title: Global structure of forked DNA in solution revealed by high-resolution single-molecule FRET.
abstract: Branched DNA structures play critical roles in DNA replication, repair, and recombination in addition to being key building blocks for DNA nanotechnology. Here we combine single-molecule multiparameter fluorescence detection and molecular dynamics simulations to give a general approach to global structure determination of branched DNA in solution. We reveal an open, planar structure of a forked DNA molecule with three duplex arms and demonstrate an ion-induced conformational change. This structure will serve as a benchmark for DNA-protein interaction studies.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sabir
authors.forename: Gunnar F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toulmin
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McGlynn
authors.forename: Steven W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Magennis
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D056004:Molecular Dynamics Simulation; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012996:Solutions
chemical_list: D012996:Solutions; D004247:DNA