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#Unit 2. Cellular Organization
Because nucleosomal DNA wraps around the histone protein 1.65 times, the formation of a single nucleosome using ccc plasmid would create a writhe of –1.65 and thus change the linking number by an equivalent amount. As described above, when the change in linking number associated with each nucleosome was measured, the number was lower than this, approximately –1.2 for each nucleosome added.
This discrepancy is referred to as the “nucleosome linking number paradox,”
