| Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary 1,777,427,693 visitors served. |
|
Dictionary/ thesaurus | Medical dictionary | Legal dictionary | Financial dictionary | Acronyms | Idioms | Encyclopedia | Wikipedia encyclopedia | ? |
supercoiling |
Also found in: Medical, Wikipedia | 0.01 sec. |
|
supercoiling [′sü·pər‚kȯil·iŋ] (cell and molecular biology) Winding of the deoxyribonucleic acid duplex on itself so that it crosses its own axis; may be in the same (positive) direction as, or opposite (negative) direction to, the turns of the double helix. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
|
| ? Mentioned in | ? References in periodicals archive | |
|---|---|---|
For DNA gyrase, this topoisomerization reaction results in introduction (or removal) of DNA supercoils, thus affecting the negative supercoiling of DNA necessary to initiate DNA replication and remove positive supercoils that accumulate before an advancing replication fork. In fact, the DNA supercoil is a carefully articulated knot that ties itself up according to rules governing its geometry and electrical forces acting on it from the liquid surroundings. That nature repeatedly creates materials that twist and supercoil -- from tiny proteins and DNA to the yarns, ropes, and cables spun from natural filaments -- suggests that some fundamental process may affect how these diverse structures form. |
| Encyclopedia |
| Free Tools: |
For surfers:
Free toolbar & extensions |
Word of the Day |
Help
For webmasters: Free content | Linking | Lookup box | Double-click lookup | Partner with us |
|---|