Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Print PDF (1226K)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (50)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Commercial Re-use Guidelines
for Open Access NAR Content
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Low, C.M.L.
Right arrow Articles by Waring, M.J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Low, C.M.L.
Right arrow Articles by Waring, M.J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Nucleic Acids Research, 1986, Vol. 14, No. 17 6785-6801
© 1986

Articles

Echinomycin and distamycin induce rotation of nucleosome core DNA

C.M.L. Low, H.R. Drew+ and M.J. Waring

University of Cambridge Department of Pharmacology, Medical School Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QD +Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QH, UK

Received July 17, 1986. Accepted August 18, 1986.

When nucleosome cores reconstituted from chicken erythrocyte histones and a 160 bp DNA molecule are exposed to echinomycin, a bis-intercalating antitumour antibiotic, the DNA appears to rotate with respect to the histone octamer by about half a turn. New bands appear in patterns of DNAase I digestion at positions approximately mid-way between those characteristic of control core samples, while the control pattern is largely suppressed. Similar (but not identical) changes are produced when nucleosome cores are exposed to distamycin, a non-intercalating DNA-binding antibiotic. The effects of both ligands can be explained in terms of a change in rotational orientation of the core DNA, so as to place antibiotic binding sites on the inward-facing (concave) surface of the DNA supercoil. Presumably this serves to optimise non-bonded contacts with the polynucleotide backbone. These results establish that the positioning of DNA about the histone octamer is not absolutely determined by its nucleotide sequence, but may be modified by the binding of such relatively small molecules as antibiotics.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Nucleic Acids ResHome page
L. G. May, M. A. Madine, and M. J. Waring
Echinomycin inhibits chromosomal DNA replication and embryonic development in vertebrates
Nucleic Acids Res., January 2, 2004; 32(1): 65 - 72.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Nucleic Acids ResHome page
T. D. Schaal, W. G. Mallet, D. L. McMinn, N. V. Nguyen, M. M. Sopko, S. John, and B. S. Parekh
Inhibition of human papilloma virus E2 DNA binding protein by covalently linked polyamides
Nucleic Acids Res., February 15, 2003; 31(4): 1282 - 1291.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Biol. Chem.Home page
Y. Y. Hsu and Y.-H. Wang
Human Fragile Site FRA16B DNA Excludes Nucleosomes in the Presence of Distamycin
J. Biol. Chem., May 3, 2002; 277(19): 17315 - 17319.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Biol. Chem.Home page
D. J. Fitzgerald and J. N. Anderson
Selective Nucleosome Disruption by Drugs That Bind in the Minor Groove of DNA
J. Biol. Chem., September 17, 1999; 274(38): 27128 - 27138.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
D. B. Mann, D. L. Springer, and M. J. Smerdon
DNA damage can alter the stability of nucleosomes: Effects are dependent on damage type
PNAS, March 18, 1997; 94(6): 2215 - 2220.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.