Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Single-Strand DNA Binding Proteins

Single-Strand DNA Binding Proteins

For successful DNA replication, the unwinding of double-stranded DNA must be accompanied by stabilization and protection of the separated single strands of the DNA. This crucial task is performed by single-strand DNA-binding (SSB) proteins. They bind to the DNA in a sequence-independent manner, which means that the nitrogenous bases of the DNA need not be present in a specific order for binding of SSB proteins to it. The binding of SSB proteins straightens single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and makes...

Cooperative Binding of Transcription Regulators

Cooperative Binding of Transcription Regulators

Transcriptional regulators bind to specific cis-regulatory sequences in the DNA to regulate gene transcription. These cis-regulatory sequences are very short, usually less than ten nucleotide pairs in length. The short length means that there is a high probability of the exact same sequence randomly occurring throughout the genome. Since regulators can also bind to groups of similar sequences, this further increases the chances of random binding. Transcriptional regulators form dimers that...

Cooperative Binding of Transcription Regulators

Cooperative Binding of Transcription Regulators

Transcriptional regulators bind to specific cis-regulatory sequences in the DNA to regulate gene transcription. These cis-regulatory sequences are very short, usually less than ten nucleotide pairs in length. The short length means that there is a high probability of the exact same sequence randomly occurring throughout the genome. Since regulators can also bind to groups of similar sequences, this further increases the chances of random binding. Transcriptional regulators form dimers that...

Co-activators and Co-repressors

Co-activators and Co-repressors

Gene transcription is regulated by the synergistic action of several proteins that form a complex at a gene regulatory site. This is observed in eukaryotes, where the regulation of gene expression is a complex process. Regulatory proteins in eukaryotes can broadly be classified into two types – regulators that bind directly to specific DNA sequences and co-regulators that associate with regulatory proteins but cannot directly bind to the DNA. These co-regulators are further divided into...

DNA Topoisomerases

DNA Topoisomerases

Topoisomerases are enzymes that relax overwound DNA molecules during various cell processes, including DNA replication and transcription. These enzymes regulate positive and negative DNA supercoiling without changing the nucleotide sequence. DNA overwinding in a clockwise direction results in positively supercoiled DNA, whereas underwinding in a counterclockwise direction produces negatively supercoiled DNA.
Types and Mechanism of action
Topoisomerases are divided into two main types. Type I...

The Nucleosome Core Particle

The Nucleosome Core Particle

Nucleosomes are the DNA-histone complex, where the DNA strand is wound around the histone core. The histone core is an octamer containing two copies of H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 histone proteins.
Nucleosomes, paradoxically, perform two opposite functions simultaneously. On the one hand, their primary aim is to protect the delicate DNA strands from physical damage and help achieve a higher compaction ratio. On the other hand, they must allow polymerase enzymes to access histone-bound DNA during...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Mode of action assessment in Raphidocelis subcapitata by complementing the OECD test guideline 201 with transcriptomics.

Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)·2026

Same author

Bitter truth about artificial sweeteners: A critical review on the ecotoxicity of sucralose, acesulfame, saccharin and cyclamate.

Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)·2025

Same author

Amitriptyline and nortriptyline induce ocular toxicity in early life stage zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Toxicology & pharmacology : CBP·2025

Same author

A staged approach using ants as test organism in ecotoxicology.

The Science of the total environment·2025

Same author

Identification of molecular signatures for azole fungicide toxicity in zebrafish embryos by integrating transcriptomics and gene network analysis.

Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)·2025

Same author

Classification of and detection techniques for RNAi-induced effects in GM plants.

Frontiers in plant science·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

In Vitro SUMOylation Assay to Study SUMO E3 Ligase Activity

In Vitro SUMOylation Assay to Study SUMO E3 Ligase Activity

Published on: January 29, 2018

SUMO-1 possesses DNA binding activity.

Sebastian Eilebrecht¹, Caroline Smet-Nocca, Jean-Michel Wieruszeski

¹Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques, 35 route de Chartres, 91440 Bures-sur-Yvette, France. arndt@ihes.fr.

BMC Research Notes

|May 28, 2010

Summary

Small ubiquitin-related modifier 1 (SUMO-1) directly binds double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) independently of sequence. This interaction can displace other DNA-binding proteins, suggesting a role for SUMO-1 in regulating transcription and DNA repair.

More Related Videos

CD Spectroscopy to Study DNA-Protein Interactions

CD Spectroscopy to Study DNA-Protein Interactions

Published on: February 10, 2022

A Quantitative Assay to Study Protein:DNA Interactions, Discover Transcriptional Regulators of Gene Expression, and Identify Novel Anti-tumor Agents

A Quantitative Assay to Study Protein:DNA Interactions, Discover Transcriptional Regulators of Gene Expression, and Identify Novel Anti-tumor Agents

Published on: August 31, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 12, 2026

In Vitro SUMOylation Assay to Study SUMO E3 Ligase Activity

In Vitro SUMOylation Assay to Study SUMO E3 Ligase Activity

Published on: January 29, 2018

CD Spectroscopy to Study DNA-Protein Interactions

CD Spectroscopy to Study DNA-Protein Interactions

Published on: February 10, 2022

A Quantitative Assay to Study Protein:DNA Interactions, Discover Transcriptional Regulators of Gene Expression, and Identify Novel Anti-tumor Agents

A Quantitative Assay to Study Protein:DNA Interactions, Discover Transcriptional Regulators of Gene Expression, and Identify Novel Anti-tumor Agents

Published on: August 31, 2013

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Molecular Biology
Genetics

Background:

Post-translational modification is crucial for protein regulation.
Small ubiquitin-related modifiers (SUMOs) are key regulators, particularly in transcription and genome stability.
The exact mechanisms of SUMOylation and SUMO association remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the direct interaction of SUMO-1 with double-stranded DNA (dsDNA).
To understand the functional implications of SUMO-1 binding to DNA in protein-DNA complex regulation.

Main Methods:

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
Protein-DNA cross-linking experiments.
Competition assays with Thymine-DNA Glycosylase.

Main Results:

SUMO-1 specifically interacts with dsDNA in a sequence-independent manner.
SUMO-1 binding to DNA competes with other DNA-binding proteins.
The DNA binding constant for SUMO-1 was estimated to be in the millimolar range.

Conclusions:

SUMO-1 can directly bind to dsDNA.
SUMO-1 may destabilize DNA-bound complexes, acting as a 'bottle opener'.
This mechanism explains SUMO-1's role in regulating transcription and DNA repair complexes.