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. 1990 Dec;172(12):6900–6906. doi: 10.1128/jb.172.12.6900-6906.1990

Binding of DNA in vitro by a small, acid-soluble spore protein from Bacillus subtilis and the effect of this binding on DNA topology.

W L Nicholson 1, B Setlow 1, P Setlow 1
PMCID: PMC210809  PMID: 2123857

Abstract

The DNA within spores of Bacillus subtilis is complexed with a large amount of alpha/beta-type small, acid-soluble spore protein (SASP). Measurement of the interaction of a purified alpha/beta-type SASP with DNA in vitro by a filter binding assay showed that the binding saturated at one molecule of SASP per approximately 5 bp. SASP-DNA binding did not require a divalent cation, was optimal at pH 6.7, and was unaffected by salt up to 400 mM. Binding of SASP to relaxed plasmid DNA in the presence of topoisomerase I resulted in the introduction of 18 (for plasmid pUC19) or 36 (for plasmid pUB110) negative supertwists, a superhelical density similar to that found in several plasmids isolated from spores. The SASP-dependent introduction of negative supertwists did not require a divalent cation, was unaffected by salt, and also gave a value of one molecule of SASP per approximately 5 bp at saturation. There was at least one slow step in the binding of SASP to DNA as seen in both the filter binding and supercoiling assays.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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