Researchers from the University of Sheffield and the University of York in the United Kingdom have revealed visual evidence showing how DNA molecules cluster closely together, despite the electrical repulsion between their charges, in a discovery that may contribute to understanding how genetic material is organized within cells.
The study showed that positively charged ions, such as nickel, magnesium, and calcium, may act as bridges linking DNA molecules and helping to stabilize them in close locations, supporting a scientific hypothesis proposed over 20 years ago.
The researchers used high-resolution imaging techniques to study the molecules, while computer simulations revealed that positive ions can contribute to the formation of bonds between DNA molecules, despite the electrical repulsion between them.
The website “Science Alert” quoted biophysicist Alice Payne from the University of Sheffield as saying that the ions help form a bridge between the two molecules, leading to their connection.
The results also showed that the stability of these links is influenced by the sequence of the DNA bases, as the simulations indicated that some short sequences, including the sequence known as GTAC, may aid in forming more stable bonds in the presence of nickel ions.
For her part, biophysicist Agnes Noy from the University of York described the images discovered as the first visual evidence supporting this hypothesis.
The researchers hope that the results will help clarify how similar areas of DNA recognize each other, a crucial process in the recombination and exchange of genetic material.
However, the experiments were conducted under laboratory conditions, and it remains necessary to verify whether the same mechanism occurs within living cells, where proteins and other molecules interfere in the organization of genetic material. The study also did not establish a direct relationship between this mechanism and cancer.