Journal of Stem Cell Research & Therapy

The centers of premeltons signal the beginning and ends of genes

Joint Event on 12^th Annual Conference on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine & 4^th Annual Conference on Biomaterials

June 04-06, 2018 | Prague | Czech Republic

Henry M Sobell

University of Rochester, USA

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Stem Cell Res Ther

Abstract:

Premeltons are examples of emergent structures (i.e., structural solitons) that arise spontaneously in DNA due to the presence of nonlinear excitations in its structure. They are of two kinds: B-B (or A-A) premeltons form at specific DNA-regions to nucleate site-specific DNA melting. These are stationary and, being globally nontopological, undergo breather motions that allow drugs and dyes to intercalate into DNA. B-A (or A-B) premeltons, on the other hand, are mobile, and being globally topological, act as phase-boundaries transforming B- into A- DNA during the structural phase-transition. They are not expected to undergo breather-motions. A key feature of both types of premeltons is the presence of an intermediate structural-form in their central regions (proposed as being a transition-state intermediate in DNA-melting and in the B- to A- transition), which differs from either A- or B- DNA called as beta-DNA. This is both metastable and hyperflexible??? and contains an alternating sugar-puckering pattern along the polymer-backbone combined with the partial-unstacking (in its lower energy-forms) of every other base-pair. Beta-DNA is connected to either B- or to A- DNA on either side by boundaries possessing a gradation of nonlinear structural-change, these being called the kink and the antikink regions. The presence of premeltons in DNA leads to a unifying theory to understand much of DNA physical-chemistry and molecular-biology. In particular, premeltons are predicted to define the 5??? and 3??? ends of genes in naked-DNA and DNA in active- chromatin, this having important implications for understanding physical aspects of the initiation, elongation and termination of RNA-synthesis during transcription. For these and other reasons, the model will be of broader interest to the general audience working in these areas. The model explains a wide variety of data and carries within it a number of experimental predictions ??? all readily testable ??? as will be described in my talk.

Biography :

E-mail: sobell@localnet.com