Unique Self-complementarity of Palindromic Sequences Provides DNA Structural Intermediates for Mutation

Abstract

The biological requirement for the accurate transmission of genetic information from each generation to the next demands a high level of accuracy from the metabolic processes responsible for the replication and maintenance of DNA. The number and complexity of the processes requiring intimate interactions between DNA and other cellular components present an enormous challenge to accuracy. The magnitude of this challenge is further emphasized by the variety of DNA structures available as a consequence of the conformational flexibility and the number of structural elements in DNA (Gupta et al. 1980). The simple contrast between the length of a cell and the length of its DNA dictates the existence of complex higher-order DNA structures. However, restricting ourselves to only the conformational potential of primary and secondary structures of duplex DNA does not avoid a plethora of complexities.