DNA Topology and Its Biological Effects (Cold Spring Harbor Monograph Series)

Outside of a few narrow disciplines, it is not generally understood that the initial simplicity and elegance of the double helix of DNA has become like unto a tangled skein. It seems that continuous changes occur in the coiling, supercoiling, and catenation of DNA molecules during gene transcription and cell division, and the activity of DNA is heavily influenced by this topology. These 15 articles introduce the biological implications of DNA superstructure to graduate students and researchers in a range of fields from mathematics and polymer chemistry to molecular biology and medicine. Does not assume higher math skills or any previous knowledge of DNA superstructure. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.