title: The Cruciform DNA Mobility Shift Assay: A Tool to Study Proteins That Recognize Bent DNA.
abstract: So-called architectural DNA-binding proteins such as those of the HMGB-box family induce DNA bending and kinking. However, these proteins often display only a weak sequence preference, making the analysis of their DNA-binding characteristics difficult if not impossible in a standard electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). In contrast, such proteins often bind prebent DNAs with high affinity and specificity. A synthetic cruciform DNA structure will often provide an ideal binding site for such proteins, allowing their affinities for both bent and linear DNAs to be directly and simply determined by a modified form of EMSA.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Growth and Development, St-Patrick Research Group in Basic Oncology, Cancer Division of the Quebec University Hospital Research Centre, Quebec City, QC, Canada. Victor.Stefanovsky@crhdq.ulaval.ca.|Department of Moleculaier Biology, Medical Biochemistry and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Edifice St Patrick, 9 rue McMahon, Québec, QC, Canada, G1R 3S3. Victor.Stefanovsky@crhdq.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Victor Y
authors.initials: VY
authors.lastname: Stefanovsky
authors.affiliation: Départment de Biologie, Molécular Biochimie and Médicale et Pathologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada, G1R 3S3.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moss
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D045566:DNA, Cruciform / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay / Q000379:methods*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011485:Protein Binding
chemical_list: D045566:DNA, Cruciform; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins
keywords: Architectural proteins; Bent DNA; Cruciform; EMSA; HMGB-box protein