The effects of divalent ions(Mn2+,Mg2+,Ca2+) on the interaction between DNA and histone are studied using a fluorescence anisotropy assay. Fluorescence anisotropies of DNA and DNA-histone in the presence of divalent i...The effects of divalent ions(Mn2+,Mg2+,Ca2+) on the interaction between DNA and histone are studied using a fluorescence anisotropy assay. Fluorescence anisotropies of DNA and DNA-histone in the presence of divalent ions(Mn2+,Mg2+,Ca2+) are measured. The results indicate that histone reduces the fluorescence anisotropy of lambda DNA while the divalent ions(Mn2+,Mg2+,Ca2+) significantly enhance the fluorescence anisotropy. Compared to the case of DNA incubated with histone alone,there are more histones binding to DNA when divalent ion,histone and DNA are incubated together. We also find that Mn2+ makes the DNA-histone complexes more condensed than the other ions do.展开更多
The DNA gyrase of Escherichia coli plays an essential role in the life of this microorganism.It is unique among all topoisomerases because of its ability to introduce negative supercoils into DNA.This study investigat...The DNA gyrase of Escherichia coli plays an essential role in the life of this microorganism.It is unique among all topoisomerases because of its ability to introduce negative supercoils into DNA.This study investigated the single molecular interaction of E.coli gyrase with DNA using magnetic tweezers.The results showed that,in the absence of ATP,gyrase weakly binds the G and T segments.The stretched force of 0.7 pN can gradually destroy the binding,whereas that of 5.9 pN directly destroys it.Addition of high concentrations of norfloxacin enhances gyrase binding to both segments,making them adapt to 5.9 pN.DNA gyrase reduces the plectonemic dimension,which was determined by the bacterial enzyme and not by the pull force.Moreover,it has different affinities for positive supercoils,which it prefers,and negative supercoils.The time distribution of the dissociation of gyrase from DNA has a double-exponential form.We herein propose a model to explain this distribution and compare the results with those of other models.展开更多
The binding of cations (Na +,K +,Mg 2+,Ca 2+,Mn 2+) and histones to DNA can be studied using fluorescence assays.Here,we measured the fluorescence intensity and fluorescence anisotropy of DNA and DNA-histone complexes...The binding of cations (Na +,K +,Mg 2+,Ca 2+,Mn 2+) and histones to DNA can be studied using fluorescence assays.Here,we measured the fluorescence intensity and fluorescence anisotropy of DNA and DNA-histone complexes in the presence of cations.We demonstrate that when different cations are added into a DNA solution,the fluorescence intensities of the stained DNA are reduced by different amounts.Compared with divalent cations,monovalent cations had a weaker effect on fluorescence intensity and fluorescence anisotropy.Divalent (Mn 2+,Mg 2+,Ca 2+) cations markedly enhanced the fluorescence anisotropy of DNA.The binding modes of monovalent and divalent cations to DNA may be different.Divalent cations can change the structure of DNA molecules,or promote the assembly of DNA strands.The addition of histones causes DNA condensation,which mostly occurs during the first few seconds.Cation binding to DNA is abrupt,and is much faster than that of histones.展开更多
Molecular combing is a powerful and simple method for aligning DNA molecules onto a surface. Using this technique combined with fluorescence microscopy, DNA-histone complexes are stretched on a hydrophobic polymethyl ...Molecular combing is a powerful and simple method for aligning DNA molecules onto a surface. Using this technique combined with fluorescence microscopy, DNA-histone complexes are stretched on a hydrophobic polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) surface and observed directly. We have developed a new method to stretch single DNA-histone complexes, termed spin-stretching. The results show that the histones markedly enhance DNA binding to the PMMA surface. DNA winds around the histones and therefore decreases in length. The number of histones that bind to each DNA molecule is found to correlate with the histone concentration. The combed DNA-histone complexes are found to depend on two factors: the binding force on the surface and the centrifugal force at its local position. Na+ ions should compete with histones for binding to DNA; however, the observed competitive binding effect of Na+ ions at low concentrations was negligible.展开更多
RecQ family helicases are critical for maintaining genomic integrity. Many RecQ family helicases not only unwind duplex, and other more complicated DNA structures, but also possess, interestingly, DNA annealing (stran...RecQ family helicases are critical for maintaining genomic integrity. Many RecQ family helicases not only unwind duplex, and other more complicated DNA structures, but also possess, interestingly, DNA annealing (strand pairing) activity. Here, we systematically investigated the DNA annealing properties of RECQ5β by measuring DNA annealing kinetics, equilibrium DNA binding, and kinetics of dissociation from ssDNA. RECQ5β catalyzed DNA annealing most efficiently when the enzyme molecules covered approximately 40%-50% of the DNA strand, in the absence or presence of different nucleotide cofactors (AMPPNP, ATPγS, or ADP) under our buffer conditions. A comparative study with RECQ5β1-662 confirmed that the C-terminal region of RECQ5β was essential for its high DNA annealing activity. These results contribute to our understanding of the mechanism of DNA annealing catalyzed by RecQ family helicases.展开更多
