High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy Reveals How Smc5/6 Protein Complex Captures DNA and Maintains Genetic Stability

Researchers at Kanazawa University and the National Institute of Genetics in Japan have captured real-time images of the Smc5/6 protein complex interacting with DNA using high-speed atomic force microscopy. Published in Nature Communications, the study shows how the complex opens and closes to grab DNA and bring distant sections together, while also stabilizing twisted DNA to form tighter structures. Smc5/6 is essential for DNA repair and chromosome organization, and its dysfunction is linked to genome instability and diseases such as cancer. By visualizing these molecular dynamics, the research clarifies how cells maintain genetic integrity and offers potential targets for therapeutic intervention. The findings mark a significant advance in understanding the fundamental machinery of genome maintenance.