P. Hsieh investigated DNA reactions involved in genetic recombination. A 1994 study with I. G. Panyutin isolated spontaneous branch migration of a Holliday junction for kinetic measurement.[ref]
The kinetics of spontaneous DNA branch migration by I. G. Panyutin and P. Hsieh. PNAS91, pp.2021–2025; primary byline and Abstract
Complementary single-stranded ends joined two double-stranded DNA substrates into a four-stranded junction. Movement to the far end produced strand-exchanged products. Measuring that conversion under different solution conditions showed that the surrounding ions, especially magnesium, strongly changed the rate. This separated a physical DNA reaction from the additional regulation supplied by cellular proteins.[ref]
The kinetics of spontaneous DNA branch migration by I. G. Panyutin and P. Hsieh. Abstract; substrate construction and ionic dependence
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