title: Chemical detection of Z-DNA within the maize Adh1 promoter.
abstract: Z-DNA is a left-handed helix which can form within tracts of alternating purines and pyrimidines. Tracts of potential Z-DNA identified by sequence inspection are often noted within regulatory portions of genes, but evidence that these tracts of sequence actually exist as Z-DNA is very limited, and not available for any plant gene. In this study, the chemical probes osmium tetroxide, diethylpyrocarbonate and hydroxylamine were used to show that a tract of alternating purines and pyrimidines in the Adh1 promoter (from -311 to -325) actually assumes a Z-DNA conformation under superhelical stress in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vegetable Crops, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Ferl
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Paul
mesh_terms: D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004278:DNA, Superhelical / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D004047:Diethyl Pyrocarbonate / Q000737:chemistry; D019811:Hydroxylamine; D006898:Hydroxylamines / Q000737:chemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009993:Osmium Tetroxide / Q000737:chemistry; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004278:DNA, Superhelical; D006898:Hydroxylamines; D019811:Hydroxylamine; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase; D004047:Diethyl Pyrocarbonate; D009993:Osmium Tetroxide