Identification and Roles of the Structure of DNA

Dear Colleagues,

Since its discovery in 1953, the double helix has been mainly considered as a passive support of the genetic information. However, this current view overlooks subtle properties of DNA that possesses all the attributes to be an active player in the cell. Indeed, a complex interplay between the nucleotide sequence and its molecular environment generates DNA structures that may play critical roles in key cellular functions. From local base-pair opening to global topology, the double helix is finely tuned to solve the multiple tasks required to generate and regulate the genetic information. For example, the DNA structure may directly influence the rate of replication errors within the active site of DNA polymerases, but it can also direct chiral DNA–DNA interactions that help to locally sense the global DNA topology by type II topoisomerases. Understanding how DNA may actively contribute to generate, control and spatially organize the genetic information, requires deciphering the complex relationships between the DNA sequence, structure, dynamics and the electrostatic environment. The aim of this Special Issue is to explore these new concepts in combining experimental and theoretical studies.

Dr. Youri Timsit
Guest Editor

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