State University of New York at Buffalo Department of Mathematics presents
The 1997 University Myhill Lecture Series
Professor De Witt Sumners Distinguished Research Professor Department of Mathematics Florida State University sumners@math.fsu.edu
THE TOPOLOGY OF DNA
when: April 1, 2, 3, 1997 4 p.m. where: 146 Diefendorf Hall South Campus
April 1 INTRODUCTION TO DNA TOPOLOGY UTILITY OF KNOT THEORY IN EXPERIMENTAL SCIENCE CHEMICAL STRUCTURE OF DNA TOPOLOGICAL APPROACH TO ENZYMOLOGY
April 2 TOPOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF DNA EXPERIMENTS TOPOISOMERASE EXPERIMENTS THE TANGLE MODEL
April 3 TANGLE ANALYSIS OF DNA SITE- SPECIFIC RECOMBINATION RANDOM KNOTTING AND SUPERCOILING
Abstract: Cellular DNA is a long, thread-like molecule with remarkably complex topology. Many important cellular processes (including segregation of daughter chromosomes, gene regulation, DNA repair, and generation of antibody diversity) are performed by enzymes which manipulate the geometry and topology of cellular DNA. Some enzymes pass DNA through itself via enzyme-bridged transient breaks in the DNA; other enzymes break the DNA apart and reconnect it to different ends. In the topological approach to enzymology, circular DNA is incubated with an enzyme, producing an enzyme signature in the form of DNA knots and links. By observing the change in DNA geometry (supercoiling) and topology (knotting and linking) due to enzyme action, the enzyme mechanism can often be characterized. This lecture series will discuss topological models for the structure of DNA and active enzyme DNA complex. The first lecture  will be an expository talk with lots of pictures, suitable for anyone with an interest in mathematics and/or biology. In addition the second and third lectures  will provide mathematical models for DNA topology and interest in mathematics and/or biology. The second and third lectures will provide mathematical models for DNA topology and enzyme mechanism, including a proof of enzyme structure and mechanism for site-specific recombination that uses the Cyclic Surgery Theorem
For more information please contact one of
William Menasco at menasco@newton.math.buffalo.edu	Bruce Pitman at pitman@galileo.math.buffalo.edu

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