Conformational analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid from PM2 bacteriophage. The effect of size on supercoil shape

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Abstract
Laser light-scattering studies of bacteriophage PM2 DNA showed the molecule to have molecular weight 5.9 .times. 106 and root-mean-square radius 125 nm at an ionic strength of 0.2 mol/l. Computer-generated curves compatible with these data were compared with the experimental interference curve for several structural models of the molecules. The data fit best to an asymmetric 4-armed planar molecule in which all 4 arms emerge from or close to 1 area of the molecule. This contrasts with the smaller DNA molecules investigated which showed a 3-armed molecule whose symmetry varies with primary structure.