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DNA Nanotubes as a Versatile Tool to Study Semiflexible Polymers
Published on: October 25, 2017
Biopolymers and the fellowship of DNA rings
1Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
Abstract:
This article presents a brief account of the historical backdrop of the study of interlocked DNA rings (DNA catenanes), their formation in cells, and the importance of resolving the component rings of an intracellular DNA catenane if they are to be properly partitioned into a pair of progeny cells. In humans, for example, aberrant segregation of intertwined chromosomes is a major cause of birth defects, as well as termination of pregnancy in utero. Some yet unresolved issues of DNA catenation, including plausible structural and/or functional roles of DNA interlacing in chromosomes, are briefly mentioned.
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