title: [The bacterial nucleoid].
abstract: The bacterial genome is present in the cell within a complex structure, the nucleoid. The nucleoid contains the genomic DNA, and molecules of RNA and proteins. The main proteins of the nucleoid are: RNA polymerase, topoisomerases and the histone-like proteins: HU, H-NS (H1), H, HLP1, IHF and FIS. The DNA molecule in the nucleoid is under helical tension or supercoiling and is organized into 43 +/- 10 topodomains. DNA supercoiling is generated by the activity of the topoisomerases and by DNA-protein interactions. In this review, we analize current knowledge in Escherichia coli about genome organization and proteins of the nucleoid.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gómez-Eichelmann
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Camacho-Carranza
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004250:DNA Topoisomerases, Type II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004278:DNA, Superhelical / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011073:Polyamines / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004278:DNA, Superhelical; D006657:Histones; D011073:Polyamines; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I; D004250:DNA Topoisomerases, Type II