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Cordeiro Y, Freire MHO, Wiecikowski AF, do Amaral MJ. (Dys)functional insights into nucleic acids and RNA-binding proteins modulation of the prion protein and α-synuclein phase separation. Biophys Rev 2023; 15:577-589. [PMID: 37681103 PMCID: PMC10480379 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01067-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are prototype of infectious diseases transmitted by a protein, the prion protein (PrP), and are still not understandable at the molecular level. Heterogenous species of aggregated PrP can be generated from its monomer. α-synuclein (αSyn), related to Parkinson's disease, has also shown a prion-like pathogenic character, and likewise PrP interacts with nucleic acids (NAs), which in turn modulate their aggregation. Recently, our group and others have characterized that NAs and/or RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) modulate recombinant PrP and/or αSyn condensates formation, and uncontrolled condensation might precede pathological aggregation. Tackling abnormal phase separation of neurodegenerative disease-related proteins has been proposed as a promising therapeutic target. Therefore, understanding the mechanism by which polyanions, like NAs, modulate phase transitions intracellularly, is key to assess their role on toxicity promotion and neuronal death. Herein we discuss data on the nucleic acids binding properties and phase separation ability of PrP and αSyn with a special focus on their modulation by NAs and RBPs. Furthermore, we provide insights into condensation of PrP and/or αSyn in the light of non-trivial subcellular locations such as the nuclear and cytosolic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yraima Cordeiro
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av Carlos Chagas Filho 373, bloco B, subsolo Sala 36, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902 Brazil
| | - Maria Heloisa O. Freire
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av Carlos Chagas Filho 373, bloco B, subsolo Sala 36, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902 Brazil
| | - Adalgisa Felippe Wiecikowski
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av Carlos Chagas Filho 373, bloco B, subsolo Sala 36, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902 Brazil
| | - Mariana Juliani do Amaral
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av Carlos Chagas Filho 373, bloco B, subsolo Sala 36, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902 Brazil
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2
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Mollasalehi N, Francois-Moutal L, Porciani D, Burke DH, Khanna M. Aptamers Targeting Hallmark Proteins of Neurodegeneration. Nucleic Acid Ther 2022; 32:235-250. [PMID: 35452303 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2021.0091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegeneration is a progressive deterioration of neural structures leading to cognitive or motor impairment of the affected patient. There is still no effective therapy for any of the most common neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. Although NDs exhibit distinct clinical characteristics, many are characterized by the accumulation of misfolded proteins or peptide fragments in the brain and/or spinal cord. The presence of similar inclusion bodies in patients with diverse NDs provides a rationale for developing therapies directed at overlapping disease mechanisms. A novel targeting strategy involves the use of aptamers for therapeutic development. Aptamers are short nucleic acid ligands able to recognize molecular targets with high specificity and high affinity. Despite the fact that several academic groups have shown that aptamers have the potential to be used in therapeutic and diagnostic applications, their clinical translation is still limited. In this study, we describe aptamers that have been developed against proteins relevant to NDs, including prion protein and amyloid beta (Aβ), cell surface receptors and other cytoplasmic proteins. This review also describes advances in the application of these aptamers in imaging, protein detection, and protein quantification, and it provides insights about their accelerated clinical use for disease diagnosis and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niloufar Mollasalehi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.,Center for Innovation in Brain Science, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Liberty Francois-Moutal
- Center for Innovation in Brain Science, Tucson, Arizona, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - David Porciani
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA.,MU Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Donald H Burke
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA.,MU Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - May Khanna
- Center for Innovation in Brain Science, Tucson, Arizona, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
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Boilan E, Winant V, Dumortier E, ElMoualij B, Quatresooz P, Osiewacz HD, Debacq-Chainiaux F, Toussaint O. Role of Prion protein in premature senescence of human fibroblasts. Mech Ageing Dev 2017; 170:106-113. [PMID: 28800967 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2017.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Prion protein (PrP) is essentially known for its capacity to induce neurodegenerative prion diseases in mammals caused by a conformational change in its normal cellular isoform (PrPC) into an infectious and disease-associated misfolded form, called scrapie isoform (PrPSc). Although its sequence is highly conserved, less information is available on its physiological role under normal conditions. However, increasing evidence supports a role for PrPC in the cellular response to oxidative stress. In the present study, a new link between PrP and senescence is highlighted. The role of PrP in premature senescence induced by copper was investigated. WI-38 human fibroblasts were incubated with copper sulfate (CuSO4) to trigger premature senescence. This induced an increase of PrP mRNA level, an increase of protein abundance of the normal form of PrP and a nuclear localization of the protein. Knockdown of PrP expression using specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) gave rise to appearance of several biomarkers of senescence as a senescent morphology, an increase of senescence associated β-galactosidase activity and a decrease of the cellular proliferative potential. Overall these data suggest that PrP protects cells against premature senescence induced by copper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Boilan
- Unité de Recherche en Biologie Cellulaire (URBC) - Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (Narilis), University of Namur, Belgium.
