Skip to main content
PMC home page
Nucleic Acids Research logoLink to Nucleic Acids Research
. 1980 Feb 25;8(4):845–854.

DNA gyrase stimulates transcription.

A Akrigg, P R Cook
PMCID: PMC327315  PMID: 6253926

Abstract

The nuclear DNA of HeLa cells can now be isolated unbroken and supercoiled. Using DNA gyrase and the untwisting enzyme, we have prepared an allomorphic series of templates derived from this nuclear DNA, and also from the circular DNA of the bacterial virus, PM2. We have then transcribed these templates using 2 different RNA polymerases--from wheat germ and Escherichia coli. Relaxed DNA is transcribed slowly by both polymerases. Supertwisting the naturally-supercoiled templates with gyrase slightly inhibits transcription by the bacterial polymerase but stimulates dramatically transcription by RNA polymerase II from wheat germ.

Full text

PDF
845

Selected References

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

  1. Beard P., Morrow J. F., Berg P. Cleavage of circular, superhelical simian virus 40 DNA to a linear duplex by S1 nuclease. J Virol. 1973 Dec;12(6):1303–1313. doi: 10.1128/jvi.12.6.1303-1313.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Benyajati C., Worcel A. Isolation, characterization, and structure of the folded interphase genome of Drosophila melanogaster. Cell. 1976 Nov;9(3):393–407. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(76)90084-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Botchan P., Wang J. C., Echols H. Effect of circularity and superhelicity on transcription from bacteriophagelambda DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1973 Nov;70(11):3077–3081. doi: 10.1073/pnas.70.11.3077. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Chamberlin M. J. The selectivity of transcription. Annu Rev Biochem. 1974;43(0):721–775. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.43.070174.003445. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chambon P. Eukaryotic nuclear RNA polymerases. Annu Rev Biochem. 1975;44:613–638. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.44.070175.003145. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Champoux J. J., McConaughy B. L. Purification and characterization of the DNA untwisting enzyme from rat liver. Biochemistry. 1976 Oct 19;15(21):4638–4642. doi: 10.1021/bi00666a014. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Colman A., Cook P. R. Transcription of superhelical DNA from cell nuclei. Eur J Biochem. 1977 Jun 1;76(1):63–78. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1977.tb11570.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Cook P. R., Brazell I. A., Jost E. Characterization of nuclear structures containing superhelical DNA. J Cell Sci. 1976 Nov;22(2):303–324. doi: 10.1242/jcs.22.2.303. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Cook P. R., Brazell I. A. Spectrofluorometric measurement of the binding of ethidium to superhelical DNA from cell nuclei. Eur J Biochem. 1978 Mar 15;84(2):465–477. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1978.tb12188.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Cook P. R., Brazell I. A. Supercoils in human DNA. J Cell Sci. 1975 Nov;19(2):261–279. doi: 10.1242/jcs.19.2.261. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Cook P. R. Hypothesis on differentiation and the inheritance of gene superstructure. Nature. 1973 Sep 7;245(5419):23–25. doi: 10.1038/245023a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Denhardt D. T. DNA gyrase and DNA unwinding. Nature. 1979 Jul 19;280(5719):196–198. doi: 10.1038/280196a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Felsenfeld G. Chromatin. Nature. 1978 Jan 12;271(5641):115–122. doi: 10.1038/271115a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Gellert M., Mizuuchi K., O'Dea M. H., Itoh T., Tomizawa J. I. Nalidixic acid resistance: a second genetic character involved in DNA gyrase activity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Nov;74(11):4772–4776. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.11.4772. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Gellert M., Mizuuchi K., O'Dea M. H., Nash H. A. DNA gyrase: an enzyme that introduces superhelical turns into DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976 Nov;73(11):3872–3876. doi: 10.1073/pnas.73.11.3872. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Germond J. E., Hirt B., Oudet P., Gross-Bellark M., Chambon P. Folding of the DNA double helix in chromatin-like structures from simian virus 40. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 May;72(5):1843–1847. doi: 10.1073/pnas.72.5.1843. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Hartwig M. Organization of mammalian chromosomal DNA: supercoiled and folded circular DNA subunits from interphase cell nuclei. Acta Biol Med Ger. 1978;37(3):421–432. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Lebowitz J., Chaudhuri A. K., Gonenne A., Kitos G. Carbodiimide modification of superhelical PM2 DNA: considerations regarding reaction at unpaired bases and the unwinding of superhelical DNA with chemical probes. Nucleic Acids Res. 1977 Jun;4(6):1695–1711. doi: 10.1093/nar/4.6.1695. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Lescure B., Chestier A., Yaniv M. Transcription of polyoma virus DNA in vitro. II. Transcription of superhelical and linear polyoma DNA by RNA polymerase II. J Mol Biol. 1978 Sep 5;124(1):73–85. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(78)90148-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Lilley D. M., Houghton M. The interaction of RNA polymerase II from wheat with supercoiled and linear plasmid templates. Nucleic Acids Res. 1979 Feb;6(2):507–523. doi: 10.1093/nar/6.2.507. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. McCready S. J., Akrigg A., Cook P. R. Electron-microscopy of intact nuclear DNA from human cells. J Cell Sci. 1979 Oct;39:53–62. doi: 10.1242/jcs.39.1.53. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Piñon R., Salts Y. Isolation of folded chromosomes from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Jul;74(7):2850–2854. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.7.2850. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Pulleyblank D. E., Shure M., Tang D., Vinograd J., Vosberg H. P. Action of nicking-closing enzyme on supercoiled and nonsupercoiled closed circular DNA: formation of a Boltzmann distribution of topological isomers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Nov;72(11):4280–4284. doi: 10.1073/pnas.72.11.4280. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Revie D., Dahmus M. E. Purification and partial characterization of a stimulatory factor for lamb thymus RNA polymerase II. Biochemistry. 1979 May 1;18(9):1813–1820. doi: 10.1021/bi00576a028. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Sugino A., Higgins N. P., Brown P. O., Peebles C. L., Cozzarelli N. R. Energy coupling in DNA gyrase and the mechanism of action of novobiocin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Oct;75(10):4838–4842. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.10.4838. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Wang J. C. Interactions between twisted DNAs and enzymes: the effects of superhelical turns. J Mol Biol. 1974 Aug 25;87(4):797–816. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(74)90085-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Nucleic Acids Research are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

RESOURCES