Cover: A possible role for asymmetric phosphate neutralization in a portion of the DNA bending caused by binding of the Escherichia coli catabolite activator protein (CAP). The crystal structure of the CAP-DNA complex [Schultz,S.C., Shields,G.C. and Steitz,T.A. (1991) Science, 253, 1001-1007] is shown at the top with the protein backbone as red spheres and the DNA in cyan. Five phosphates in the left DNA half-site contacted by cationic amino acid side chains are indicated in red (bottom left). Upon chemical neutralization of these phosphates (bottom right), spontaneous DNA bending occours in the absence of protein as judged by electrophoretic assays. For further details see the paper by Hardwidge et al. in this issue [Nucleic Acids Res. (2002) 30, 1879-1885].
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