ABSTRACT
DNA replication, DNA transcription, and the regulation of gene expression all depend upon the recognition of DNA by proteins. By a powerful combination of structural and genetic studies, in recent years we have begun to understand how these functions are achieved. These insights will be described in Chapters 8 to 10, with emphasis on the contribution of structural studies. Before tackling the structures of DNA-binding proteins and the complexes they form with DNA, however, we need to understand the structure of the double-stranded, base-paired helical DNA molecule on its own in order to see what possibilities it offers for the recognition of specific sequences by proteins.
