Angle of kinks formed by packed viral DNA

Value 180 Degrees
Organism Various
Reference Garcia HG, Grayson P, Han L, Inamdar M, Kondev J, Nelson PC, Phillips R, Widom J, Wiggins PA. Biological consequences of tightly bent DNA: the other life of a macromolecular celebrity. Biopolymers. 2007 Feb 585(2):115-30.PubMed ID17103419
Primary Source Earnshaw WC, Harrison SC. DNA arrangement in isometric phage heads. Nature. 1977 Aug 18268(5621):598-602.PubMed ID401433
Comments It is the DNA-DNA interactions that are responsible for the extremely tight bending thought to exist at the center of a phage capsid. Many authors speculate that the DNA may actually be bent so tightly that it forms 180° kinks.
Entered by Uri M
ID 103130