Stretched, Twisted, Supercoiled and Braided DNA

1996 ◽  
Vol 463 ◽  
Author(s):  
John F. Marko
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Double Helix ◽  
Persistence Length ◽  
Thermal Fluctuations ◽  
Internal Dynamics ◽  
Flexible Polymer ◽  
Bending Elasticity ◽  
Polymer Elasticity ◽  
Dna Double Helix ◽  
Semi Flexible Polymer

ABSTRACTThe DNA double helix is a semi-flexible polymer with twist rigidity. Its bending elasticity gives rise to entropie polymer elasticity, which can be precisely studied in single-molecule experiments. DNA's twist rigidity causes it to wrap around itself, or ‘supercoil’, when it is sufficiently twisted; thermal fluctuations destabilize supercoiling for DNAs twisted fewer than once per twist persistence length. Twisted DNAs under tension, braided DNAs, and the internal dynamics of supercoiled DNAs are discussed. The interplay between braiding and supercoiling free energy is argued to be important for the decatenation of duplicated DNAs in prokaryote cells.

Direct Single-Molecule Observations of Local Denaturation of a DNA Double Helix under a Negative Supercoil State

2015 ◽  
Vol 87 (6) ◽  
pp. 3490-3497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shunsuke Takahashi ◽  
Shinya Motooka ◽  
Tomohiro Usui ◽  
Shohei Kawasaki ◽  
Hidefumi Miyata ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Double Helix ◽  
Dna Double Helix

scholarly journals Mechanism of RPA-Facilitated Processive DNA Unwinding by the Eukaryotic CMG Helicase

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hazal B. Kose ◽  
Sherry Xie ◽  
George Cameron ◽  
Melania S. Strycharska ◽  
Hasan Yardimci
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Replication Fork ◽  
Double Helix ◽  
Dna Unwinding ◽  
Helicase Activity ◽  
Replicative Helicase ◽  
Double Stranded Dna ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Dna Strand ◽  
Dna Double Helix

AbstractThe DNA double helix is unwound by the Cdc45/Mcm2-7/GINS (CMG) complex at the eukaryotic replication fork. While isolated CMG unwinds duplex DNA very slowly, its fork unwinding rate is stimulated by an order of magnitude by single-stranded DNA binding protein, RPA. However, the molecular mechanism by which RPA enhances CMG helicase activity remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that engagement of CMG with parental double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) at the replication fork impairs its helicase activity, explaining the slow DNA unwinding by isolated CMG. Using single-molecule and ensemble biochemistry, we show that binding of RPA to the excluded DNA strand prevents duplex engagement by the helicase and speeds up CMG-mediated DNA unwinding. When stalled due to dsDNA interaction, DNA rezipping-induced helicase backtracking re-establishes productive helicase-fork engagement underscoring the significance of plasticity in helicase action. Together, our results elucidate the dynamics of CMG at the replication fork and reveal how other replisome components can mediate proper DNA engagement by the replicative helicase to achieve efficient fork progression.

Bulk and Single-Molecule Fluorescence Studies of the Saturation of the DNA Double Helix Using YOYO-3 Intercalator Dye

2012 ◽  
Vol 116 (38) ◽  
pp. 11561-11569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio G. Lopez ◽  
Maria J. Ruedas-Rama ◽  
Salvador Casares ◽  
Jose M. Alvarez-Pez ◽  
Angel Orte
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Double Helix ◽  
Single Molecule Fluorescence ◽  
Fluorescence Studies ◽  
Dna Double Helix

Sequence Specific Force Curves Measured by Mechanically Opening the DNA Double Helix

1997 ◽  
Vol 489 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Bockelmann ◽  
B. Essevaz-Roulet ◽  
F. Heslot
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Double Helix ◽  
Force Sensor ◽  
Optical Microscope ◽  
Microscope Slide ◽  
Characteristic Variation ◽  
Force Curves ◽  
Dna Double Helix ◽  
Glass Microscope Slide ◽  
Glass Microscope

AbstractUsing techniques of molecular biology, we have designed a molecular construction which allows to attach the two complementary strands of one end of a single molecule of bacteriophage λ DNA separately to a glass microscope slide and a microscopic bead. A soft microneedle acting as a force sensor is chemically attached to the bead and its deflection is measured by an optical microscope. Keeping the base of the force lever fixed, the glass slide is displaced slowly, leading to a progressive opening of the double helix. The force measured during the opening process shows a characteristic variation which is related to the sequence of the bases along the DNA molecule. We present a brief summary of the present state of our work.

scholarly journals Double-stranded RNA bending by AU-tract sequences

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Marin-Gonzalez ◽  
Clara Aicart-Ramos ◽  
Mikel Marin-Baquero ◽  
Alejandro Martín-González ◽  
Maarit Suomalainen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Double Helix ◽  
Persistence Length ◽  
Arbitrary Sequence ◽  
Sequence Motif ◽  
Double Stranded Rna ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Structural Deformations ◽  
Quaternary Structures ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Dna Double Helix

ABSTRACTSequence-dependent structural deformations of the DNA double helix (dsDNA) have been extensively studied, where adenine tracts (A-tracts) provide a striking example for global bending in the molecule. In contrast to dsDNA, much less is known about how the nucleotide sequence affects bending deformations of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Using all-atom microsecond long molecular dynamics simulations we found a sequence motif consisting of alternating adenines and uracils, or AU-tracts, that bend the dsRNA helix by locally compressing the major groove. We experimentally tested this prediction using atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging of long dsRNA molecules containing phased AU-tracts. AFM images revealed a clear intrinsic bend in these AU-tracts molecules, as quantified by a significantly lower persistence length compared to dsRNA molecules of arbitrary sequence. The bent structure of AU-tracts here described might play a role in sequence-specific recognition of dsRNAs by dsRNA-interacting proteins or impact the folding of RNA into intricate tertiary and quaternary structures.

