XRD1 Highlights


The mechanism of sliding of the human DNA clamp PCNA

X-ray crystallography: the 2.8 Å crystal structure of the human PCNA homotrimer bound to a 10 bp DNA duplex. A close-up shows the detailed interactions between the DNA phosphates (yellow spheres) and a set of positively charged residues within the PCNA central channel.

De March, M. et al., Nat.Commun. 8, 13935 (2017)


DNA sliding clamps are ring-shaped proteins that encircle the DNA and harbour the polymerases, the enzymes that replicate DNA, allowing the duplication of the genetic material. How DNA clamps move onto the DNA double helix has remained elusive due to the peculiar nature of the interaction between the clamp and DNA. By a combination of x-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and molecular dynamics (MD) data, we have elucidated the molecular mechanism of sliding of the human clamp PCNA on DNA, a spiral motion that keeps the orientation of PCNA competent for binding to the replicative polymerase.

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A structural and computational analysis reveals the mechanism of sliding of the human DNA clamp PCNA, a central player in DNA replication;
De March M, Merino N, Barrera-Vilarmau S, Crehuet R, Onesti S, Blanco FJ, De Biasio A,
Nat.Commun. 8, 13935 (2017); doi: 10.1038/ncomms13935


Last Updated on Monday, 22 May 2023 15:31