Before revision: We emphasize that assuming the ]  existence of an elongated, hybridized form of DNA ('S-DNA') does not immediately imply DNA overstretching to consist of the complete or near-complete conversion of the molecule from B- to S-form.
After revision: We emphasize that assuming the ] existence of an elongated, hybridized form of DNA ('S-DNA') . Here we argue that the S-DNA picture is consistent with the observation of unpeeling during overstretching. We demonstrate that assuming the existence of S-DNA does not imply DNA overstretching to consist of the complete or near-complete conversion of the molecule from B- to S-form.