Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

Contributor(s):
Crick, Francis, 1916-2004
Nature
Publication:
Nature Publishing Group, 8 August 1970
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Genre(s):
Archival Materials
Articles
Abstract:
In this article Crick explained how his theory regarding the flow of genetic information in the cell, which he had introduced in 1957 as the "Central dogma" of molecular biology, was well able to accommodate recent findings by Howard Temin and David Baltimore that certain oncogenic RNA viruses direct synthesis of DNA in virus-infected cells, a process that came to be called reverse transcription. Contrary to the misconceptions of critics, Crick had not ruled out this form of residue-by-residue transfer of sequence information from RNA to DNA, although he expected it to be rare. (Indeed, it had not been shown to occur in cells other than those infected by viruses.) Moreover, the centerpiece of his theory, that sequential information used to synthesize proteins could not again flow out of proteins, was unaffected by Temin's findings.
Copyright:
This item may be under copyright protection; contact the copyright owner for permission before re-use.
Extent:
3 pages
NLM Unique ID:
101584582X430 (See in Profiles in Science)
Profiles in Science ID:
SCBCCH
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101584582X430
Archival Collection:
The Francis Crick Papers (Profiles in Science)