Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 106, Issue 23, Pages 9157-9162Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0901240106
Keywords
bacteriophage capsid; DNA helical pitch; DNA correlation; DNA toroid; cryoelectron microscopy
Categories
Funding
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- CNRS
- ANR Blanc [06-blanc-0195]
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The structure of DNA toroids made of individual DNA molecules of various lengths (3,000 to 55,000 bp) was studied, by using partially filled bacteriophage capsids in conjunction with cryoelectron microscopy. The tetravalent cation spermine was diffused through the capsid to condense the DNA under conditions that were chosen to produce a hexagonal packing. Our results demonstrate that the frustration arising between chirality and hexagonal packing leads to the formation of twist walls; the correlation between helices combined with their strong curvature impose variations of the DNA helical pitch.
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