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Related Concept Videos

Cis-regulatory Sequences02:02

Cis-regulatory Sequences

Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...
Cis-regulatory Sequences02:02

Cis-regulatory Sequences

Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...
Cooperative Binding of Transcription Regulators02:13

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...
Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing02:41

Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing

In eukaryotic cells, nascent mRNA transcripts need to undergo many post-transcriptional modifications to reach the cell cytoplasm and translate into functional proteins. For a long time, transcription and pre-mRNA processing were considered two independent events that occur sequentially in the cell. However, it has now been well established that transcription and pre-mRNA processing are two simultaneous processes that are precisely regulated inside the cell.
The chromatin structure, especially...
DNA as a Genetic Template02:05

DNA as a Genetic Template

Two structural features of the DNA molecule provide a basis for the mechanisms of heredity: the four nucleotide bases and its double-stranded nature. The Watson-Crick model of double-helical DNA structure, proposed in 1952, drew heavily upon the X-ray crystallography work of researchers Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. Watson, Crick, and Wilkins jointly received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in 1962. Franklin was, controversially, excluded from the prize for...
Chromosome Structure02:40

Chromosome Structure

A functional eukaryotic chromosome must contain three elements: a centromere, telomeres, and numerous origins of replication.
The centromere is a DNA sequence that links sister chromatids. This is also where kinetochores, protein complexes to which spindle microtubules attach, are constructed after the chromosome is replicated. The kinetochores allow the spindle microtubules to move the chromosomes within the cell during cell division.
Telomeres consist of non-coding repetitive nucleotide...

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Getting an A with the 3Cs: Chromosome Conformation Capture for Undergraduates
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Getting an A with the 3Cs: Chromosome Conformation Capture for Undergraduates

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Cruciform structures are a common DNA feature important for regulating biological processes.

Václav Brázda1, Rob C Laister, Eva B Jagelská

  • 1Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v,v,i,, Královopolská 135, Brno, 612 65, Czech Republic. vaclav@ibp.cz

BMC Molecular Biology
|August 6, 2011
PubMed
Summary

DNA cruciforms, formed by inverted repeats, are crucial for DNA processes and linked to diseases. Proteins interact with and regulate these structures, impacting cell homeostasis and gene expression.

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Analyzing and Building Nucleic Acid Structures with 3DNA
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Analyzing and Building Nucleic Acid Structures with 3DNA

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Analyzing and Building Nucleic Acid Structures with 3DNA
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Analyzing and Building Nucleic Acid Structures with 3DNA

Published on: April 26, 2013

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • DNA cruciforms are non-B DNA structures formed by inverted repeats, stabilized by supercoiling.
  • These structures are integral to fundamental biological processes like replication, gene expression, and recombination.
  • Cruciforms are implicated in diseases such as cancer and Werner's syndrome.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review protein families that interact with and regulate DNA cruciform structures.
  • To discuss the role of cruciforms in protein interactions, epigenetic regulation, and cell homeostasis.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of scientific articles on DNA cruciforms and associated proteins.
  • Categorization of interacting proteins into functional groups: junction-resolving enzymes, DNA repair proteins, transcription factors, replication proteins, and chromatin-associated proteins.

Main Results:

  • Identified various protein families, including histones, topoisomerases, HMG proteins, HU, p53, DEK, HMGB-box proteins, Rad54, BRCA1, and PARP-1, that interact with cruciforms.
  • Highlighted that some proteins can induce cruciform formation upon binding.
  • Emphasized the diverse roles of cruciforms in cellular processes and disease.

Conclusions:

  • DNA cruciforms are key regulatory elements in DNA metabolism and cellular function.
  • Interactions with specific proteins modulate cruciform stability and function, influencing gene expression and genome stability.
  • Understanding these interactions is vital for comprehending cellular homeostasis and disease pathogenesis.