Torsional Mechanics of Fundamental Processes*

 

Because of the helical structure of DNA, motor proteins that translocate along DNA must also rotate around DNA. The resulting DNA supercoiling, in turn, regulates the activities of the motor proteins. Despite the importance of torsion on DNA, quantitative studies of torsion have been technically challenging. I will discuss our effort to develop single-molecule tools tailored for torsional mechanical studies. These approaches allow us to provide unique insights into how torsion is generated and relaxed during fundamental biological processes.