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Related Concept Videos

The Replisome03:01

The Replisome

DNA replication is carried out by a large complex of proteins that act in a coordinated matter to achieve high-fidelity DNA replication. Together this complex is known as the DNA replication machinery or the replisome.
The synthesis of the leading and lagging strands is a highly coordinated process. To explain this, the “Trombone model” was proposed by Bruce Alberts in 1980. The DNA loop formation starts when a primer is synthesized on the parent lagging strand. The loop grows with the...
Lagging Strand Synthesis01:59

Lagging Strand Synthesis

During replication, the complementary strands in double-stranded DNA are synthesized at different rates. Replication first begins on the leading strand. Replication starts later, occurs more slowly, and proceeds discontinuously on the lagging strand.
There are several major differences between synthesis of the leading strand and synthesis of the lagging strand. 1) Leading strand synthesis happens in the direction of replication fork opening, whereas lagging strand synthesis happens in the...
DNA as a Genetic Template02:05

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...
Single-Strand DNA Binding Proteins01:03

Single-Strand DNA Binding Proteins

For successful DNA replication, the unwinding of double-stranded DNA must be accompanied by stabilization and protection of the separated single strands of the DNA. This crucial task is performed by single-strand DNA-binding (SSB) proteins. They bind to the DNA in a sequence-independent manner, which means that the nitrogenous bases of the DNA need not be present in a specific order for binding of SSB proteins to it. The binding of SSB proteins straightens single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and makes...
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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2026

A Simple, Robust, and High Throughput Single Molecule Flow Stretching Assay Implementation for Studying Transport of Molecules Along DNA
12:05

A Simple, Robust, and High Throughput Single Molecule Flow Stretching Assay Implementation for Studying Transport of Molecules Along DNA

Published on: October 1, 2017

Recent developments in single-molecule DNA mechanics.

Zev Bryant1, Florian C Oberstrass, Aakash Basu

  • 1Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. zevry@stanford.edu

Current Opinion in Structural Biology
|June 5, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Single-molecule DNA measurements reveal elastic properties and structural dynamics of DNA-protein complexes. Advanced techniques like magnetic tweezers provide new insights into DNA mechanics and nanotechnology applications.

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Last Updated: May 21, 2026

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12:05

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Published on: October 1, 2017

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Individual stretched and twisted DNA molecule measurements have defined double helix elastic properties.
  • Real-time functional assays of DNA-associated molecular machines have been enabled.
  • Understanding DNA mechanics is crucial for molecular biology and nanotechnology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight recent advancements in single-molecule DNA manipulation techniques.
  • To discuss how these techniques illuminate the structural dynamics of nucleoprotein complexes.
  • To explore the synergistic relationship between DNA manipulation and structural DNA nanotechnology.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing magnetic tweezers for simultaneous measurement of DNA twist and extension.
  • Employing techniques for direct measurement of DNA torque.
  • Applying single-molecule manipulation to study DNA mechanics.

Main Results:

  • New magnetic tweezers approaches reveal structural dynamics of large nucleoprotein complexes.
  • Direct DNA torque measurements enhance understanding of mechanically stressed DNA transitions.
  • Studies indicate a growing synergy between single-molecule manipulation and DNA nanotechnology.

Conclusions:

  • Advanced single-molecule techniques provide unprecedented insights into DNA structure and function.
  • Mechanically stressed DNA exhibits abrupt structural transitions.
  • The integration of single-molecule manipulation and DNA nanotechnology is a promising area for future research.