Uploaded December 2019 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
First Video of DNA Organization Settles Scientific Debate
For all its precise helical structure, the DNA inside our cells is a mess. When a cell isn't preparing for the process of splitting itself in two, our DNA lies in a massive tangle inside the cell nucleus; a strand more than six feet in length jumbled like an earbud cord. But when it comes time to undergo cellular division, this disorderly strand must be packaged neatly into chromosomes to be passed onto daughter cells — stuffed into a space much tighter than before.
To accomplish the task, a protein complex known as condensin grabs onto a strand of DNA and passes it through a ring-like structure to coil it into orderly loops perfect for packaging — a process that researchers have caught on camera for the first time. A team of researchers from Germany and the Netherlands was able to stain the proteins responsible so they could be viewed in action under a microscope and fix the DNA in place in order to watch the process happen in real time.
Read more: discovermagazine.com/health/first-video-of-dna-organization-settles-scientific-debate
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Credit: Cees Dekker Lab TU Delft/Scixel
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First Video of DNA Organization Settles Scientific Debate
For all its precise helical structure, the DNA inside our cells is a mess. When a cell isn't preparing for the process of splitting itself in two, our DNA lies in a massive tangle inside the cell nucleus; a strand more than six feet in length jumbled like an earbud cord. But when it comes time to undergo cellular division, this disorderly strand must be packaged neatly into chromosomes to be passed onto daughter cells — stuffed into a space much tighter than before.
To accomplish the task, a protein complex known as condensin grabs onto a strand of DNA and passes it through a ring-like structure to coil it into orderly loops perfect for packaging — a process that researchers have caught on camera for the first time. A team of researchers from Germany and the Netherlands was able to stain the proteins responsible so they could be viewed in action under a microscope and fix the DNA in place in order to watch the process happen in real time.
Read more: discovermagazine.com/health/first-video-of-dna-organization-settles-scientific-debate
—
Credit: Cees Dekker Lab TU Delft/Scixel
—
ABOUT DISCOVER:
Discover is your source for science that matters, makes sense and is a lot of fun, too.
Visit us at: discovermagazine.com
FOLLOW US:
Facebook: facebook.com/DiscoverMag
Twitter: twitter.com/DiscoverMag
Instagram: instagram.com/discover.magazine
SUPPORT US:
Subscribe to Discover: bit.ly/34seAFT
Sign up for our newsletter: discovermagazine.com/newsletter-signup
My Science Shop: myscienceshop.com
STAY CURIOUS!
