Processive DNA polymerases that replicate chromosomes interact with a ring-shaped clamp that encircles DNA and slides along the duplex. All sliding clamps (Escherichia coli β-clamp, T4 bacteriophage ...

DNA is often likened to a blueprint. The particular sequence of As, Cs, Gs, and Ts in DNA provides information for building an organism. What’s not captured by this analogy is the fact that our DNA ...