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X-ray diffraction from the side-by-side model of DNA

Nature volume 282, pages 880–882 (1979)Cite this article

Abstract

An intriguing topological problem posed by the double-helical Watson–Crick1 model of DNA is that of unwinding the intertwined strands during replication. Several workers have recently proposed novel side-by-side (SBS) structures for DNA2–6. In all these models the two strands are joined by complementary Watson–Crick base pairs and the antiparallel polynucleotide strands alternate between short segments of right- and left-handed helix, thus both reducing the amount of intertwining and alleviating the unwinding problem. We show here that there are unacceptable discrepancies between the observed diffraction pattern of B-DNA7 and that calculated for the original SBS structure2. We also describe a simple modification of this model which resolves some of the more serious discrepancies. However, the agreement is still markedly inferior to that obtained for a Watson–Crick model of DNA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of Keele, Staffordshire, UK

    R. J. Greenall, W. J. Pigram & W. Fuller

Authors
  1. R. J. Greenall
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  2. W. J. Pigram
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  3. W. Fuller
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Greenall, R., Pigram, W. & Fuller, W. X-ray diffraction from the side-by-side model of DNA. Nature 282, 880–882 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/282880a0

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