Flexible elements in the structure of promoter DNA as probed by cationic surfactant binding
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Updated: Oct 1, 2026

Single-Molecule Imaging of EWS-FLI1 Condensates Assembling on DNA
Published on: September 8, 2021
I S Masulis1, V A Buckin, O N Ozoline
1Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290 Russia.
Abstract:
A susceptibility of promoter DNA for adaptive conformational transitions has been studied using a cationic surfactant dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C(12)TAB) as a model DNA-binding ligand. DNAse 1 and KMnO(4) were utilized as structure-specific reagents. Both reagents revealed ligand-induced perturbations in the double helix of promoters T7A1 and T7D. These conformational transitions appeared to be strongly associated with pyrimidine-purine steps, which have non-random distribution within RNA polymerase contact region of the promoter DNA and are present in the binding sites for a majority of transcription regulation proteins. Potential flexibility of these elements creates therefore a specific media for transcription complex formation. Molecular mechanism of DNA interaction with C(12)TAB is discussed.
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