1 tiny electron could be key to future drugs that repair sunburn (virus, tablets)

[Brian.Pearson]

What they saw surprised them.
The two key chemical bond sites broke up one after the other – the first in just a few trillionths of a second, and the next after a 90-trillionths-of-a-second delay.


The reason? The single electron ejected from the enzyme – the source of energy for the breakup – took time and energy to travel from one bond site to the other, tunneling along the outer edge of the ring-shaped damage site.


Also, it turns out that for the enzyme taking the long way around is the most efficient way for the electron to do the job, Zhong explained.
"The enzyme needs to inject an electron into damaged DNA -- but how?" he said. "There are two pathways. One is direct jump from the enzyme across the ring from one side to the other, which is a short distance. But instead the electron takes the scenic route. We found that along the way, there is another molecule that acts as a bridge to speed the electron flow, and in this way, the long route actually takes less time."



Now that they have revealed how the enzyme actually works, the researchers hope that others can use this knowledge to create synthetic photolyase for drugs or even lotions that can repair DNA.

[Six Foot Three]

Even though i'm caucasian i already have this protective mechanism in my skin cells as it's called the ''activated p53 gene'' which allows people like myself to easily tan and not burn while in the sun. So maybe in the future gene therapy with suntan gene will allow people who burn easily to enjoy being out in the sun .

Suntan Gene May Explain Sun Worship - WebMD

[Brian.Pearson]

Originally Posted by Brian.Pearson

The two key chemical bond sites broke up one after the other – the first in just a few trillionths of a second, and the next after a 90-trillionths-of-a-second delay.

The reason? The single electron ejected from the enzyme – the source of energy for the breakup – took time and energy to travel from one bond site to the other, tunneling along the outer edge of the ring-shaped damage site.

Also, it turns out that for the enzyme taking the long way around is the most efficient way for the electron to do the job, Zhong explained.
"The enzyme needs to inject an electron into damaged DNA -- but how?" he said. "There are two pathways. One is direct jump from the enzyme across the ring from one side to the other, which is a short distance. But instead the electron takes the scenic route. We found that along the way, there is another molecule that acts as a bridge to speed the electron flow, and in this way, the long route actually takes less time."

Now that they have revealed how the enzyme actually works, the researchers hope that others can use this knowledge to create synthetic photolyase for drugs or even lotions that can repair DNA.

.

From the article: 'That's why photolyase-carrying insects, fish, birds, amphibians, marsupials, and even bacteria, viruses and yeast are all protected from cancer-causing UV rays from the sun. Meanwhile, humans and all other mammals lack the enzyme, and so are particularly vulnerable to UV.'

I always wondered why plants and other animals can be in the sun for hours and days and yet lack the kind of immediate and long term damage that humans experience.

It seems odd that this enzyme was not conserved in humans and mammals

[Tek_Freek]

I didn't read the article (lazy today), but I wonder if it also blocks the absorption of vitamin D.

[Brian.Pearson]

How do furry animals get their Vitamin D ?

If humans need Vitamin D, then it is logical to think that animals with fur also need Vitamin D. They do, but how can they do this if their fur blocks light? The answer is that they make Vitamin D in their fur (or feathers in the case of birds) and in the action of grooming themselves, they lick the nutrient from their fur and ingest it orally. It is interesting to note that Vitamin D tablets are made from defatted lamb's wool that is exposed to UVB and then purified. Some animals that live too far away from the equator to get any UVB at all, such a polar bears and penguins, instead get Vitamin D from their diet of mostly fish. Fish contain Vitamin D because they ultimately feed on ocean algae that use shallow water UVB to make Vitamin D.