DNA helix connection research

Overview

Researchers from the Universities of York and Sheffield have used high-resolution atomic force microscopy to visualize how DNA double helices connect, resolving a long-standing biological paradox. Because DNA carries negative electrical charges, the helices should theoretically repel one another.

The study found that the helices overcome this repulsion by precisely aligning their spiral grooves. This connection is stabilized by positively charged metal ions that act as molecular bridges, neutralizing the repulsion and allowing the strands to “zip” together.

These findings, published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research, provide direct visual evidence for the “DNA zipper” model, a theory that has been discussed for approximately 20 years. Scientists noted that understanding this ion-mediated pairing is critical for studying processes such as genetic recombination, gene silencing, and DNA repair, and may help researchers understand how mutations contribute to cancer.

Entities

University of York · University of Sheffield · Agnes Noy · Nucleic Acids Research · Imperial College London

Timeline

1 day ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
Researchers observe DNA strands zipping together via metal ion bridges
Scientists have used atomic force microscopy to observe how positively charged metal ions allow two negatively charged DNA strands to overcome repulsion and zip together.
1 day ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 3 sources
University of York and Sheffield researchers observe DNA helix connection
Researchers from the Universities of York and Sheffield have used atomic force microscopy to observe how DNA double helices connect via ion bridges and precise groove alignment.

Sources

kreiszeitung.de · leinetal24.de · merkur-online.de · scientificinquirer.com · scitechdaily.com