In vitro increases in plasmid DNA supercoiling by hydrostatic pressure.
By conducting topoisomerase I-mediating supercoiling assays, effects of elevated pressure on DNA supercoiling were investigated for the first time. It was found that pressure elevations induced a progressive increase in plasmid DNA linking numbers, winding the DNA duplex by a magnitude of 1.1-1.6x10(-3) angular degree/base/MPa. Implications for the findings were discussed in terms of disturbance of the tertiary structure of DNA by elevated pressure.
Tang
G Q
GQ
Laboratory for Biopolymer Physics, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan.
Tanaka
N
N
Kunugi
S
S
D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I; D004278:DNA, Superhelical / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D006874:Hydrostatic Pressure; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D010957:Plasmids / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*
D004278:DNA, Superhelical; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I