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The DNA Helix

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 Helix

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DNA as a Genetic Template

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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 Proteins

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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...

DNA Helicases

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An organism’s genome needs to be duplicated in an efficient and error-free manner for its growth and survival. The replication fork is a Y-shaped active region where two strands of DNA are separated and replicated continuously. The coupling of DNA unzipping and complementary strand synthesis is a characteristic feature of a replication fork. Organisms with small circular DNA, such as E. coli, often have a single origin of replication; therefore, they have only two replication forks, one in...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 13, 2026

Stable DNA Motifs, 1D and 2D Nanostructures Constructed from Small Circular DNA Molecules

Stable DNA Motifs, 1D and 2D Nanostructures Constructed from Small Circular DNA Molecules

Published on: April 12, 2019

Folding single-stranded DNA to form the smallest 3D DNA triangular prism.

Xiaojin He¹, Lei Dong, Wen Wang

¹Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)

|March 6, 2013

Summary

Scientists created the smallest DNA 3D object, a triangular prism, from single-stranded DNA. This demonstrates DNA

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Last Updated: May 13, 2026

Stable DNA Motifs, 1D and 2D Nanostructures Constructed from Small Circular DNA Molecules

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Published on: April 12, 2019

Self-assembly of Complex Two-dimensional Shapes from Single-stranded DNA Tiles

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Published on: May 8, 2015

Analyzing and Building Nucleic Acid Structures with 3DNA

Analyzing and Building Nucleic Acid Structures with 3DNA

Published on: April 26, 2013

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Nanotechnology
Molecular Biology

Background:

DNA nanotechnology enables the construction of complex 3D nanostructures.
Controlling DNA folding pathways is crucial for achieving desired topologies.
Kinetic traps can hinder the formation of stable DNA structures.

Purpose of the Study:

To construct the smallest possible 3D DNA object.
To investigate the ability of single-stranded DNA to overcome kinetic traps.
To demonstrate the formation of stable topological DNA structures.

Main Methods:

Construction of a triangular prism DNA object using single-stranded DNA.
Structural confirmation via scanning tunneling microscopy (STM).

Main Results:

Successfully synthesized the smallest DNA 3D object, a triangular prism.
Confirmed the precise structure of the DNA object using STM.
Demonstrated that single-stranded DNA can escape kinetic traps.

Conclusions:

Single-stranded DNA can form stable, complex 3D topological structures.
This work advances the field of DNA nanotechnology and self-assembly.
The findings open new possibilities for designing nanoscale DNA devices.