| | - Virginie Winant
- Unité de Recherche en Biologie Cellulaire (URBC) - Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (Narilis), University of Namur, Belgium
| | - Elise Dumortier
- Unité de Recherche en Biologie Cellulaire (URBC) - Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (Narilis), University of Namur, Belgium
| | | | | | - Heinz D Osiewacz
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Florence Debacq-Chainiaux
- Unité de Recherche en Biologie Cellulaire (URBC) - Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (Narilis), University of Namur, Belgium.
| | - Olivier Toussaint
- Unité de Recherche en Biologie Cellulaire (URBC) - Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (Narilis), University of Namur, Belgium
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4
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Unraveling Prion Protein Interactions with Aptamers and Other PrP-Binding Nucleic Acids. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18051023. [PMID: 28513534 PMCID: PMC5454936 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18051023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 04/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a group of neurodegenerative disorders that affect humans and other mammals. The etiologic agents common to these diseases are misfolded conformations of the prion protein (PrP). The molecular mechanisms that trigger the structural conversion of the normal cellular PrP (PrPC) into the pathogenic conformer (PrPSc) are still poorly understood. It is proposed that a molecular cofactor would act as a catalyst, lowering the activation energy of the conversion process, therefore favoring the transition of PrPC to PrPSc. Several in vitro studies have described physical interactions between PrP and different classes of molecules, which might play a role in either PrP physiology or pathology. Among these molecules, nucleic acids (NAs) are highlighted as potential PrP molecular partners. In this context, the SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment) methodology has proven extremely valuable to investigate PrP–NA interactions, due to its ability to select small nucleic acids, also termed aptamers, that bind PrP with high affinity and specificity. Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotides that can be folded into a wide range of structures (from harpins to G-quadruplexes). They are selected from a nucleic acid pool containing a large number (1014–1016) of random sequences of the same size (~20–100 bases). Aptamers stand out because of their potential ability to bind with different affinities to distinct conformations of the same protein target. Therefore, the identification of high-affinity and selective PrP ligands may aid the development of new therapies and diagnostic tools for TSEs. This review will focus on the selection of aptamers targeted against either full-length or truncated forms of PrP, discussing the implications that result from interactions of PrP with NAs, and their potential advances in the studies of prions. We will also provide a critical evaluation, assuming the advantages and drawbacks of the SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment) technique in the general field of amyloidogenic proteins.
