title: Intrinsically bent DNA sites in the Drosophila melanogaster third chromosome amplified domain.
abstract: Bent DNA sites promote the curvature of DNA in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic chromosomes. Here, we investigate the localization and structure of intrinsically bent DNA sites in the extensively characterized Drosophila melanogaster third chromosome DAFC-66D segment (Drosophila amplicon in the follicle cells). This region contains the amplification control element ACE3, which is a replication enhancer that acts in cis to activate the major replication origin ori-beta. Through both electrophoretic and in silico analysis, we have identified three major bent DNA sites in DAFC-66D. The bent DNA site (b1) is localized in the ACE3 element, whereas the other two bent DNA sites (b2 and b3) are localized in the ori-beta region. Four additional bent DNA sites were identified in the intron of the S18 gene and near the TATA box of the S15, S19, and S16 genes. The identification of DNA bent sites in genomic regions previously characterized as functionally relevant for DNA amplification further supports a function for DNA bent sites in DNA replication in eukaryotes.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Celular e Genética, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo 5790, Maringá, PR, 87020-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabrícia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gimenes
authors.forename: Mariana Aprígio
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Assis
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiorini
authors.forename: Vânia Aparecida
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Mareze
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Monesi
authors.forename: Maria Aparecida
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fernandez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D017344:Genes, Insect; D007438:Introns; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D018741:Replication Origin
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004247:DNA