DNA mechanics and its biological impact

Almost all nucleoprotein interactions and DNA manipulation events involve mechanical deformations of DNA. Extraordinary progresses in single-molecule, structural, and computational methods have characterized the average mechanical properties of DNA, such as bendability and torsional rigidity, in high resolution. Further, the advent of sequencing technology has permitted measuring, in high-throughput, how such mechanical properties vary with sequence and epigenetic modifications along genomes. We review these recent technological advancements, and discuss how they have contributed to the emerging idea that variations in the mechanical properties of DNA play a fundamental role in regulating, genomewide, diverse processes involved in chromatin organization. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The mechanical deformations of DNA are involved in nucleoprotein interactions and DNA manipulation events. Progresses in single-molecule, structural, and computational methods have characterized the mechanical properties of DNA, and sequencing technology has allowed measuring how these properties vary with sequence and epigenetic modifications. These technological advancements have contributed to the emerging idea that variations in the mechanical properties of DNA play a fundamental role in regulating diverse processes involved in chromatin organization at a genome-wide level.