Genetic Code is completed with the ‘Proteomic Code’ and ‘Nucleic Acid Assisted Protein Folding’

A major development has begun in the molecular biology and biotechnology industry, with the discovery of the ‘Proteomic Code’ and ‘Nucleic Acid Chaperons’. A US patent has recently been granted for biotechnological application of the Proteomic Code for design and ‘to Obtain Oligo-peptides Oligo-peptides with High Affinity to Query Proteins’.

The Genetic Code describes the rules of how genetic information in nucleic acids is translated into proteins, the ‘executors’ of biological functions. However, this code is degenerate; 61 codons codes 20 amino acids, ie, two thirds of genetic information is ‘lost’ during translation. On the other hand the native, coded proteins - as they leave the translation - are often not functional because their 3D structure remains to be defined. Consequently there is an excess of information in nucleic acids and a shortage of information in the corresponding, translated proteins.

This intriguing equation is now solved. The canonical Genetic Code contains a second code, called the Proteomic Code. This code provides instructions for the coded proteins regarding 3D folding and specific, highaffinity interactions with other proteins.

The concept of Proteomic Code emerged in 1981. However the massive supply of genetic data (eg, the Human Genome Project) and the development of bioinformatics and computers were necessary to the correct formulation of the Proteomic Code and introducing the revolutionary concept of ‘Nucleic Acid Assisted Protein Folding (mRNA chaperons)’.

Completing the Genetic Code and understanding its redundancy is a major scientific discovery. But more than that, it opens the way to rational, de novo design of interacting proteins. Proteins, which are able to specifically and with high affinity interact with each other (affinity peptides, like receptors to ligands or antibodies to antigens) are usually obtained in vivo (immunisation of an animal). Computer design of molecular interactions is painstakingly laborious (like docking) and notoriously unreliable. Therefore the Proteomic Code is a welcome development for the biotechnology industry because it simplifies, rationalises and radically improves the efficiency of affinity protein design. A US patent was granted recently for ‘System and Method to Obtain Oligo-peptides with High Affinity to Query Proteins’.

This new class of rationally designed affinity peptides is called AFFISEQ and a company has been founded to introduce the concept and products to the biotechnology and academic community. The company is open to collaboration, partnering or direct technology transfer.