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DNA Replication↗
Biomedical subjects
Randall A Hughes
Publications and source records attributed to Randall A Hughes.
The importance of prebiotic chemistry in the RNA world.
In vitro selection experiments have clearly demonstrated that RNA can perform many of the functions necessary to support an RNA world. Moreover, it appears that novel functions could have readily evolved from existing functional RNA molecules. Therefore, diverse molecular ecosystems could potentially have arisen from an initial, small population of functional replicators. These findings suggest that the sequences of living systems may have been determined in part by chance occurrences at origins. Any extrapolations linking sequences (as opposed to functions) obtained in the laboratory to what may have occurred ca. 4 billion years ago are tenuous at best. Thus, perhaps the best way to understand origins is not by examining relatively unconstrained sequence information, but by examining the inherent constraints imposed by prebiotic chemistry.
Biological Evolution↗
Evolving new genetic codes.
Although the genetic code is almost universal, natural variations exist that have caused evolutionary biologists to speculate about codon evolution. There are two predominant hypotheses that specify either a gradual (ambiguous intermediate) or stochastic (codon capture) change in the code. These hypotheses are similar to two biotechnology techniques that have been used to engineer the genetic code: a 'top down' approach, in which the whole organism is evolved for the ability to incorporate unnatural amino acids, and a 'bottom up' approach, in which aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and their cognate tRNAs are engineered. The biotechnology experiments provide insights into natural codon evolution, and a combination of these approaches should enable the evolution of organisms that can incorporate unnatural amino acids throughout their proteomes.
Journal Article↗
African elephant sesquiterpenes. II. Identification and synthesis of new derivatives of 2,3-dihydrofarnesol.
A search for potential semiochemicals revealed nerolidol (6), albicanol (7), and the new 2,3-dihydrofarnesol derivatives 8-10 in the temporal gland secretions of African elephants. A novel synthesis from (E,E)-farnesol (1) provided compounds 8-10 for GC-MS comparison to the natural products. This study confirms the farnesol family as frequently occurring secondary metabolites in African elephant temporal gland secretions.
Africa↗