Topology, DNA

Most plasmids are topologically closed circles of DNA. They can be separated from the bulk of the chromosomal DNA by virtue of their resistance to alkaline solution. The double-stranded stmcture of DNA is denatured at high pH, but because the two strands of the plasmid are topologically joined they are more readily renatured. This property is exploited in rapid procedures for the isolation of plasmid DNA from recombinant microorganisms (5,6). 

Dl A. Supercoiling. Supercoiling is a topological property of closed-circular DNA molecules. Circular DNA molecules can exist in various conformations differing in the number of times one strand of the helix crosses the other. These different isomeric conformations are called topoisomers and maybe characterized in terms of the linking number, Ek. A linear DNA molecule having Nbase pairs and h base pairs per turn of the helix, if joined end to end, has the following ... 

The native form of chromatin in cells assumes a higher order stmcture called the 30-nm filament, which adopts a solenoidal stmcture where the 10-nm filament is arranged in a left-handed cod (Fig. 5). The negative supercoiling of the DNA is manifested by writhing the hehcal axis around the nucleosomes. Chromatin stmcture is an example of toroidal winding whereas eukaryotic chromosomes are linear, the chromatin stmctures, attached to a nuclear matrix, define separate closed-circular topological domains. 

Knots nd Ca.tena.nes, Closed-circular DNA hehces can cross over one another three or more times to form topological knots. These stmctures are not common, but have been found to occur naturally in some bacteriophage DNAs. 

Topoisomerase enzymes control and modify the topologic states of DNA. The mechanisms of these enzymes involve DNA cleavage and strand passage through the break, followed by religation of the cleaved DNA. Two main forms of topoisomerase exist. The type... 

Kuhn H., Demidov V., Frank-Kame-NETSKii M. D. An earring for the double helix Assembly of topological links comprising duplex DNA and a circular oligonucleotide. J. Biomol. Struct. Dyn. 2000 2 221-225. 

The examples just presented give initial impressions of how DNA can be utilized as a template in the synthesis of nanometric and mesoscopic aggregates. However, the studies emphasize the importance of fundamental research on the interaction between DNA and the various binders, such as metal and organic cations. Of particular importance are the consequences of binding events on the structure and topology of the nucleic acid components involved. 

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) topoisomerases (topos) are ubiquitous enzymes that can manipulate DNA by changing the number of topological links between two strands of the same or different DNA molecules [1]. These enzymes are involved in many cellular processes, such as replication, recom-... 

Fig. 6.9 Possible topologies of a biomolecular complex constructed from two complementary trisoligonucleotidyles. Each DNA double strand is represented as a single bond, each unpaired oligonucleotide as an unpaired electron. Slightly simplified from Scheffler et al. (1999a, b)...

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