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos.60025516 and 10334100), the Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sci-ences, and the CNRS (to Xi Xuguang)
文摘The effects of divalent ions(Mn2+,Mg2+,Ca2+) on the interaction between DNA and histone are studied using a fluorescence anisotropy assay. Fluorescence anisotropies of DNA and DNA-histone in the presence of divalent ions(Mn2+,Mg2+,Ca2+) are measured. The results indicate that histone reduces the fluorescence anisotropy of lambda DNA while the divalent ions(Mn2+,Mg2+,Ca2+) significantly enhance the fluorescence anisotropy. Compared to the case of DNA incubated with histone alone,there are more histones binding to DNA when divalent ion,histone and DNA are incubated together. We also find that Mn2+ makes the DNA-histone complexes more condensed than the other ions do.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10834014,10974248)the National Basic Research Program of China (2009CB930704)
文摘The DNA gyrase of Escherichia coli plays an essential role in the life of this microorganism.It is unique among all topoisomerases because of its ability to introduce negative supercoils into DNA.This study investigated the single molecular interaction of E.coli gyrase with DNA using magnetic tweezers.The results showed that,in the absence of ATP,gyrase weakly binds the G and T segments.The stretched force of 0.7 pN can gradually destroy the binding,whereas that of 5.9 pN directly destroys it.Addition of high concentrations of norfloxacin enhances gyrase binding to both segments,making them adapt to 5.9 pN.DNA gyrase reduces the plectonemic dimension,which was determined by the bacterial enzyme and not by the pull force.Moreover,it has different affinities for positive supercoils,which it prefers,and negative supercoils.The time distribution of the dissociation of gyrase from DNA has a double-exponential form.We herein propose a model to explain this distribution and compare the results with those of other models.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(60025516 and 10334100)the Scientific Research Startup Foundation of China Agricultural University(2009-2-05)
文摘The binding of cations (Na +,K +,Mg 2+,Ca 2+,Mn 2+) and histones to DNA can be studied using fluorescence assays.Here,we measured the fluorescence intensity and fluorescence anisotropy of DNA and DNA-histone complexes in the presence of cations.We demonstrate that when different cations are added into a DNA solution,the fluorescence intensities of the stained DNA are reduced by different amounts.Compared with divalent cations,monovalent cations had a weaker effect on fluorescence intensity and fluorescence anisotropy.Divalent (Mn 2+,Mg 2+,Ca 2+) cations markedly enhanced the fluorescence anisotropy of DNA.The binding modes of monovalent and divalent cations to DNA may be different.Divalent cations can change the structure of DNA molecules,or promote the assembly of DNA strands.The addition of histones causes DNA condensation,which mostly occurs during the first few seconds.Cation binding to DNA is abrupt,and is much faster than that of histones.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (60025516 and 10334100)the Scientific Research Start-up Foundation of China Agricultural University (2009-2-05)
文摘Molecular combing is a powerful and simple method for aligning DNA molecules onto a surface. Using this technique combined with fluorescence microscopy, DNA-histone complexes are stretched on a hydrophobic polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) surface and observed directly. We have developed a new method to stretch single DNA-histone complexes, termed spin-stretching. The results show that the histones markedly enhance DNA binding to the PMMA surface. DNA winds around the histones and therefore decreases in length. The number of histones that bind to each DNA molecule is found to correlate with the histone concentration. The combed DNA-histone complexes are found to depend on two factors: the binding force on the surface and the centrifugal force at its local position. Na+ ions should compete with histones for binding to DNA; however, the observed competitive binding effect of Na+ ions at low concentrations was negligible.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10834014)the National Basic Research Program of China (2009CB930704)
文摘RecQ family helicases are critical for maintaining genomic integrity. Many RecQ family helicases not only unwind duplex, and other more complicated DNA structures, but also possess, interestingly, DNA annealing (strand pairing) activity. Here, we systematically investigated the DNA annealing properties of RECQ5β by measuring DNA annealing kinetics, equilibrium DNA binding, and kinetics of dissociation from ssDNA. RECQ5β catalyzed DNA annealing most efficiently when the enzyme molecules covered approximately 40%-50% of the DNA strand, in the absence or presence of different nucleotide cofactors (AMPPNP, ATPγS, or ADP) under our buffer conditions. A comparative study with RECQ5β1-662 confirmed that the C-terminal region of RECQ5β was essential for its high DNA annealing activity. These results contribute to our understanding of the mechanism of DNA annealing catalyzed by RecQ family helicases.
