The size of the topological domain modulates the B-Z transition of a (TG)n containing repeat

J Biomol Struct Dyn. 1995 Aug;13(1):47-56. doi: 10.1080/07391102.1995.10508820.

Abstract

Under negative superhelical stress, long (TG)n containing repeats experience a stepwise multiple B-Z transitions. We have investigated the effect of the plasmid size on this transitional behavior. A 66-bp (TG)n containing repeat from the 5'-untranscribed region of mouse ribosomal DNA was inserted in a 3-kb, a 6.5-kb and a 12.5-kb plasmids and its supercoil-driven B-Z transition was followed by OsO4 probing of topoisomer-populations. Our results show a clear correlation between the size of the topological domain and the extent of the region that converts cooperatively into Z-DNA at the initial transition.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • DNA / chemistry
  • DNA, Ribosomal / chemistry*
  • DNA, Ribosomal / metabolism
  • DNA, Superhelical / chemistry*
  • DNA, Superhelical / metabolism
  • Guanine / chemistry
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis, Insertional
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation*
  • Particle Size
  • Plasmids / chemistry*
  • Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid*
  • Thymine / chemistry

Substances

  • DNA, Ribosomal
  • DNA, Superhelical
  • Guanine
  • DNA
  • Thymine

Associated data

  • GENBANK/X06910