FEN1 Threading (IMAGE)

DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

FEN1 Threading

Caption

The schematic at top illustrates how inversion of the DNA flap keeps the phosphodiester bonds away from the metal catalysts that can inadvertently cut the strand. The bottom view shows a single-stranded DNA flap passing through a small opening in the FEN1 protein, guided by electrostatic forces in the basic region.

Credit

Susan Tsutakawa/Berkeley Lab

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