There is an increasing appreciation for structural diversity of DNA that is of interest to both DNA nanotechnology and basic biology. Here, we have explored how DNA responds to torsional stress by building on a previously reported two-turn DNA tensegrity triangle and demonstrating that we could introduce an extra nucleotide pair (np) into the original sequence without affecting assembly and crystallization. The extra np imposes a significant torsional stress, which is accommodated by global changes throughout the B-DNA duplex and the DNA lattice. The work reveals a near-atomic structure of naked DNA under a torsional stress of approximately 14%, and thus provides an example of DNA distortions that occur without a requirement for either an external energy source or the free energy available from protein or drug binding.

中文翻译：

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包含扭转应力分量的3D DNA晶体的自组装

人们越来越关注DNA的结构多样性，这是DNA纳米技术和基础生物学都感兴趣的。在这里，我们探索了DNA如何通过建立在先前报道的两转DNA张力三角形上，并证明我们可以在原始序列中引入一个额外的核苷酸对（np）而又不影响组装和结晶的方式来响应扭转应力。额外的np施加了很大的扭转应力，该应力被整个B-DNA双链体和DNA晶格的全局变化所适应。这项工作揭示了在约14％的扭转应力下裸露的DNA的近原子结构，因此提供了发生DNA变形的示例，而无需外部能源或蛋白质或药物结合产生的自由能。