View Full Version : Effect of cleaving C1-C2 bond in DNA residue on supercoiling


ysk1
02-20-2008, 08:49 PM
I think that if you make an enzyme that cleaves DNA pentose's C2'-C3' bond to act on DNA residues of double-stranded DNA, the supercoiling will disappear. Or does it depend on the amount of enzyme? If there's more enzyme than there is DNA residues, then all the pentose sugars will get lost and there will be no DNA strands. If you put just little, then the DNA double strands will stay intact but the supercoiling will be lost. I'm confused.

blastula
02-21-2008, 09:01 AM
I think that if you make an enzyme that cleaves DNA pentose's C2'-C3' bond to act on DNA residues of double-stranded DNA, the supercoiling will disappear. Or does it depend on the amount of enzyme? If there's more enzyme than there is DNA residues, then all the pentose sugars will get lost and there will be no DNA strands. If you put just little, then the DNA double strands will stay intact but the supercoiling will be lost. I'm confused.

The coiling is due to H bonds on the base pairs. If you were to somehow break off the base the molecule would uncoil. The C1 bond is connected to the base not the C1-C2