Docking sites
Site-specific functional interactions of DNA


    The molecular function of a piece of DNA occurs is a result of its interactions with a series of  protein or RNA molecules, including polymerases, regulatory proteins, transcription factors, etc. These bind the DNA at specific positions, called docking sites, which often include recognizable sequence motifs that indicate function. Sites specific to mRNA transcribed from the DNA are also recognizable. Discovery and recognition of such sites in a novel DNA sequence may be clues to understanding its information content.

Cartoon Guide to DNA

Figures modified after Griffiths et al. 2002, and Gonnick & Wheelis 1991; additional text ©2024 by Steven M. Carr