Reference:
Rees, V. (2021, June 14). Human cells can write RNA sequences into DNA, study shows. Drug Target Review. https://www.drugtargetreview.com/news/92931/human-cells-can-write-rna-sequences-into-dna-study-shows/
Summary:
Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have discovered that human polymerase theta can convert RNA segments back into DNA, challenging the traditional understanding of molecular biology. This finding suggests that RNA messages may serve as templates for repairing or rewriting genomic DNA. Polymerases typically operate unidirectionally, from DNA to RNA or DNA to DNA, but this study indicates that polymerase theta can efficiently perform reverse transcription, akin to HIV reverse transcriptase. The research demonstrated that polymerase theta outperforms its conventional role, introducing fewer errors when using RNA as a template. The implications of this discovery are significant, particularly regarding DNA repair mechanisms in healthy cells and cancer cell proliferation, as polymerase theta is often overexpressed in cancerous cells. The study opens avenues for further investigation into the role of RNA in genomic stability and the potential for therapeutic applications.