1953 was an annus mirabilis for science. Here, we present five classic papers from Nature that describe and provide evidence for the double helix being the structure of DNA, and one from The Journal of Experimental Medicine that has been described as the "defining moment in nucleic acid research".
A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid
Watson J.D. and Crick F.H.C.
Nature 171, 737-738 (1953)
April 25, 1953: James Watson and Francis Crick's classic paper that first describes the double helical structure of DNA. With some understatement they note that the structure “suggests a possible copying mechanism for the genetic material”.
Molecular Structure of Deoxypentose Nucleic Acids
Wilkins M.H.F., A.R. Stokes A.R. & Wilson, H.R.
Nature 171, 738-740 (1953)
April 25, 1953: From the same issue, Wilkins, Stokes and Wilson analyse the X-Ray crystallography evidence, and suggest evidence that the structure exists in biological systems.
Molecular Configuration in Sodium Thymonucleate
Franklin R. and Gosling R.G.
Nature 171, 740-741 (1953)
April 25, 1953: Rosalind Franklin and Ray Gosling provide further evidence of the helical nature of nucleic acids, and conclude that the phosphate backbone lies on the outside of the structure.
Genetical Implications of the structure of Deoxyribonucleic Acid
Watson J.D. and Crick F.H.C.
Nature 171, 964-967 (1953)
May 30, 1953: Watson and Crick follow up with largely accurate speculation on how base pairing in the double helix allows replication of DNA.
Evidence for 2-Chain Helix in Crystalline Structure of Sodium Deoxyribonucleate
Franklin R. and Gosling R.G.
Nature 172, 156-157 (1953)
July 25, 1953:
Studies on the chemical nature of the substance inducing transformation of Pneumococcal types
Avery, O.T., MacLeod, C.M. & McCarty, M.
J. Exp. Med. 79, 137-159 (1944)
February 1, 1944: In this classic paper from the Journal of Experimental Medicine, Mac McCarty's team showed for the first time that DNA is the material of inheritance, the so-called stuff of life. Until then, biologists thought that 'genes', the units of inheritance, were made of protein.
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