Torsional stress induces left-handed helical stretches in DNA of natural base sequence: circular dichroism and antibody binding.
Above a threshold of torsional stress, the c.d. spectrum of covalently closed circular DNA of natural base sequence acquires a Z-like contribution and antibodies raised against Z-DNA are bound. Mapping of the antibody binding sites by electron microscopy reveals sites which correlate with stretches enriched in alternating purine-pyrimidine sequences and GC base pairs.
Di Capua
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E
Institut für Zellbiologie, ETH, Hönggerberg, Zürich, Switzerland.
Stasiak
A
A
Koller
T
T
Brahms
S
S
Thomae
R
R
Pohl
F M
FM
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D004270:DNA, Circular / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D010957:Plasmids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011817:Rabbits; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
D000906:Antibodies; D004270:DNA, Circular; D005914:Globins