Figure 7.

A model of nucleoid architecture. The DNA and histone-like proteins (HU, IHF, H-NS, etc.) form a nucleosome-like structure, which is further folded into a 40 nm fiber. The 40 nm fiber is supersolenoided into an 80 nm fiber with other nucleoid-related proteins. The 80 nm fiber forms a loop structure. These structures are thought to be fundamental structures of the nucleoid. The nucleoid becomes tightly packed and forms a coral reef structure of supercoiled 80 nm loops in the early stationary phase, and finally the tightly packed state in the late stationary phase. The formation of the coral reef structure is mainly mediated via a stress-induced protein, Dps.