so why is building an enzyme that copies mirror DNA a big deal well as i mentioned before enzymes typically only work on one specific mirror version (one "isomer") of a molecule because they have a three dimensional operating mechanism and the wrong isomer doesnt fit it
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take a moment to ponder how ugly complicated this enzyme is. I am reemphasizing that this is a representation of DNA polymerase (most colors) working on copying some DNA (purple bits)pic.twitter.com/fY9t1y61JP
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keep in mind that the enzyme itself isnt "bulky" exactly. its a long fused thread of amino acids with different areas of chemical sensitivity, and to the extent that the amino acid thread is holding itself together it is often by incredibly tenuous bonds
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in order to get a protein to even work as intended it has to be printed off of DNA (LONG STORY) and then typically folded into the correct shape by other proteins if the folding goes badly usually it just doesnt work as an enzyme and gets chopped up
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(occasionally for certain enzymes if the folding goes very badly it turns itself into an enzyme whose function is to turn working enzymes into misfolded enzymes and oh shit now you are going to die)https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6554/475 …
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all of this is to say that the sons of bitches who published this have managed to take an unfathomably complex and incredibly delicate molecular machine developed over god knows how many millions of years such that its orientation is the same in all known life,
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and somehow managed to get this entire 3D configuration perfectly inverted to work on DNA that is DNA it just spins the wrong way im in awe
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eigenrobot Retweeted eigenrobot
a few end notes the reason they want to make a "DNase" ie an enzyme that chops up DNA is because all of the existing DNases only work on D-DNA and so if they keep making this shit it will be hard to dispose of elegantly I guess?https://twitter.com/eigenrobot/status/1420952819901755393?s=19 …
eigenrobot added,
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Replying to @NLRG_ @eigenrobot
X-ase just means "enzyme that acts on or does X."
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right and this is a molecule that acts on DN
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Replying to @NLRG_ @eigenrobot
He's goofing. Cuz you can call it DNAse.
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