DNA Self-Assembly From Chirality to Evolution.docVIP

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2013, 14, 8252-8270; doi:10.3390/ijmOPEN ACCESS International Journal of Molecular Sciences ISSN 1422-0067 /journal/ijms Review DNA Self-Assembly: From Chirality to Evolution Youri Timsit Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, IGS UMR7256, Marseille 13288, France; E-Mail: youri.timsit@rs-mrs.fr; Tel.: +33-4-91-82-54-27 Received: 20 February 2013; in revised form: 3 March 2013 / Accepted: 21 March 2013 / Published: 15 April 2013 Abstract: Transient or long-term DNA self-assembly participates in essential genetic functions. The present review focuses on tight DNA-DNA interactions that have recently been found to play important roles in both controlling DNA higher-order structures and their topology. Due to their chirality, double helices are tightly packed into stable right-handed crossovers. Simple packing rules that are imposed by DNA geometry and sequence dictate the overall architecture of higher order DNA structures. Close DNA-DNA interactions also provide the missing link between local interactions and DNA topology, thus explaining how type II DNA topoisomerases may sense locally the global topology. Finally this paper proposes that through its influence on DNA self-assembled structures, DNA chirality played a critical role during the early steps of evolution. Keywords: chromatin; topology; higher-order structures; topoisomerase; crossover; DNA packaging 1. Introduction Transient or long-term DNA self-assembly participates in essential genetic functions. For example, the compaction and the three-dimensional organisation of DNA are crucial for cellular processes such as transcription, DNA replication and segregation of daughter chromosomes during cell division. Also, bringing DNA sites into proximity is required for DNA recombination, chromatin packaging and building architectural complexes that control transcription and replication