scholarly journals Twist-bend coupling and the statistical mechanics of DNA: perturbation theory and beyond

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanos K. Nomidis ◽  
Enrico Skoruppa ◽  
Enrico Carlon ◽  
John F. Marko
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Mechanics ◽  
Mechanical Response ◽  
Double Helix ◽  
Thermal Fluctuations ◽  
Quantitative Agreement ◽  
Torsional Stiffness ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Perturbative Calculation ◽  
Applied Forces ◽  
Dna Double Helix

AbstractThe simplest model of DNA mechanics describes the double helix as a continuous rod with twist and bend elasticity. Recent work has discussed the relevance of a little-studied coupling G between twisting and bending, known to arise from the groove asymmetry of the DNA double helix. Here, the effect of G on the statistical mechanics of long DNA molecules subject to applied forces and torques is investigated. We present a perturbative calculation of the effective torsional stiffness Ceff for small twist-bend coupling. We find that the “bare” G is “screened” by thermal fluctuations, in the sense that the low-force, long-molecule effective free energy is that of a model with G = 0, but with long-wavelength bending and twisting rigidities that are shifted by G-dependent amounts. Using results for torsional and bending rigidities for freely-fluctuating DNA, we show how our perturbative results can be extended to a nonperturbative regime. These results are in excellent agreement with numerical calculations for Monte Carlo “triad” and molecular dynamics “oxDNA” models, characterized by different degrees of coarse-graining, validating the perturbative and non-perturbative analyses. While our theory is in generally-good quantitative agreement with experiment, the predicted torsional stiffness does systematically deviate from experimental data, suggesting that there are as-yet-uncharacterized aspects of DNA twisting-stretching mechanics relevant to low-force, long-molecule mechanical response, which are not captured by widely-used coarse-grained models.

scholarly journals A hold-and-feed mechanism drives directional DNA loop extrusion by condensin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Indra A Shaltiel ◽  
Sumanjit Datta ◽  
Léa Lecomte ◽  
Markus Hassler ◽  
Marc Kschonsak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Double Helix ◽  
Power Stroke ◽  
Reaction Cycle ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Condensin Complex ◽  
Dna Loop ◽  
Dna Double Helix

SMC protein complexes structure genomes by extruding DNA loops, but the molecular mechanism that underlies their activity has remained unknown. We show that the active condensin complex entraps the bases of a DNA loop in two separate chambers. Single-molecule and cryo-electron microscopy provide evidence for a power-stroke movement at the first chamber that feeds DNA into the SMC-kleisin ring upon ATP binding, while the second chamber holds on upstream of the same DNA double helix. Unlocking the strict separation of 'motor' and 'anchor' chambers turns condensin from a one-sided into a bidirectional DNA loop extruder. We conclude that the orientation of two topologically bound DNA segments during the course of the SMC reaction cycle determines the directionality of DNA loop extrusion.

scholarly journals Form factor for distorted semi-flexible polymer chains

Soft Matter ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 742-753 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reinhard Sigel
Keyword(s):  
Form Factor ◽  
Persistence Length ◽  
Polymer Chains ◽  
Flexible Polymer ◽  
Semi Flexible Polymer

The statistical presence of kinks which form defects in semi-flexible polymer chains leads to a polydispersity in the effective persistence length.

scholarly journals Hydrophobic catalysis and a potential biological role of DNA unstacking induced by environment effects

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (35) ◽  
pp. 17169-17174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bobo Feng ◽  
Robert P. Sosa ◽  
Anna K. F. Mårtensson ◽  
Kai Jiang ◽  
Alex Tong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ethylene Glycol ◽  
Optical Tweezers ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Hydrophobic Interactions ◽  
Persistence Length ◽  
Poly Ethylene Glycol ◽  
Glycol Ethers ◽  
Base Stacking ◽  
Poly Ethylene ◽  
Dna Double Helix

Hydrophobic base stacking is a major contributor to DNA double-helix stability. We report the discovery of specific unstacking effects in certain semihydrophobic environments. Water-miscible ethylene glycol ethers are found to modify structure, dynamics, and reactivity of DNA by mechanisms possibly related to a biologically relevant hydrophobic catalysis. Spectroscopic data and optical tweezers experiments show that base-stacking energies are reduced while base-pair hydrogen bonds are strengthened. We propose that a modulated chemical potential of water can promote “longitudinal breathing” and the formation of unstacked holes while base unpairing is suppressed. Flow linear dichroism in 20% diglyme indicates a 20 to 30% decrease in persistence length of DNA, supported by an increased flexibility in single-molecule nanochannel experiments in poly(ethylene glycol). A limited (3 to 6%) hyperchromicity but unaffected circular dichroism is consistent with transient unstacking events while maintaining an overall average B-DNA conformation. Further information about unstacking dynamics is obtained from the binding kinetics of large thread-intercalating ruthenium complexes, indicating that the hydrophobic effect provides a 10 to 100 times increased DNA unstacking frequency and an “open hole” population on the order of 10−2 compared to 10−4 in normal aqueous solution. Spontaneous DNA strand exchange catalyzed by poly(ethylene glycol) makes us propose that hydrophobic residues in the L2 loop of recombination enzymes RecA and Rad51 may assist gene recombination via modulation of water activity near the DNA helix by hydrophobic interactions, in the manner described here. We speculate that such hydrophobic interactions may have catalytic roles also in other biological contexts, such as in polymerases.

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