WOLFRAM NOTEBOOK

WOLFRAM|DEMONSTRATIONS PROJECT

DNA Rotator Walk

​
angles
A
-45.
T
-45.
C
-45.
G
-45.
show sequence
The DNA rotator walk works by reading the DNA sequence one base at a time (
A
,
T
,
C
, or
G
), turning through an angle that depends on the DNA base, and moving ahead by one step. For example, one might choose
-45°
for
A
(clockwise),
90°
for
T
(counterclockwise),
30°
for
C
(counterclockwise), and
-90
° for
G
(clockwise). The directions chosen for each base are indicated by the colored arrows at the top of the graphic. The starting point is indicated by a larger dot, and the starting direction is always upward. The DNA sequence used here is a 1000-bp region taken from a chicken gene called embryonic skeletal MHC. The gene region includes an exon surrounded by two introns. This visualization is useful to get an intuition for the properties of a DNA sequence. For example, with appropriate choices of angles, long repeat sequences such as poly-
A
sequences ("
AAAAA...
") will produce localized circles, and sequences with equal mixtures of bases will tend to produce randomized regions.
Wolfram Cloud

You are using a browser not supported by the Wolfram Cloud

Supported browsers include recent versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari.


I understand and wish to continue anyway »

You are using a browser not supported by the Wolfram Cloud. Supported browsers include recent versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari.