DNA's physical form helps direct gyrase activity and could reshape antibiotic design

New analytical methods developed at Baylor College of Medicine and collaborating institutions have increased our understanding of how bacteria manage DNA. The methods have enabled researchers to uncover how the sequence, physical shape and flexibility of DNA guide the activity of an enzyme called DNA gyrase, which previously got all the credit for managing DNA. The work uncovers that certain attributes of DNA are major players in this game. The study, which appears in Nature Communications, has implications for antibiotic design.