Otro
Polymer induced condensation of DNA supercoils
Registro en:
Journal of Chemical Physics. Melville: Amer Inst Physics, v. 129, n. 18, p. 6, 2008.
0021-9606
10.1063/1.2998521
WOS:000260944300053
WOS000260944300053.pdf
Autor
Bessa Ramos, Jose Esio
Ruggiero Neto, Joao
de Vries, Renko
Resumen
Macromolecular crowding is thought to be a significant factor driving DNA condensation in prokaryotic cells. Whereas DNA in prokaryotes is supercoiled, studies on crowding-induced DNA condensation have so far focused on linear DNA. Here we compare DNA condensation by poly(ethylene oxide) for supercoiled and linearized pUC18 plasmid DNA. It is found that supercoiling has only a limited influence on the critical amount of PEO needed to condense plasmid DNA. In order to pack DNA supercoils in condensates, it seems inevitable that they must be deformed in one way or another, to facilitate dense packing of DNA. Analytical estimates and Monte Carlo simulations indicate that packing of DNA supercoils in condensates is most likely facilitated by a decrease of the superhelical diameter rather than by unwinding of the supercoils. Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)