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. 1985 Jul;82(14):4653–4657. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.14.4653

Nucleosome core particles suppress the thermal untwisting of core DNA and adjacent linker DNA.

R H Morse, C R Cantor
PMCID: PMC390444  PMID: 3860814

Abstract

Covalently closed circular DNA is known to undergo a temperature-dependent change in helical twist. We have reconstituted nucleosome core particles onto closed circular DNA and measured the thermal untwisting of the DNA as a function of nucleosome density. The results demonstrate that the DNA associated with the nucleosome core particle does not alter its twist when the temperature is varied between 4 degrees C and 37 degrees C, and that the length of DNA prevented from thermal untwisting includes the linker as well as the core DNA.

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