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RAD 51 discrimination between single‐ and double‐strand DNA : a matter of flexibility and enthalpy
Author(s) -
Subramanyam Shyamal,
Spies Maria
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.15252/embj.2020104547
Subject(s) - biology , flexibility (engineering) , dna , enthalpy , single strand , genetics , physics , thermodynamics , statistics , mathematics
In selecting ss DNA over ds DNA , the RAD 51 DNA strand exchange protein has to overcome the entropy associated with straightening of single‐strand DNA upon nucleoprotein filament formation. New work in The EMBO Journal (Paoletti et al , 2020), combined biophysical analysis of the RAD 51–ss DNA interaction with mathematical modeling to show that the flexibility of DNA positively correlates with nucleation and extension of the RAD 51 nucleoprotein filament and that the entropic penalty associated with restricting ss DNA flexibility is offset by a strong RAD 51– RAD 51 interaction within the nucleoprotein filament.