TU Delft researchers have developed a new method to assemble and image the molecular motor CMG in DNA replication, offering unprecedented resolution and insights into the replication process. This advancement could lead to a better understanding of genetic disorders and cancer development.replication is the process whereby cells make an exact copy of their DNA before cell division.
Diagram of the experimental setup: Schematic of a CMG-containing DNA molecule held in place with optical tweezers while a scanning laser is taking a picture of it; CMG motors are depicted in blue. Actual image of a fluorescently labelled CMG molecular motor on an unlabelled DNA molecule held in place with optical tweezers.
Example of CMG motors moving along a DNA molecule held in place by an optical trap. Credit: Taken from Ramírez Montero, et al., Nature Communications, 2023.Using their bottom-up approach, which combines cutting-edge biochemistry and biophysics, the group of researchers was able to directly visualize the motion of individual CMG motors assembled from scratch for the first time, and measure this motion with unprecedented resolution.