DNA topology
DNA topology is the focus of a subdiscipline within
molecular biology and as a term refers to both the
knot-like arrangements that segments of
DNA may assume and to the mathematics that pertains to them. The
topology of DNA is important to
replication,
transcription and
recombination, including the recombination events important to the life cycles of many viruses. Topoisomerases are enzymes that change the topology of DNA.
See also: supercoil, knot theory