Contrary to what you may think, DNA does not always adopt the form of the double helix structure that many associate it with - it can also form into intricate folds and act as an enzyme called a deoxyribozyme. Now, this is evidenced by scientists from the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology, who have pinpointed the first three-dimensional structure of this biomolecule and revealed that DNA is much more flexible than we previously thought.
Over 20 years ago, a team of chemists isolated deoxyribozymes, which is DNA that acts like an enzyme. However, only now has the current team associated its catalytic activity with a three-dimensional structure that provides it with its enzymatic function.
The team bombarded the molecule with X-rays in the Switzerland SLS synchrotron, and in conjunction with computer modeling, they were able to reveal the crystal structure of the "DNAzyme."
"We have uncovered the first structure of a deoxyribozyme, and for the first time we can see that this DNA is capable of taking on forms as complex as those of protein enzymes or ribozymes an RNA capable of catalytic activity," Almudena Ponce-Salvatierra, a member of the research team, said in a press release.
For years, many people pictured DNA as the stiff symbol of our genetic code that was made known by Watson and Crick. This image has now been broken, with the current study showing us that the molecule can also adapt into three-dimensional structures, proving it to be much more flexible than we previously thought.
Deoxyribozymes are made up of single DNA strands synthesized in the laboratory in order to take advantage of their inherent catalytic ability. In the current study, the team created a deoxyribozyme structure named 9DB1, which can catalyze the ligation of two RNA strands.
The team hopes to use the findings to better understand how this unique molecule acts in various reactions at a molecular level.
"There are many applications for deoxyribozymes, from catalysing the ligation of two DNA or RNA fragments, to repairing any of its components, such as thymine," Ponce-Salvatierra said, adding that clinical trials for its application in medicine are already underway.
The findings were published in the issue of Jan. 6 issue of Nature.
