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Related Concept Videos

The DNA Helix01:07

The DNA Helix

Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the genetic material responsible for passing traits from generation to generation in all organisms and most viruses. DNA is composed of two strands of nucleotides that wind around each other to form a spring-like structure called a double helix. However, the double helix is not perfectly symmetrical. Instead, there are regularly occurring grooves in the structure. The major groove occurs where the sugar-phosphate backbones are relatively far apart. This space...
The DNA Helix01:16

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Overview
X-ray Crystallography02:18

X-ray Crystallography

The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
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Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples01:10

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X-ray diffraction or XRD is an analytical tool that utilizes X-rays to study ordered structures such as crystalline organic and inorganic samples, polycrystalline materials, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs.
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In the late 1800s, the revelation that light extended beyond visible wavelengths led to the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen. Recognized as high-energy electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths, X-rays prompted exploration into their interaction with crystals. Max von Laue proposed in 1912 that the periodic arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in crystals would cause them to diffract X-rays, a hypothesis confirmed through experiments with copper sulfate and zinc sulfide...
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DNA as a Genetic Template

Two structural features of the DNA molecule provide a basis for the mechanisms of heredity: the four nucleotide bases and its double-stranded nature. The Watson-Crick model of double-helical DNA structure, proposed in 1952, drew heavily upon the X-ray crystallography work of researchers Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. Watson, Crick, and Wilkins jointly received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in 1962. Franklin was, controversially, excluded from the prize for...

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Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Iterative Optimization of DNA Duplexes for Crystallization of SeqA-DNA Complexes
11:42

Iterative Optimization of DNA Duplexes for Crystallization of SeqA-DNA Complexes

Published on: November 1, 2012

Z-DNA crystallography .

P S Ho1, B H Mooers

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics Oregon State University, ALSB 2011, Corvallis, OR, USA.

Biopolymers
|January 30, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Sequence composition significantly influences Z-DNA structure and stability. Base substituents and hydration effects are key factors in adopting this left-handed DNA conformation, as revealed by crystal studies.

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Last Updated: Jun 26, 2026

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Structural Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The DNA double helix typically adopts a right-handed B-DNA conformation.
  • Left-handed Z-DNA is an unusual polymorphic DNA structure with distinct structural and functional properties.
  • Understanding the sequence-dependent factors governing Z-DNA formation is crucial for comprehending its biological roles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the influence of nucleotide sequence on Z-DNA structure in single crystals.
  • To analyze how base composition and hydration affect Z-DNA stability and adoption.
  • To correlate crystal-defined Z-DNA conformation with observed physical properties of left-handed DNA.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of single-crystal X-ray diffraction data for Z-DNA structures.
  • Review of experimental and theoretical studies on DNA hydration.
  • Examination of sequence-structure relationships in Z-DNA.

Main Results:

  • Specific base sequences, particularly those rich in guanine and cytosine, favor the Z-DNA conformation.
  • Substituent groups on nucleotide bases modulate DNA conformation and solvent organization.
  • Hydration patterns significantly impact the stability of the Z-DNA structure.

Conclusions:

  • The sequence-defined crystal structure of Z-DNA adequately explains its observed physical properties.
  • Z-DNA formation is a complex interplay of sequence, base modifications, and hydration.
  • Crystal data provides a robust framework for understanding Z-DNA's role in biological systems.