A New DNA Structure Found Inside Human Cells

 

 

A New DNA Structure Found Inside Human Cells:

Scientists identified the existence of a brand new DNA structure never before seen in living cells — something other than the double helix.

 

Called the intercalated motif (i-motif), it adds complexity to our understanding of DNA beyond the familiar double helix. This twisted knot of DNA, first identified in the 1990s but only observed in lab conditions until recently was confirmed by researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia.

 

The discovery suggests that DNA's structural diversity plays a significant role in how genes function, particularly in gene regulation and cell processes like aging.

The i-motif is a four-stranded structure where cytosine (C) bases bind to each other on the same DNA strand, differing significantly from the double helix where C pairs with guanine (G) on opposite strands.

 

Using a special antibody that binds to i-motifs, researchers were able to visualize these structures forming and dissolving in real time within cells. The i-motifs tend to appear in regions that control gene activity and in telomeres, which are linked to aging.

 

The discovery of this DNA form, along with other non-helical structures like G-quadruplex DNA, opens new avenues for research into how these configurations influence gene regulation and cell function.

 

The findings were published in Nature Chemistry.