a protein using these “new” codons. However, before this can happen, what else needs to be engineered into this bacterium? Assume that the unusual amino acids monomers are available.

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Answer 1

Two new modification should be done to incorporate new amino acids inn the newly formed polypeptide. They are as follows:

a. tRNAs specific for these new amino acids with anticodons complementary to the codon of these newly formed amino acid monomers should be engineered. These tRNAs will carry the amino acids to the initiation complex of translation.

b. Aminoacyl tRNA synthetase enzyme which links specific tRNAs with its specific amino acid should be engineered for these newly formed amino acids. There are specific Aminoacyl tRNA synthetase enzyme for each of the amino acids, so Aminoacyl tRNA synthetase enzyme should be engineered for these newly amino acids which will link them to their specific tRNAs.