title: Proteins that shape DNA.
abstract: During the last five years, considerable accumulation of data on nucleic acids metabolism leads to the discovery of a number of proteins designed to change the conformation of DNA and to "shape" it. Experimental results emphasize the importance of the conformation and the flexibility of DNA itself in such interactions. The mutual recognition of nucleic acids by proteins may be or not dependent on the nnucleotide sequence and in most cases is accompanied by conformational changes in the proteins involved. Among these are proteins that bind in stoichiometric amounts to DNA, proteins that promote the separation of the two strands in a duplex, and finally proteins that change the topology of DNA.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D004265:DNA Helicases / Q000378:metabolism; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000378:metabolism; D004278:DNA, Superhelical / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011485:Protein Binding
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004278:DNA, Superhelical; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004247:DNA; D004265:DNA Helicases; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I