Protein Synthesis and Genetics

Abstract

THE recent exchange of views in Nature regarding the biosynthesis of proteins prompts some comments from a geneticist. Campbell and Work¹ take note of “the two main streams of thought on protein synthesis: one derived from the study of isolated enzyme systems and suggesting a stepwise coupling of many small peptide units; the other based on the study of genetic inheritance of protein specificity and preferring synthesis on templates, each template being specific for a single protein structure and probably identifiable with a gene”. While not rejecting the latter view (one gene – one protein), they point to some of the difficulties with which it is confronted, and further suggest the possibility, that a synthesis of the two ideas will be found to fit the facts. Dounce², on the other hand, elaborates and defends a nucleic acid template hypothesis, and suggests that such a hypothesis is consistent with the existence of both plasma genes and nuclear genes. Quite independently, immunogenetic and biochemical studies of controllable genetic material have yielded results suggesting a synthesis of these views.