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DNA Condensation: The Effects of Coiling in Eukaryotic Cells and Supercoiling in

Prokaryotic Cells

By James Lucas

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a long molecule with two polynucleotide chains that wind

around each other to form a double helix. DNA is made of nucleotides, which is composed of a

phosphate backbone, deoxyribose, and four nirogenous bases. The sugar-phosphate backbone is

made of alternating phosphate and deoxyribose. The phosphate supports the nucleotide on the

double helix, while each deoxyribose connects the phosphate backbone with a nitrogenous bases.

Nucleotides contain four nitrogenous bases: two purines—guanine and adenine, and two

pyrimidines—cytosine and thymine. These nitrogenous bases pair up across each other to form

ladder-like bonds that protrude from the sugar-phosphate backbone of the two strands. Guanine

only pairs with cytosine, while adenine only pairs with thymine. (Newman, 2018)

DNA in each cell is approximately 2 meters if laid end to end. DNA is able to be stored into

the chromosomes of eukaryotic cells by coiling around a set of eight proteins known as histones.

Nucleosome is the term for a length of DNA coiled around eight sets of histones.(Annunziato,

2008) Which mean that the nucleosome is the most basic structure of fibers known as chromatin.

The aforementioned fiber, is the collective protein-DNA complex that serves as the building block

for chromosomes located within the nucleus of a cell. (Lakna, 2018)

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The DNA of most prokaryotic cells, such as in the case of E. coli, is packaged differently in

order to fit the prokaryotic cell’s nucleoid. DNA torsional stress—otherwise known as DNA

supercoiling is the process in which the double helix is distorted thus changing the relaxed double

helix to be either over-wound (positively supercoiled) or under-wound (negatively supercoiled).

(Baranello et al., 2012) An over-wound DNA is when the DNA is twisted in the opposite direction

of the double helix. In contrast, an under-wound DNA is when DNA is twisted in the same

direction as the double helix. An enzyme called topoisomerase I is involved in the supercoilling

process by binding to DNA and introducing sharp bends in the chromosome and fulfilling the

necessary conditions for negative supercoilling. After the condensation of the prokaryotic genome,

enzymes such as DNA topoisomerase I and DNA gyrase help maintain the supercoil. (Griswold,

2008)

DNA condensation with respect to eukaryotic cells are compacted via histones, while the

condensation of prokaryotic cells are compacted via DNA supercoiling. The two previously-

mentioned processes are the main differences of eukaryotic cells and prokaryotic cells in regards to

the organization of their genome; but another notable dissimilarity is that most prokaryotes have

haploid cells as opposed to most eukaryotes that have diploids. (Griswold, 2008)
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References

Annunziato, A. T. (2008). DNA Packaging: Nucleosomes and Chromatin. Nature news.

Retrieved November 8, 2021, from https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/dna-

packaging-nucleosomes-and-chromatin-310/.

Baranello, L., Levens, D., Gupta, A., & Kouzine, F. (2012, July). The importance of being

supercoiled: How DNA mechanics regulate dynamic processes. Biochimica et

biophysica acta. Retrieved November 8, 2021, from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3354648/.

Griswold, A. (2008). Genome Packaging in Prokaryotes: the Circular Chromosome of E.

coli. Nature news. Retrieved November 8, 2021, from

https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/genome-packaging-in-prokaryotes-the-

circular-chromosome-9113/.

Lakna. (2018, February 14). Difference between chromatin and nucleosome: Definition,

structure, role, similarities and differences. Pediaa.Com. Retrieved November 8,

2021, from https://pediaa.com/difference-between-chromatin-and-nucleosome/.

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Newman , T. (2018, January 11). DNA explained: Structure and function. Medical News

Today. Retrieved November 8, 2021, from

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319818.