Supercoiled DNA Images Reveal Intricate, Dynamic Arrangement
Researchers take a grander look at the study of DNA. We all know iconic double helix isolated molecules that form a DNA. However, the researchers claim that it is only a simplified approximation of something more complex and dynamic. The researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas used high-tech microscopes to capture the 3-D imagery of a supercoiled DNA. Once these images were captured, they were studied by scientists in the University of Leeds, England. When capturing the supercoiled image, the scientists used a wide angle view rather than zooming into it. Other than being a twisted double-helix, the researchers were able to identify many other structures and shapes, reports UPI.
The images that were published in the Journal Nature Communication show that the DNA is not as simple as it looks. It is a much more complex structure. According to Sarah Harris, lead researcher - University of Leeds, says that the image of these samples will help the scientists in developing much better medicines and more effective chemotherapies for the treatment of cancer. There will also be a scope to develop even better antibiotics now that the deeper structure of DNA is revealed, reports the Market Business. The researchers in the study used a specialized enzyme that directs the DNA twist to ensure that the twisted DNA behaves in the same way as the full-length DNA strand that is available within our cells. This structure proves that DNA is much more dynamic rather than being rigid that it is assumed to be.
The iconic DNA image was first found by researcher James Watson in his book "The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA," which was written in 1978. While the actual human body contains approximately 3 billion pairs, Watson and Crick's DNA double helix covers a very small fraction of the human genome, according to Tech Times.
