Shlyakhtenko L S, Hsieh P, Grigoriev M, Potaman V N, Sinden R R, Lyubchenko Y L
Department of Microbiology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-2701, USA.
J Mol Biol. 2000 Mar 10;296(5):1169-73. doi: 10.1006/jmbi.2000.3542.
The interaction between specific sites along a DNA molecule is often crucial for the regulation of genetic processes. However, mechanisms regulating the interaction of specific sites are unknown. We have used atomic force microscopy to demonstrate that the structural transition between cruciform conformations can act as a molecular switch to facilitate or prevent communication between distant regions in DNA. Cruciform structures exist in vivo and they are critically involved in the initiation of replication and the regulation of gene expression in different organisms. Therefore, structural transitions of the cruciform may play a key role in these processes.
沿着DNA分子特定位点之间的相互作用对于遗传过程的调控通常至关重要。然而，调控特定位点相互作用的机制尚不清楚。我们利用原子力显微镜证明，十字形构象之间的结构转变可以作为一种分子开关，促进或阻止DNA中远距离区域之间的交流。十字形结构存在于体内，并且在不同生物体的复制起始和基因表达调控中起着关键作用。因此，十字形的结构转变可能在这些过程中发挥关键作用。
