DOI: 10.1073/pnas.95.24.14152. Stretched and overwound DNA forms a Pauling-like structure with exposed bases

Stretched and overwound DNA forms a Pauling-like structure with exposed bases

10.1073/pnas.95.24.14152

Crossref journal-article

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (341)

Abstract

We investigate structural transitions within a single stretched and supercoiled DNA molecule. With negative supercoiling, for a stretching force >0.3 pN, we observe the coexistence of B-DNA and denatured DNA from σ ≈ −0.015 down to σ = −1. Surprisingly, for positively supercoiled DNA ( σ > +0.037) stretched by 3 pN, we observe a similar coexistence of B-DNA and a new, highly twisted structure. Experimental data and molecular modeling suggest that this structure has ≈2.62 bases per turn and an extension 75% larger than B-DNA. This structure has tightly interwound phosphate backbones and exposed bases in common with Pauling’s early DNA structure [Pauling, L. & Corey, R. B. (1953), Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 39, 84–97] and an unusual structure proposed for the Pf1 bacteriophage [Liu, D. J. & Day, L. A. (1994) Science 265, 671–674].

Bibliography

Allemand, J. F., Bensimon, D., Lavery, R., & Croquette, V. (1998). Stretched and overwound DNA forms a Pauling-like structure with exposed bases. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 95(24), 14152â14157.

Authors 4

J. F. Allemand (first)
D. Bensimon (additional)
R. Lavery (additional)
V. Croquette (additional)

References 23 Referenced 307

J H White Am J Math 9, 393–728 (1969). / Am J Math by White J H (1969)
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Dates

Type	When
Created	23 years ago (July 26, 2002, 10:40 a.m.)
Deposited	3 years, 4 months ago (April 13, 2022, 4:01 p.m.)
Indexed	6 days, 8 hours ago (Aug. 19, 2025, 6:47 a.m.)
Issued	26 years, 9 months ago (Nov. 24, 1998)
Published	26 years, 9 months ago (Nov. 24, 1998)
Published Online	26 years, 9 months ago (Nov. 24, 1998)
Published Print	26 years, 9 months ago (Nov. 24, 1998)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Allemand_1998, title={Stretched and overwound DNA forms a Pauling-like structure with exposed bases}, volume={95}, ISSN={1091-6490}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.95.24.14152}, DOI={10.1073/pnas.95.24.14152}, number={24}, journal={Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, publisher={Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, author={Allemand, J. F. and Bensimon, D. and Lavery, R. and Croquette, V.}, year={1998}, month=nov, pages={14152–14157} }

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