Ethidium bromide provides a simple tool for identifying genuine DNA-independent protein associations.

DNA-dependent and DNA-independent associations of DNA-binding proteins are important in transcriptional regulation. The analysis of DNA-independent associations frequently relies on assaying protein interaction in the absence of target DNA sequences. We have found that contaminating DNA in protein preparations can stabilize DNA-dependent associations that may appear DNA-independent. Three cellular proteins of 70, 85, and 110 kDa coimmunoprecipitated with the octamer motif-binding protein Oct-2 because of the presence of contaminating DNA in the cell extracts. In addition, heterodimer formation between Oct-1 (or Oct-2) and Pit-1 during protein-affinity chromatography was stabilized by the contaminating DNA. In both instances, these DNA-dependent protein associations were selectively inhibited by ethidium bromide in the precipitation reaction without any evident effect on DNA-independent protein associations. Thus, ethidium bromide may serve as a simple and general indicator of DNA-dependent and DNA-independent protein associations.