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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Structure-Based Simulation and Sampling of Transcription Factor Protein Movements along DNA from Atomic-Scale Stepping to Coarse-Grained Diffusion
Published on: March 1, 2022
Generalized electrostatic model of the wrapping of DNA around oppositely charged proteins
Luca Arcesi1, Giovanni La Penna, Angelo Perico
1Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Institute for Macromolecular Studies, Genova, Via De Marini 6, 16149 Genova, Italy.
Abstract:
Histonelike proteins in prokaryotes and histone octamers in eukaryotes carry large positive charges, which are responsible of strong electrostatic interactions with DNA. As a result, DNA wraps around proteins and genetic information is condensed. We describe a generalized model of these electrostatic interactions mediated by salt that explains the wrapping of DNA around the nucleosome octamer, around remodeling factors in eukaryotes and around histonelike proteins in prokaryotes. It comes out that small changes in protein dimension and charge produce large effects in the supramolecular DNA-protein architecture.
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