Study on Common DNA Mutation May Lead to Better Disease Detection and Prevention

Scientists report how guanine and thymine, two normally mismatched DNA bases, can change shape to form an inconspicuous rung on the DNA helix. This allows them to survive by avoiding the body's natural defenses against genetic mutations, according to the researchers who published their study (“Dynamic basis for dG•dT misincorporation via tautomerization and ionization”) in Nature.“Tautomeric and anionic Watson–Crick-like mismatches have important roles in replication