Title
The Human Genomic Melting Map
Abstract
In a living cell, the antiparallel double-stranded helix of DNA is a dynamically changing structure. The structure relates to interactions between and within the DNA strands, and the array of other macromolecules that constitutes functional chromatin. It is only through its changing conformations that DNA can organize and structure a large number of cellular functions. In particular, DNA must locally uncoil, or melt, and become single- stranded for DNA replication, repair, recombination, and transcription to occur. It has previously been shown that this melting occurs cooperatively, whereby several base pairs act in concert to generate melting bubbles, and in this way constitute a domain that behaves as a unit with respect to local DNA single- strandedness. We have applied a melting map calculation to the complete human genome, which provides information about the propensities of forming local bubbles determined from the whole sequence, and present a first report on its basic features, the extent of cooperativity, and correlations to various physical and biological features of the human genome. Globally, the melting map covaries very strongly with GC content. Most importantly, however, cooperativity of DNA denaturation causes this correlation to be weaker at resolutions fewer than 500 bps. This is also the resolution level at which most structural and biological processes occur, signifying the importance of the informational content inherent in the genomic melting map. The human DNA melting map may be further explored at http://meltmap.uio.no.
Year
DOI
Venue
2007
10.1371/journal.pcbi.0030093
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
Keywords
Field
DocType
base pair,computer simulation,dna,biological process,gc content,structure activity relationship,dna replication,information content,human genome,temperature
Cooperativity,Antiparallel (biochemistry),Biology,Bioinformatics,Human genome,GC-content,Genetics,DNA replication,Chromatin,Base pair,Nucleic acid thermodynamics
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
3
5
1553-734X
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
7
0.69
13
Authors
8
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Fang Liu1232.27
Eivind Tøstesen2172.47
Jostein K. Sundet370.69
Tor-Kristian Jenssen412022.05
Christoph Bock59012.12
Geir Ivar Jerstad6111.37
William G. Thilly770.69
Eivind Hovig821521.79