While pinpointing the exact date of RNA's discovery is difficult, significant milestones in understanding its function occurred in the early 1960s. The discovery of messenger RNA (mRNA), a crucial form of RNA, is often cited as a key moment in RNA research.
Key Discoveries Regarding RNA
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Early 1960s: Sydney Brenner, François Jacob, and Matthew Meselson's work led to the discovery of messenger RNA (mRNA) in 1960. Subsequently, in 1961, Marshall Nirenberg and Heinrich Matthaei cracked the genetic code, demonstrating how RNA sequences dictate the amino acid sequence in proteins. [1, 7] Multiple publications in Nature in 1961 further solidified this understanding. [2]
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Later Discoveries: Research into RNA continued to blossom, leading to discoveries like self-splicing RNA (1982, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1989), RNA interference (RNAi) in 1998, and ongoing discoveries of new types of RNA and their functions, including roles in aging [6, 8] and inflammation [9, 10].
The understanding of RNA evolved over time. While the initial discovery of RNA predates the 1960s, the significant advancements in comprehending its roles in protein synthesis and gene regulation occurred during this period.
References:
[1] 1960: Sydney Brenner, François Jacob and Matthew Meselson discover messenger RNA (mRNA). 1961: Marshall Nirenberg and Heinrich Matthaei discover the genetic code, revealing that specific sequences of nitrogenous bases in RNA determine the sequence of amino acids in proteins. 02-Aug-2023
[2] Who discovered messenger RNA? - ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982215006065
[3] Discovery of messenger RNA in 1961. https://www.pasteur.fr/en/home/research-journal/news/discovery-messenger-rna-1961?language=fr
[4] RNA - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA
[5] Press release: The 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry - NobelPrize.org. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1989/press-release/
[6] Small RNA Molecule Discovered to Have Role in Driving Aging ... https://news.unchealthcare.org/2024/09/small-rna-molecule-discovered-to-have-role-in-driving-aging-study-says/
[7] The Long History of mRNA Vaccines | Johns Hopkins | Bloomberg ... https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2021/the-long-history-of-mrna-vaccines
[8] RNA Intereference: A powerful laboratory tool and its therapeutic ... https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2808393/
[9] New study discovers tiny target on RNA to short-circuit inflammation https://news.ucsc.edu/2024/05/lncrna-inflammation.html
[10] Wyss researchers discover a new type of RNA that inhibits a broad ... https://wyss.harvard.edu/news/new-type-of-rna-discovered-that-inhibits-a-broad-range-of-viral-infections/
