Mutant lifestyles: Researchers uncover a potent genetic element in Earth's smallest life forms

Researchers have discovered unidentified organisms capable of self-mutation thus expanding the diversity of the tree of life. These new microorganisms are 500 times smaller than bacteria, scientists found these organisms in the groundwater samples from a Colorado aquifer. After analyzing numerous genomes from the sample they detected a unusual genetic element DGR or diversity-generating retroelements. A professor in UCSB's Department of Earth Sciences along with postdoctoral scholar Blair Paul found that these DGRs discovered in bacteria are enabling them to target their own genes to accelerate mutation. While still is unknown about DGRs scientist now are able to see the pattern of mutation in DNA . The big question now is whether these mutations can alter the proteins the genes code for or is the whole sequence being deleted. I found this article interesting as it shows how diverse the microbial world is and how there is still much to learn. 

https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=191443&org=NSF&from=news

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170403135510.htm 

Target for Treating Dengue fever discovered

In a recent article, two papers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine researchers and colleagues may help scientist treatments or vaccines for Dengue disease, West Nile virus and yellow fever. Plus others. Dengue Fever is a disease caused by a mosquito. Jeffrey S. Kieft, associate professor of biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the School of Medicine and colleagues published articles in a journal, known as eLife and Science, explaining how flaviviruses produced a unique RNA molecule that leads to disease. He states in the journal that the viruses use a instruction encoded on a single strand of RNA to take over the infected cell and reproduce.The virus also exploits an enzyme that cells use to destroy the RNA to produce short stretches of that RNA to help the virus avoid the immune system. To discover the structure, the scientist used a technique called x-ray crystallography, which allowed them to determine the structure of individual molecules. With this, they hope to understand how the RNA found in many different flaviviruses thwart a powerful enzyme may help scientist develop treatments or vaccines.

Original article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140417191740.html
Secondary article: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs117/en/