Exactly how does the DNA replication process start? USC scientists provide the first snapshot of how double-helix DNA begins to unwind and replicate after certain proteins put on the “squeeze.” A ring ...

Life depends on double-stranded DNA unwinding and separating into single strands that can be copied for cell division. Scientists have determined at atomic resolution the structure of machinery that ...

DNA, which has a double-helix structure, can have many genetic mutations and variations. Credit: NIH When cells in the human body divide, they must first make accurate copies of their DNA. The DNA ...

In a twist on the question, 'Which came first, the chicken or the egg?', scientists have long faced a similar question about how human adenovirus replicates: 'Which comes first, assembly of the viral ...

Researchers have revealed the structural mechanisms of a major DNA repair pathway in human cells. The research, published today as a Reviewed Preprint in eLife, is described by the editors as a ...

Not all DNA looks like the familiar twisted ladder. Sometimes, parts of our genetic code fold into unusual shapes. One such structure, the G-quadruplex (G4), looks like a knot. These knots can play ...