Unravelling the structural plasticity of stretched DNA under torsional constraint

Graeme A. King, Erwin J. G. Peterman () and Gijs J. L. Wuite ()
Additional contact information
Graeme A. King: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Erwin J. G. Peterman: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Gijs J. L. Wuite: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Regions of the genome are often held under torsional constraint. Nevertheless, the influence of such constraint on DNA–protein interactions during genome metabolism is still poorly understood. Here using a combined optical tweezers and fluorescence microscope, we quantify and explain how torsional constraint influences the structural stability of DNA under applied tension. We provide direct evidence that concomitant basepair melting and helical unwinding can occur in torsionally constrained DNA at forces >∼50 pN. This striking result indicates that local changes in linking number can be absorbed by the rest of the DNA duplex. We also present compelling new evidence that an overwound DNA structure (likely P-DNA) is created (alongside underwound structures) at forces >∼110 pN. These findings substantiate previous theoretical predictions and highlight a remarkable structural plasticity of torsionally constrained DNA. Such plasticity may be required in vivo to absorb local changes in linking number in DNA held under torsional constraint.

Date: 2016
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms11810 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms11810

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11810

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().