Dependence of the torsional rigidity of DNA on base composition

The Escherichia coli phage 434 repressor binds as a dimer to the operator of the DNA helix. Although the centre of the operator is not in contact with protein, the repressor binding affinity can be reduced at least 50-fold by changing the sequence there: operators with A.T base pairs near their centre bind the repressor more strongly than do operators with G.C base pairs at the same positions. To explain these observations, it has been proposed that the base composition at the centre of the operator affects the affinity of the operator for repressor by altering the ease with which operator DNA can undergo the torsional deformation necessary for complex formation. In this model, the variation in binding affinity would require the torsion constant to have specific values and to change in a sequence-dependent manner. We have now measured torsion constants for DNAs with widely different base compositions. Our results indicate that the torsion constants depend only slightly on the overall composition, and firmly delimit the range of values for each. Even the upper-limit values are much too small to account for the observed changes in affinity of the 434 repressor. These results rule out simple models that rely on substantial generic differences in torsion constant between A.T-rich sequences and G.C-rich sequences, although they do not rule out the possibility of particular sequences having abnormal torsion constants.