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IHF and HU: flexible architects of bent DNA

2004; Elsevier BV; Volume: 14; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.sbi.2003.12.003

1879-033X

Kerren K. Swinger, Phoebe A. Rice,

RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms

The energetic cost of bending short segments of DNA is very high. This bending is critical for the packaging of DNA and is exploited to regulate many cellular processes. In prokaryotes, IHF and HU are key architectural proteins present at high concentrations. New protein–DNA co-crystal structures, and the adaptation of advanced biophysical and biochemical techniques have led to an improved understanding of how these proteins interact with DNA. These techniques include time-resolved synchrotron X-ray footprinting, differential scanning calorimetry, isothermal titration calorimetry and single-molecule experiments.