Cryo-electron microscopy unveils the precise mechanics of DNA replication, unlocking new insights into molecular biology and potential antiviral therapies. Using cutting-edge cryo-electron microscopy, scientists at the University of Leicester have captured the first detailed “molecular movie” showing DNA being unzipped at the atomic level. The movie reveals how cells start copying their genetic material.
Hexameric helicases are molecular machines powered by nucleotides that unwind DNA to start replication in all life forms. However, key details about how they work—like where and how DNA strands separate, how unwinding continues, and how nucleotide use connects to DNA movement—are still not fully understood. In this study, scientists used cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to visualize a helicase enzyme (nature’s DNA unzipping machine) unwinding DNA.
The team captured detailed snapshots showing how this molecular motor unzips the DNA double helix, much like a tiny zipper. Although scientists have long understood that cells must unzip DNA to replicate it, this is the first time they’ve observed the mechanism in such precise detail. Dr Taha Shahid, from the University of Leicester’s Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology and lead author on the paper, said: “Now we can watch the entire process unfold, in a moment-by-moment fashion, revealing the precise mechanics of one of life’s most fundamental processes.
” Previously, it was believed that helicase work.