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Kumar V, Sami N, Kashav T, Islam A, Ahmad F, Hassan MI. Protein aggregation and neurodegenerative diseases: From theory to therapy. Eur J Med Chem 2016; 124:1105-1120. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.07.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Revised: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Bravard A, Auvré F, Fantini D, Bernardino-Sgherri J, Sissoëff L, Daynac M, Xu Z, Etienne O, Dehen C, Comoy E, Boussin FD, Tell G, Deslys JP, Radicella JP. The prion protein is critical for DNA repair and cell survival after genotoxic stress. Nucleic Acids Res 2014; 43:904-16. [PMID: 25539913 PMCID: PMC4333392 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gku1342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The prion protein (PrP) is highly conserved and ubiquitously expressed, suggesting that it plays an important physiological function. However, despite decades of investigation, this role remains elusive. Here, by using animal and cellular models, we unveil a key role of PrP in the DNA damage response. Exposure of neurons to a genotoxic stress activates PRNP transcription leading to an increased amount of PrP in the nucleus where it interacts with APE1, the major mammalian endonuclease essential for base excision repair, and stimulates its activity. Preventing the induction of PRNP results in accumulation of abasic sites in DNA and impairs cell survival after genotoxic treatment. Brains from Prnp−/− mice display a reduced APE1 activity and a defect in the repair of induced DNA damage in vivo. Thus, PrP is required to maintain genomic stability in response to genotoxic stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Bravard
- CEA, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Radiobiology, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France INSERM, U967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Université Paris Diderot, UMR 967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Université Paris Sud, UMR 967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Frédéric Auvré
- CEA, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Radiobiology, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France INSERM, U967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Université Paris Diderot, UMR 967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Université Paris Sud, UMR 967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Damiano Fantini
- CEA, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Radiobiology, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France INSERM, U967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Université Paris Diderot, UMR 967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Université Paris Sud, UMR 967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Jacqueline Bernardino-Sgherri
- CEA, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Radiobiology, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France INSERM, U967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Université Paris Diderot, UMR 967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Université Paris Sud, UMR 967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Ludmilla Sissoëff
- CEA, Institut des Maladies Emergentes et des Thérapies Innovantes, Service d'Etudes des Prions et des Infections Atypiques, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-roses, France
| | - Mathieu Daynac
- CEA, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Radiobiology, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France INSERM, U967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Université Paris Diderot, UMR 967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Université Paris Sud, UMR 967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Zhou Xu
- CEA, Institut des Maladies Emergentes et des Thérapies Innovantes, Service d'Etudes des Prions et des Infections Atypiques, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-roses, France
| | - Olivier Etienne
- CEA, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Radiobiology, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France INSERM, U967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Université Paris Diderot, UMR 967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Université Paris Sud, UMR 967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Capucine Dehen
- CEA, Institut des Maladies Emergentes et des Thérapies Innovantes, Service d'Etudes des Prions et des Infections Atypiques, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-roses, France
| | - Emmanuel Comoy
- CEA, Institut des Maladies Emergentes et des Thérapies Innovantes, Service d'Etudes des Prions et des Infections Atypiques, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-roses, France
| | - François D Boussin
- CEA, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Radiobiology, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France INSERM, U967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Université Paris Diderot, UMR 967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Université Paris Sud, UMR 967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Gianluca Tell
- Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, University of Udine, I-33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Jean-Philippe Deslys
- CEA, Institut des Maladies Emergentes et des Thérapies Innovantes, Service d'Etudes des Prions et des Infections Atypiques, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-roses, France
| | - J Pablo Radicella
- CEA, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Radiobiology, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France INSERM, U967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Université Paris Diderot, UMR 967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Université Paris Sud, UMR 967, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
