I always wonder why DNA never turns itself into a hard-to-undo knot (which is what invariably happens with headphone wires). Are these twists helping with that?
There are other protein complexes that keep the strand in proper shape and form. They unfold the strand periodically, and can cut and repair it as needed.
If my mind serves me correctly, it is part of gene regulation. Genes located in places of the strand that tend to form tight knots are "more difficult" to transcribe, so they express less, to some extent.
The twist probably does induce the kind of tangling that you mentioned. But, there’s a class of proteins called topoisomerases that allow the DNA to unwind itself via some very beautiful mechanisms.
There are other protein complexes that keep the strand in proper shape and form. They unfold the strand periodically, and can cut and repair it as needed.
If my mind serves me correctly, it is part of gene regulation. Genes located in places of the strand that tend to form tight knots are "more difficult" to transcribe, so they express less, to some extent.