adjective
- twisted or coiled upon itself in a complex manner, especially describing DNA that is wound more tightly than its normal helical structure
Usage: biology; genetics
Examples
- The supercoiled DNA must be unwound before replication can begin.
- Bacterial chromosomes exist in a supercoiled state within the cell.
- The enzyme topoisomerase relieves tension in supercoiled DNA.
- Supercoiled plasmids migrate differently during gel electrophoresis.
- The supercoiled structure helps compact the long DNA molecule.
- Scientists study how proteins interact with supercoiled genetic material.