Fig. 5.
A proposed mechanism for IHF–DNA complex formation. Two lines and two ovals represent DNA duplex and protein dimers, respectively. DNA first binds straight DNA (Step 1) and forms a straight DNA–protein intermediate (Step 2), and finally DNA bending is followed to form a final complex (Step 3). A complex in which one side of the DNA flanking sequences bending (shown in parentheses) may exist along the way between Steps 2 and 3.