英国约克大学、伦敦帝国理工学院和谢菲尔德大学的研究团队利用原子力显微镜，首次直接观察到两条DNA分子的配对过程1。研究发现，带正电的金属离子充当分子桥梁，帮助带负电的DNA分子克服相互排斥力，使其groove对groove精确对齐1。这一发现于2026年9月10日发表在《核酸研究》期刊上1。
研究人员将原子力显微镜扫描与计算机模拟相结合进行研究1。其中一项重要发现是，DNA并非沿着每个序列都以相同强度配对，而是某些DNA序列形成更强的接触热点1。约克大学的Agnes Noy教授指出，这些发现可帮助研究人员识别基因组中特别涉及DNA配对的区域，这些区域在癌症发展中可能很重要1。
本项研究验证了二十年前提出的DNA拉链模型理论，深化了对癌症等细胞过程中DNA相互作用的理解1。
Researchers have directly observed the pairing process of two DNA molecules for the first time, using atomic force microscopy to capture the precise alignment of DNA strands as they come together.1 The study revealed that positively charged metal ions act as molecular bridges, enabling negatively charged DNA molecules to overcome their mutual repulsion and recognize each other for pairing.1 This finding validates a DNA zipper model theory proposed two decades ago and provides insights into DNA interactions involved in cellular processes such as cancer development.1
The research, conducted by teams from the University of York, Imperial College London, and the University of Sheffield, combined atomic force microscope scanning with computer simulations to examine the pairing mechanism.1 Scientists discovered that divalent metal ions can form molecular bridges that allow two DNA molecules to align groove-to-groove with remarkable precision.1 The findings were published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research on September 10, 2026 (DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkag817).1
According to Professor Agnes Noy, the discovery could help researchers identify specific regions in the genome where DNA pairing occurs, regions that may play significant roles in cancer development.1 The research also showed that DNA does not pair equally along every sequence; certain DNA sequences form stronger contact hotspots.1
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