An important dynamic aspect of DNA in solution is the presence of coupled motions in its structure that involve bending, stretching, unwinding, and shearing components. We have postulated to these motions arise from wave propagation in the polymer, excited through impulses generated by the random and continuous bombardment of DNA by solvent molecules along its length (Lozansky et al. 1978). This gives rise to conformational changes in DNA that result in DNA breathing and in drug intercalation (Sobell et al. 1976, 1977, 1978). These can be thought of as premelting conformational changes in the polymer and, in this respect, could have important implications in understanding the structure of DNA active in RNA transcription, DNA replication, and genetic recombination (Sobell 1978).
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Sobell et al. (1979) studied this question.