Finding reveals 'edits' in genetic information.

• Position: RNA - Brief article

A tiny but unexpected change to a segment of RNA in a single-cell organism looks a lot like a mistake, but instead is a change to the genetic information that is essential to the organism's survival.

Scientists have discovered this RNA "edit" in Trypanosoma brucei, a parasite that causes sleeping sickness in Africa and Chagas disease in Latin America. Though the organism is a model system for this work, the finding could lead to a new drug target to fight the parasite if higher species do not share this genetic behavior.

Some of the organism's genetic activity already was known. In the case of gene products called tRNAs, which help assemble the amino acids that make proteins, T. brucei was known to have only one tRNA with a specific segment of RNA that ensures the tRNA's proper function. Additionally, examples of RNA editing have been discovered before.

In this particular case, though, the way genetic information necessary for the protein production process was changed--through a...