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Godet J, Kenfack C, Przybilla F, Richert L, Duportail G, Mély Y. Site-selective probing of cTAR destabilization highlights the necessary plasticity of the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein to chaperone the first strand transfer. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 41:5036-48. [PMID: 23511968 PMCID: PMC3643577 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NCp7) is a nucleic acid chaperone required during reverse transcription. During the first strand transfer, NCp7 is thought to destabilize cTAR, the (−)DNA copy of the TAR RNA hairpin, and subsequently direct the TAR/cTAR annealing through the zipping of their destabilized stem ends. To further characterize the destabilizing activity of NCp7, we locally probe the structure and dynamics of cTAR by steady-state and time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. NC(11–55), a truncated NCp7 version corresponding to its zinc-finger domain, was found to bind all over the sequence and to preferentially destabilize the penultimate double-stranded segment in the lower part of the cTAR stem. This destabilization is achieved through zinc-finger–dependent binding of NC to the G10 and G50 residues. Sequence comparison further revealed that C•A mismatches close to the two G residues were critical for fine tuning the stability of the lower part of the cTAR stem and conferring to G10 and G50 the appropriate mobility and accessibility for specific recognition by NC. Our data also highlight the necessary plasticity of NCp7 to adapt to the sequence and structure variability of cTAR to chaperone its annealing with TAR through a specific pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Godet
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, Faculté de Pharmacie, UMR 7213 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67401 Illkirch, France
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8
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Wills PR. Frameshifted prion proteins as pathological agents: quantitative considerations. J Theor Biol 2013; 325:52-61. [PMID: 23454079 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2013.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2012] [Revised: 02/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A quantitatively consistent explanation for the titres of infectivity found in a variety of prion-containing preparations is provided on the basis that the ætiological agents of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy comprise a very small population fraction of prion protein (PrP) variants, which contain frameshifted elements in their N-terminal octapeptide-repeat regions. A mechanism for the replication of frameshifted prions is described and calculations are performed to obtain estimates of the concentration of these PrP variants in normal and infected brain, as well as their enrichment in products of protein misfolding cyclic amplification. These calculations resolve the lack of proper quantitative correlation between measures of infectivity and the presence of conformationally-altered, protease-resistant variants of PrP. Experiments, which could confirm or eventually exclude the role of frameshifted variants in the ætiology of prion disease, are suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter R Wills
- Integrative Transcriptomics, Center for Bioinformatics Tübingen, University of Tübingen, Sand 14, Tübingen 72076, Germany.
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Cavaliere P, Pagano B, Granata V, Prigent S, Rezaei H, Giancola C, Zagari A. Cross-talk between prion protein and quadruplex-forming nucleic acids: a dynamic complex formation. Nucleic Acids Res 2012; 41:327-39. [PMID: 23104426 PMCID: PMC3592392 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gks970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion protein (PrP) is involved in lethal neurodegenerative diseases, and many issues remain unclear about its physio-pathological role. Quadruplex-forming nucleic acids (NAs) have been found to specifically bind to both PrP cellular and pathological isoforms. To clarify the relevance of these interactions, thermodynamic, kinetic and structural studies have been performed, using isothermal titration calorimetry, surface plasmon resonance and circular dichroism methodologies. Three quadruplex-forming sequences, d(TGGGGT), r(GGAGGAGGAGGA), d(GGAGGAGGAGGA), and various forms of PrP were selected for this study. Our results showed that these quadruplexes exhibit a high affinity and specificity toward PrP, with KD values within the range 62÷630 nM, and a weaker affinity toward a PrP-β oligomer, which mimics the pathological isoform. We demonstrated that the NA quadruplex architecture is the structural determinant for the recognition by both PrP isoforms. Furthermore, we spotted both PrP N-terminal and C-terminal domains as the binding regions involved in the interaction with DNA/RNAs, using several PrP truncated forms. Interestingly, a reciprocally induced structure loss was observed upon PrP–NA interaction. Our results allowed to surmise a quadruplex unwinding-activity of PrP, that may have a feedback in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Cavaliere
- Dipartimento delle Scienze Biologiche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples 80134, Italy
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Bocharova TN, Smirnova EA, Volodin AA. Linker histone H1 stimulates DNA strand exchange between short oligonucleotides retaining high sensitivity to heterology. Biopolymers 2011; 97:229-39. [PMID: 22113846 DOI: 10.1002/bip.22010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2011] [Revised: 11/10/2011] [Accepted: 11/15/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The interaction of human linker histone H1(0) with short oligonucleotides was characterized. The capability of the histone to promote DNA strand exchange in this system has been demonstrated. The reaction is reversible at saturating amounts of H1 corresponding to complete binding of the oligonucleotide substrates with the histone. In our conditions the complete saturation of DNA with the histone occurs at a ratio of one protein molecule per about 60 nucleotides irrespectively of DNA strandedness. In contrast to the DNA strand exchange promoted by RecA-like enzymes of homologous recombination the H1 promoted reaction exhibits low tolerance to interruptions of homology between oligonucleotide substrates comparable to those for the case of spontaneous strand exchange between free DNA molecules at elevated temperatures and the exchange promoted by some synthetic polycations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana N Bocharova
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2 Kurchatov sq., 123182 Moscow, Russia
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