Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

DNA protection by stress-induced biocrystallization.

S G Wolf1, D Frenkiel, T Arad

  • 1Department of Organic Chemistry, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.

Nature
|July 14, 1999
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

[Eyeball trauma caused by confetti particles].

Der Ophthalmologe : Zeitschrift der Deutschen Ophthalmologischen Gesellschaft·2018
Same author

Genome Sequence of Serratia plymuthica V4.

Genome announcements·2014
Same author

[Deformation of the perceptive field by mediums with unorthodox refractive indices].

Albrecht von Graefe's Archiv fur Ophthalmologie·2014
Same author

Microbial diversity under extreme euxinia: Mahoney Lake, Canada.

Geobiology·2012
Same author

Biofilm development with an emphasis on Bacillus subtilis.

Current topics in microbiology and immunology·2008
Same author

Diversification rates increase with population size and resource concentration in an unstructured habitat.

Genetics·2007

Bacteria protect their DNA from environmental stress by forming intracellular crystals. This study reveals how the protein Dps co-crystallizes with DNA in Escherichia coli, sequestering and shielding it from damage.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • The crystalline state is generally considered incompatible with life.
  • However, intracellular crystalline assemblies can protect vital macromolecules under severe environmental stress.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate a defense strategy in Escherichia coli involving DNA sequestration within intracellular crystals.
  • To elucidate the role of the stress-induced protein Dps in this process.

Main Methods:

  • Co-crystallization experiments with purified DNA and Dps protein.
  • Analysis of crystalline structures formed in E. coli under stress conditions.
  • Assessment of DNA protection against various assaults within crystals.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Purified Dps and DNA rapidly form highly stable co-crystals, sequestering DNA.
  • DNA within these crystals is effectively protected against diverse environmental assaults.
  • Similar crystalline structures are observed in E. coli with overexpressed Dps and in starved wild-type bacteria.

Conclusions:

  • DNA-Dps co-crystallization represents a significant DNA protection mechanism in bacteria.
  • This biocrystallization strategy provides broad-spectrum DNA protection through sequestration.
  • The widespread presence of Dps homologues suggests this mechanism is crucial and prevalent in prokaryotes.