The scope of our research is to characterize DNA replication of unstable pathogenic repeats in human cells. We hope to answer questions such as, what specific repeats cause replication fork stalling? What unique secondary structures are these repeats forming?
And how do these repeats expand during DNA replication? While we know that many of these structure forming repeats can impair DNA replication, it's still unclear what exact steps happen next. We're hoping that this protocol will help answer this question and shed light on the mechanisms of how these pathogenic repeats expand.
2D gels provide the unique opportunity to actually visualize the structures in relative populations of molecules that can arise during DNA replication. Within one single experiment, you essentially have the complete map of what replication progression looks like through a specific DNA sequence.
