Strange DNA Structures Found in The Human Genome Go Beyond The Double Helix
Researchers have used advanced long-read sequencing to identify non-canonical DNA structures, known as non-B DNA, in the genomes of humans and six ape species. This study builds on the Telomere-to-Telomere consortium's work to complete the reference genome.
Why it matters
Understanding these complex DNA structures provides deeper insight into genetic variation and the evolutionary history of primates.
Add ScienceAlert on Google (Alones Creative/iStock/Getty Images) One of the most iconic visual representations in biological science is the double helix – the twisting, twin-stranded ladder that defines the shape of DNA molecules.
But not all DNA follows this same recognizable pattern. Alternative kinds of DNA structures do exist , and new technologies are helping to reveal them.
In a study last year, scientists identified where these "non-canonical" forms of DNA (aka non- B DNA ) emerge in human and other primate genomes.
The analysis, published in Nucleic Acids Research , helps to complete our understanding of the location and diversity of DNA formations inside our genome.
"When the human genome was first published in 2001, it actually wasn't complete," said biologist Kateryna Makova from Pennsylvania State University.
"About 8 percent of the genome, largely repetitive DNA, was left undetermined."
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